Table 3 Questions and Cronbach’s alphas for all scales in the evolution literacy survey

Political activity

N  = 6

α  = .869

To what degree are you political?

To what degree are you politically active?

To what degree are you politically aware/up-to-date?

To what degree do your political views influence your daily life?

To what degree do your political views influence your decisions?

To what degree do your political views influence your friendships?

Religious activity

N  = 4

α  = .912

To what degree are you religious?

To what degree does religion impact your daily life?

To what degree does your religion influence your decisions?

To what degree do you participate in religious activities?

Political/ideological affiliation

N  = 2

α  = .623

To what degree are you liberal?

To what degree are you conservative?

Young Earth Creationist Beliefs

N  = 13

α  = .875

α  = .882

People who accept evolution do not believe in God.

Scientists who believe in evolution are immoral.

People who accept evolution as fact are immoral.

I read the bible literally.

A supreme being created humans in their present image.

Humans never could have been related to apes.

God created man in His image.

Dinosaurs were on Noah's ark with other animals.

If you accept evolution, you really can't believe in God.

The Earth isn't old enough for evolution to have taken place.

God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years.

There was a time when humans and dinosaurs lived on earth together.

Present animal diversity can be explained by the Great Flood.

Embryo/fetus beliefs ^a

N  = 3

α  = .728

α  = .625

Life begins at conception.

After conception, a developing human is only a cluster of cells, and it makes no sense to discuss its moral condition.

All stages of human life—embryo, fetus, child, adult—should have the same legal protections.

Intelligent design fallacies

N  = 17

α  = .858

α  = .850

There is scientific evidence that humans were created by a supreme being.

Humans were designed with a special purpose.

Humans were designed by a special creator.

There are fossil records that prove humans did not evolve.

There is no fossil evidence supporting evolution.

There are huge gaps in the fossil record.

There is no evidence that humans evolved from other animals.

The methods used to determine the age of fossils are inaccurate.

Mutations are never beneficial.

The theory of evolution is a matter of faith and belief, just like religion.

Humans were specially designed.

Evolution can account for short-term micro-level events (e.g., resistance to antibiotics), but not for the creation of animal diversity.

There are no transitional fossils (remains of life forms that illustrate an evolutionary transition).

It is statistically impossible that life arose by chance.

It is impossible that life came about spontaneously.

People who accept evolution as fact believe humans are direct descendents of apes (ex. Chimpanzees).

The theory of evolution does not explain similarities or differences between chimps and humans.

Social objections to evolution

N  = 6

α  = .765

α  = .753

The theory of evolution has contributed to racism.

Applying the theory of evolution to human affairs implies we are not fully in control of our behavior.

The theory of evolution has contributed to sexism.

The theory of evolution has contributed to an increase in abortion.

The theory of evolution has contributed to genocide (the deliberate killing of a group based on nationality, race, politics, or culture).

The theory of evolution has contributed to an increase in euthanasia (the act of killing someone painlessly or allowing to die to stop the suffering; also called mercy killing).

Factual understanding of evolution

N  = 15

α  = .833

α  = .837

Humans share a majority of their genes with chimpanzees.^b

Humans share more than half of their genes with mice.^b

Ordinary tomatoes do not have genes, whereas genetically modified tomatoes do. ^b

Genetically modified animals are always larger than ordinary animals. ^b

Cloning is a form of reproduction in which offspring result from the union of sperm and egg. ^b

Today it is not possible to transfer genes from humans to animals. ^b

If someone eats a genetically modified fruit, there is a risk that a person's genes might be modified too. ^b

All plants and animals have DNA. ^b

Today it is not possible to transfer genes from animals to plants. ^b

Humans have somewhat less than half of the DNA in common with chimpanzees. ^b

You can see traces of our evolutionary past in human embryos.

Humans developed from earlier life forms.

Monkeys, apes, and humans look alike because they came from a common distant ancestor.^c

Different kinds of animals look alike because they came from a common distant ancestor.^c

Human behavior is influenced by our genes.

Relevance of evolution

N  = 19

α  = .928

α  = .950

The theory of evolution helps explain learning and culture.

The theory of evolution helps explain the world as it is in the present.

Genes are relevant to understanding the human body.

Evolutionary theory is highly relevant for botany.

Genes are relevant to understanding human behavior.

Evolutionary theory is highly relevant for zoology.

Evolutionary theory is highly relevant for biology.

Evolutionary theory is highly relevant for the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, psychology, sociology).

Evolutionary theory is highly relevant for the humanities (e.g., history, literature, philosophy).

For explaining human behavior, evolutionary theory is irrelevant.

Evolutionary theory is relevant to our everyday lives.

The theory of evolution is highly relevant to human affairs

The theory of evolution is irrelevant to human affairs.

The theory of evolution helps us understand plants.

The theory of evolution helps us understand animals.

The theory of evolution helps us understand animal behavior.

The theory of evolution helps us understand human origins.

The theory of evolution helps us understand human behavior.

The theory of evolution helps explain the world as it was in the past.