areas for expenditures, 45 percent of the young 

 group cited "developing and improving weapons 

 for national defense," as against 30 percent of 

 the total group. Similarly, "weather control and 

 prediction" was cited as "least liked" by 24 

 percent of the group versus 16 percent of the 

 total sample. 



OTHER SURVEYS 



Surveys on public attitudes toward science 

 and technology were recently reviewed by 

 Etzioni and Nunn."* Results from the survey 

 conducted for this report appear to be consistent 

 with earlier studies, to the extent that direct 

 comparisons can be made. 



The results of the present survey (1972 and 

 1974) with respect to the public's general regard 

 for science may be placed in a broader context by 

 reference to comparable surveys : a Harris poll in 

 1972 and one by the National Opinion Research 

 Center (NORC) in 1973 and a replication in 

 1974. These surveys explored levels of public 

 confidence in "the people who are running" 11 

 institutions. 5 In the Harris Poll, science as an 

 institution ranked second among the 11 in terms 

 of the percentage of the public indicating "a great 



deal of confidence." In 1973, the NORC survey" 

 also showed science ranking second, with 

 education, in public confidence. The percentage 

 expressing a great deal of confidence in science 

 rose from 37 to 45 in 1974, but because of an 

 even larger gain for education, from 37 to 49, the 

 rank of science dropped to third among the 11 

 institutions in 1974. 



A more recent survey by LaPorte and Metlay^ 

 found a "reasonably high degree of cor- 

 respondence" in responses to several items 

 which were included in the survey reported in 

 Science Indicators — J 972. Similar attitudes, for 

 example, were found in both surveys regarding 

 the confidence and prestige associated with 

 scientists and engineers, the desired extent of 

 social control of science and technology, and 

 ratings of benefits in different areas, such as 

 health and space exploration. TTie LaPorte and 

 Metlay survey, in addition, found that attitudes 

 toward science differ from those toward 

 technology; "there was considerable agreement 

 that scientific activities are intrinsically 

 beneficial and should not be controlled", 

 whereas "the public reaction to the impact of 

 technology upon society is one of wariness and 

 some skepticism". 



■> Ibid. 



5 Tine institutions for which data were available over the 

 three years included medicine, science, education, the 

 military. Supreme Court, Federal executive branch. Con- 

 gress, major U.S. companies, the press, television, and labor. 



" Codehook of the General Social Survey. National Opinion 

 Research Center, 1973 and 1974. 



~ Todd LaPorte and Daniel Metlay, "Technology Ob- 

 served; Attitudes of a Wary Public," Science. Vol. 188 (1975), 

 pp. 121-127. 



151 



