DEMOGRAPHIC RESPONSES 



The responses of demographic groups, 

 although similar, were not identical. Examina- 

 tion of these differences is limited in this report 

 to two of the questions covered in the survey. 

 The pattern of responses to these two is similar 

 to the attitudes and opinions expressed by the 

 demographic groups to the other survey 

 questions. 



The response of "no opinion" is relatively high 

 in all groups,-' but is especially so among the 

 oldest, lower income, and least educated sub- 

 groups. Such responses mask differences in 

 expressed opinion toward science and 

 technology and for this reason, comparisons of 

 subgroups in the following two tables are based 

 on percentages of those expressing an opinion. 



Differences of sex and age 



Responses of men were somewhat more 

 positive than women to science and technology 

 in both questions. Men appear to judge past 

 contributions of science and technology more 

 favorably, and to express more confidence in 

 future accomplishments. Both groups, however, 

 were less confident in 1974 that science and 

 technology would "eventually solve most 

 problems." 



Overall, Would You Say That Science and 

 More Harm Than Good, or 



In general, people between 30-59 years of age 

 expressed the most favorable attitudes toward 

 science and technology, followed by the young 

 (18-29 years), and the older group (60 and 

 above). All age groups recorded less confidence 

 in 1974 in expecting problems to be solved by 

 science and technology. (Major differences 

 between responses of the youngest group and 

 those of the total are noted below for all 

 questions in the survey.) 



Differences in 



education and family income 



Attitudes and opinions toward science and 

 technology appear to correlate closely with 

 education: the greater the amount of formal 

 education, the more favorable the response. For 

 example, 54 percent of those with less than a 

 high school education felt in 1974 that science 

 and technology do more good than harm, 

 compared with 67 percent of those who had 

 completed high school, and 71 percent of those 

 with some college education. 



Attitudes and family income appear to cor- 

 relate to some extent on both the overall impact 

 of science and technology and future con- 

 tributions toward solving problems. Some 70 



Technology Do More Good Than Harm, 

 About the Same of Each? 



Percentage of group expressing 



"More good" 

 J972 1974 



All 61 63 



Men 64 67 



Women 59 59 



18-29 yrs 55 59 



30-39 69 71 



40-49 66 64 



50-59 60 67 



60 + 57 55 



Less than high school 51 54 



High school 63 67 



Some college 74 71 



Family income; 



Under $5,000 44 56 



$5,000-$6,999 47 53 



$7,000-$9,999 54 59 



$10,000-$14,999 61 71 



$15,000 or over 71 69 



-' A high frequency of "no opinion" responses occurs 

 typically in surveys concerned with science and technology, 

 as discussed in Amitai Etzioni and Clyde Nunn, "The Public 

 Appreciation of Science in Contemporary America," 

 Daedalus. Vol. 103 (1974), pp. 191-206. 



149 



