Science and Technology, Public

Opinion and their Motives in

Different Nations: an Analysis
Elvis Bisong Tambe (WVS/BRASIL, UFRGS)
Roberta Preussler dos Santos (WVS/BRASIL, UFRGS)
Débora de Oliveira Santos (WVS/BRASIL, UFRGS)
 Index
1. Research Question
2. General Objective
3. Theoretical Framework
4. Methodology
5. Data Analysis
a. World
b. Latin America
c. Europe
d. Asia
e. Africa
f. Middle East
6. Conclusions
 Research Question

“ What kind of social and structural

variables are related to the
valorization of science and technology

”
in the public opinion?
Cultural Index for Science and Technology Values from the
World Values Survey Sixth Wave (2014)
 General Objective

This article seeks to understand if economic,

investment, educational or access to technology variables
explain why there are differences among nations regarding
their public opinion on science and technology.
 Theoretical Framework

The Congruence Theory, from Eckstein (1966), was the

theoretical framework chosen for the analysis as a whole.

Based on that, the indicators used on the analysis

considered structural subjects that could be congruent with a
worse or better Cultural Index among the nations.
 Methodology
● Variables
○ Economic
○ Educational
○ Research and Development
○ Technology

● Correlation
● Worldwide and Continent-wide
● Multiple sources for data
 Data Analysis - World
Cultural Cultural
Index Index

GDP .081 Gross enrolment ratio, pre-primary (% of preschool-age children) -.090

GDP Per Capita .230

Gross enrolment ratio, primary (% of primary school-age .135
Invest.R&D (%) .317 population)

Invest. R&D (Abs) .130 Individuals using the Internet (%) .019
Invest. Educ (%) .240 Gross enrolment ratio, secondary (% of secondary school-age .118
population)
Invest Educ (Abs) .050
Proportion of housesholds with computer .379**
DHI .016
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary school-age -.063
Literacy rates (% of adults above 15 years old) -.116 population)
Researchers in R&D per million habitants .303* Population with at least some secondary education (% ages 25 .122
and older)
mean years of schooling .048
 Data Analysis - Latin America
Cultural Cultural
Index Index

GDP .710* Gross enrolment ratio, pre-primary (% of preschool-age children) .132

GDP Per Capita .231

Gross enrolment ratio, primary (% of primary school-age .060
Invest.R&D (%) .685* population)

Invest. R&D (Abs) .820** Individuals using the Internet (%) .191
Invest. Educ (%) .387 Gross enrolment ratio, secondary (% of secondary school-age .120
population)
Invest Educ (Abs) .827*
Proportion of housesholds with computer .175
DHI .015
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary school-age -.003
Literacy rates (% of adults above 15 years old) -.282 population)
Researchers in R&D per million habitants .510 Population with at least some secondary education (% ages 25 .036
and older)
mean years of schooling -.176
 Data Analysis - Europe
Cultural Cultural
Index Index

GDP .064 Gross enrolment ratio, pre-primary (% of preschool-age children) .130

GDP Per Capita .620*

Gross enrolment ratio, primary (% of primary school-age .598*
Invest.R&D (%) .676* population)

Invest. R&D (Abs) .214 Individuals using the Internet (%) .633*
Invest. Educ (%) .651* Gross enrolment ratio, secondary (% of secondary school-age .517
population)
Invest Educ (Abs) .236
Proportion of housesholds with computer .638*
DHI .560
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary school-age .017
Literacy rates (% of adults above 15 years old) .757* population)
Researchers in R&D per million habitants .786** Population with at least some secondary education (% ages 25 .232
and older)
mean years of schooling .705*
 Data Analysis - Asia
Cultural Cultural
Index Index

GDP .274 Gross enrolment ratio, pre-primary (% of preschool-age children) -.036

GDP Per Capita -.100

Gross enrolment ratio, primary (% of primary school-age -.297
Invest.R&D (%) .107 population)

Invest. R&D (Abs) .368 Individuals using the Internet (%) .270
Invest. Educ (%) .184 Gross enrolment ratio, secondary (% of secondary school-age .472
population)
Invest Educ (Abs) .108
Proportion of housesholds with computer .286
DHI .185
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary school-age -.121
Literacy rates (% of adults above 15 years old) .464 population)
Researchers in R&D per million habitants .107 Population with at least some secondary education (% ages 25 .765**
and older)
mean years of schooling .533*
 Data Analysis - Africa
Cultural Cultural
Index Index

GDP -.541 Gross enrolment ratio, pre-primary (% of preschool-age children) -.462

GDP Per Capita -.486

Gross enrolment ratio, primary (% of primary school-age .822**
Invest.R&D (%) .059 population)

Invest. R&D (Abs) -.760 Individuals using the Internet (%) -.381
Invest. Educ (%) .078 Gross enrolment ratio, secondary (% of secondary school-age -.284
population)
Invest Educ (Abs) -.628
Proportion of housesholds with computer .678
DHI -.037
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary school-age -.145
Literacy rates (% of adults above 15 years old) -.234 population)
Researchers in R&D per million habitants .255 Population with at least some secondary education (% ages 25 -.754*
and older)
mean years of schooling -.685*
 Data Analysis - Middle East
Cultural Cultural
Index Index

GDP -0.68 Gross enrolment ratio, pre-primary (% of preschool-age children) -.330

GDP Per Capita .143

Gross enrolment ratio, primary (% of primary school-age .035
Invest.R&D (%) .035 population)

Invest. R&D (Abs) -.156 Individuals using the Internet (%) -.480
Invest. Educ (%) .514 Gross enrolment ratio, secondary (% of secondary school-age -.373
population)
Invest Educ (Abs) .078
Proportion of housesholds with computer -.098
DHI -.542
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary school-age -.579
Literacy rates (% of adults above 15 years old) -.566 population)
Researchers in R&D per million habitants -.079 Population with at least some secondary education (% ages 25 -.436
and older)
mean years of schooling -.552
 Conclusions
● Educational, economical and technological variables are
congruent to valorization of science and technology depending on
the geographical region
● While occidental regions are more likely to have strong relations
between values and economical/investment variables; Africa and
Asia had stronger correlations between values and educational
variables
● Singularities in different continents, specially Africa and Middle
East, resulted in discrepancies for the statistical tests, as it was also
affected by the lack of data in key countries inside the regions