公众基因本质论:成因、表现与解决策略

Causes,Manifestations,and Solving Strategies of Genetic Essentialism of the Public

基因本质论是一种对遗传过程过度简单化的认知倾向,其在一定程度上左右了公众在医疗、饮食等方面的抉择。公众基因本质论脱胎于心理本质论,其发生扩散过程中,现代遗传学的精深化、公众科学素养的欠缺以及大众媒体不严谨的表述习惯都起到了推波助澜的作用。表型的固定性、病因的特定性、群体的同质性或离散性、伦理的自然性是公众基因本质论的四种表现形式,它们会导致公众对基因研究及相关技术产生排斥恐惧或过度追捧的两种极端心理,也容易强化群体歧视等社会问题及出身论等封建思想。当前,加强科技科普工作协同发展,针对遗传学内容进行教育干预,提高大众媒体发声的真实性和准确性,提升公众科学素养、基因组学素养及媒介素养,是减少公众基因本质论倾向的有效途径。

Genetic essentialism is a cognitive tendency to oversimplify the genetic process,which has influenced the choice of the public in medical treatment,diet,and other aspects to a certain extent.Public genetic essentialism originated from psychological essentialism,in which,the deepening of modern genetics research,the lack of scientific literacy of the public,and the imprecise expression habits of the mass media have all played a role in promoting its spread.Immutability/determinism,specific etiology,homogeneity/discreteness and naturalness are the four forms of genetic essentialism which will lead people to fear or pursuit genetic research and related technology abnormally,and easily strengthen social problems such as group discrimination and feudal thoughts such as the birth theory.In order to reduce the public genetic essentialism,it is suggested to strengthen the coordinated development of science and science popularization,conduct educational intervention for genetics,improve the authenticity and accuracy of mass media reports,and improve the scientific literacy,genomics literacy,and media literacy of the public.