There are reasons for growing alarm about the scientific findings disbelief because it seems to reflect a much broader drop in the credibility of academics and scientists, says Ernest O'Boyle, an associate professor.

Some public distrust comes from a rapid rise in studies suggesting that current research findings are not as robust as previously thought.

This trend affects business and the workplace because managers are less likely to look to academic research for advice or apply empirically validated best practices.

Many people are also likely to use motivated reasoning when evaluating research-based claims about the causes and consequences of pay inequity.

One more reason for this increasing trend is that many researchers, practitioners, or students get much of their information from sources that were barely in use little more than a decade ago, like online videos, blogs, and various forms of social media. Some information is very raw there.