The effects of consumer's subjective and objective knowledge on perceptions and attitude towards genetically modified foods: objective knowledge as a determinant

Abstract

SummaryConsumer's knowledge and perceptions are suspected of playing key roles in the formation of consumer's attitudes to genetically modified foods (GM foods). Specifically, the study distinguishes between consumer's objective and subjective knowledge and also distinguishes between risk and benefit perceptions. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact paths from consumer's different types of knowledge to consumer's attitudes towards GM foods purchase. A structural equation model (SEM) is constructed, and an empirical test is done using data from 570 consumer respondents collected from five representative cities in China. Interestingly, the paths from subjective knowledge to benefit perceptions (βH1 = −0.098, P = 0.085) and risk perceptions (βH2 = 0.098, P = 0.113) indicate that both the two paths are not significant, while the paths from objective knowledge to benefit receptions (βH3 = 0.769, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH4 = −0.578, P < 0.001) imply that objective knowledge exerts great influence both on benefit and risk perceptions. That is to say, consumers’ objective knowledge rather than subjective knowledge plays an important role in the formation of consumer's attitudes to GM foods in urban China. This result is very different from (AgBioForum, 7, 2004 and 113). At the same time, the results show that in urban China, consumer's attitude towards GM Foods is significantly influenced both by benefit perceptions (βH5 = 0.649, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH6 = −0.286, P < 0.001) but is mainly determined by benefit perceptions, and consumer's attitude towards GM foods is significantly related to his or her attitude towards GM foods purchase. Finally, recommendations for relevant industries and regulating agencies in the GM foods area and suggestions for future research are discussed.