Laypeople Use Institutional Information Cues in Judging the Plausibility of Research Findings: Results from a Factorial Survey

Mediatization of science communication facilitates broader access to scientific knowledge. However, in the post-truth era, it makes the task of critical evaluation of science-based information more challenging than ever for laypeople. The authors conducted a factorial survey as a part of a nationally representative Russian survey panel to evaluate the influence of institutional information cues on laypersons’ plausibility judgments. The findings indicate that funding information and institutional affiliation influence how the general public perceives the plausibility of scientific results. The data obtained also show that research results from various scientific disciplines are perceived differently in terms of their plausibility.