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Research

In June 2015 the Royal Society of Chemistry published research on public attitudes to chemistry in the UK which included people's attitudes and feeling towards chemicals. The research shows that people in the UK are relatively neutral about chemicals, showing quite a nuanced and multifaceted understanding, with both positive and negative attributes. Recorded top of mind associations with chemicals were slightly more negative than positive, but the researchers found that the word was mainly used to refer to synthetic or harmful chemicals. The word ‘chemical’ is commonly used as a short hand for toxic and poisonous, and broadly people use it "to mean the kinds of matter you find in a lab but not in a kitchen, and I think this is how most people use it."

This research indicates that most people demonstrate cognitive polyphasia and are able to handle different thought contents at the same time, even if they are contradictory.Chemicals were also believed to have positive impacts on society and the majority of respondents answered correctly to the questions aimed to test potential misconceptions.

Researchers found that the negative connotation that the word chemical can have did not impact on views of chemistry and chemists.

Following the publication of the research some chemists have reconsidered the usefulness of investing resources in fighting chemophobia, suggesting it is only a chemists'construct. Science journalist Mark Peplow suggested that while "it is understandable that chemists would want to correct this misuse of the generic word ‘chemicals’, but people find it pedantic and patronising when they do". Chemist and science writer Mark Lorch used to be an active promoter of anti-chemophobia campaigns. Lorch said this research has changed his mind on chemophobia: chemists shouldn't get upset about the everyday use of the word chemicals and avoid a chemophobia-phobia .