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Effects of Knowledge on Attitude Formation and Change Toward Genetically Modified Foods

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  • Xiaoqin Zhu
  • Xiaofei Xie

Abstract

In three waves, this study investigates the impact of risk and benefit knowledge on attitude formation toward genetically modified (GM) foods as well as the moderating effect of knowledge level on attitude change caused by receiving information. The data in Wave 1 (N = 561) demonstrate that both benefit and risk knowledge either directly contribute to attitude formation or indirectly affect attitudes through the mediating roles of benefit and risk perceptions. Overall, benefit and risk knowledge affect consumer attitudes positively and negatively, respectively. In Wave 2, 486 participants from Wave 1 were provided with information about GM foods, and their attitudes were assessed. Three weeks later, 433 of these participants again reported their attitudes. The results indicate that compared with the benefit and mixed information, risk information has a greater and longer lasting impact on attitude change, which results in lower acceptance of GM foods. Furthermore, risk information more strongly influences participants with a higher knowledge level. The moderating effect of knowledge on attitude change may result from these participants’ better understanding of and greater trust in the information. These findings highlight the important role of knowledge in attitude formation and attitude change toward GM foods as well as the necessity of considering the determinants of attitude formation in attitude change studies.

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  • Xiaoqin Zhu & Xiaofei Xie, 2015. "Effects of Knowledge on Attitude Formation and Change Toward Genetically Modified Foods," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(5), pages 790-810, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:35:y:2015:i:5:p:790-810
    DOI: 10.1111/risa.12319
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    3. Li Li & John Robert Bautista, 2019. "Examining Personal and Media Factors Associated with Attitude towards Genetically Modified Foods among University Students in Kunming, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-14, November.
    4. Youzhu Li & Xianghui Gao & Mingying Du & Rui He & Shanshan Yang & Jason Xiong, 2020. "What Causes Different Sentiment Classification on Social Network Services? Evidence from Weibo with Genetically Modified Food in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, February.
    5. Shen-Long Yang & Feng Yu & Kai Li & Ting-Ting Rao & Da-Peng Lian, 2022. "No Control, No Consumption: Association of Low Perceived Control and Intention to Accept Genetically Modified Food," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, June.
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    8. Kyungsoo Nam & Heesun Lim & Byeong-il Ahn, 2020. "Information Values on the Consumer’s Valuation of non-GM Material: The Case of Cooking Oil in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-19, September.
    9. Liu, Peng & Xu, Zhigang & Zhao, Xiangmo, 2019. "Road tests of self-driving vehicles: Affective and cognitive pathways in acceptance formation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 354-369.
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    11. Syed Hassan Raza & Umer Zaman & Paulo Ferreira & Pablo Farías, 2021. "An Experimental Evidence on Public Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food through Advertisement Framing on Health and Environmental Benefits, Objective Knowledge, and Risk Reduction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-24, May.
    12. Shahida Anusha Siddiqui & Zarnab Asif & Misbah Murid & Ito Fernando & Danung Nur Adli & Andrey Vladimirovich Blinov & Alexey Borisovich Golik & Widya Satya Nugraha & Salam A. Ibrahim & Seid Mahdi Jafa, 2022. "Consumer Social and Psychological Factors Influencing the Use of Genetically Modified Foods—A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-22, November.
    13. Longji Hu & Rongjin Liu & Wei Zhang & Tian Zhang, 2020. "The Effects of Epistemic Trust and Social Trust on Public Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food: An Empirical Study from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-20, October.
    14. Francisco J. Areal & Laura Riesgo, 2021. "EU Inspections of GM Content in Food and Feed: Are They Effective?," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, September.

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