Trust and Technology: Analyzing the Role of Political Trust on Perceptions of Gene Editing Technology
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Political Science
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Wood
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
The topic of this paper is the influence of trust in government on perceptions of gene editing technology and its various applications. My hypothesis is that as trust in the government increases, so too does trust for the implementation of gene editing technology. Research on gene editing technology is relatively novel, so understanding influences on public perceptions will help inform policymakers. I use data from the Pew Research Center International Science Survey and run a linear regression model on SPSS to determine if a statistically significant relationship exists between political trust and perceptions of CRISPR. I expect to find that there is a significant and positive correlation between the two variables when controlling for education, trust in scientists, and political party affiliation. The outcome will be important for future policy development as discussions around how to implement this emerging technology evolve.
Fall Scholars Week 2025
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Trust and Technology: Analyzing the Role of Political Trust on Perceptions of Gene Editing Technology
The topic of this paper is the influence of trust in government on perceptions of gene editing technology and its various applications. My hypothesis is that as trust in the government increases, so too does trust for the implementation of gene editing technology. Research on gene editing technology is relatively novel, so understanding influences on public perceptions will help inform policymakers. I use data from the Pew Research Center International Science Survey and run a linear regression model on SPSS to determine if a statistically significant relationship exists between political trust and perceptions of CRISPR. I expect to find that there is a significant and positive correlation between the two variables when controlling for education, trust in scientists, and political party affiliation. The outcome will be important for future policy development as discussions around how to implement this emerging technology evolve.