{
  "id": 17449228,
  "title": "Extreme liberals who rely on traditional sources are the most likely to overrate their science knowledge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/extreme-liberals-who-rely-on-traditional-sources-are-the-most-likely",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-31T18:00:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/extreme-liberals-who-rely-on-traditional-sources-are-the-most-likely-to-overrate-their-science-knowledge/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Extreme liberals who primarily relied on traditional sources, such as newspapers and television, for scientific information were more likely to overestimate their scientific knowledge compared to other groups, according to an analysis of General Social Survey data. In contrast, extreme liberals who obtained science information online were the least likely to overestimate their knowledge. The study, published in Public Understanding of Science, suggests that the internet's accessibility has altered how people access scientific information, with both positive and negative consequences. While the internet allows for exposure to a wide range of opinions, it also exposes individuals to misleading claims and arguments questioning the scientific consensus. In the United States, where political disagreement surrounding scientific issues is prevalent, the study found that the type of source used to access scientific information significantly impacted political ideology. Liberals who primarily relied on offline sources were more likely to overestimate their scientific knowledge compared to their online counterparts, while conservatives exhibited no such pattern. The research, conducted by Marcus Mann of Purdue University and Cyrus Schleifer of the University of Oklahoma, examined how political ideology and the sources used to obtain scientific information correlate with confidence in one's own scientific knowledge and the accuracy of that confidence. The analysis, based on data from 7,177 respondents collected between 2006 and 2018, revealed that extreme liberals who relied on traditional media were the most overconfident in their scientific knowledge, with 39% classified as overestimating their understanding and 15% underestimating it. Overall, the study found that people who primarily obtained science information online had a similar level of confidence compared to those who relied on other sources, and that political ideology had little impact on actual scientific knowledge.",
  "summary": "People at the political extremes tend to feel more confident about their science knowledge than moderates. But checked against a science quiz, extreme liberals who got their information online were the least likely to overrate themselves.",
  "key_points": [
    "Extreme liberals overestimating science knowledge using traditional sources",
    "Online sources least likely to lead to overestimation of science knowledge",
    "Study links source type to political ideology and confidence in science knowledge"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}