Researches On Transgenic Technology Acceptance Model Based On Perceived Risks And Perceived Benefits

In modern time, science and technology develop quickly. Technology brings benefits to human beings, and negative effects at the same time,which even some times overweigh the benefits. At present, some technologies raise extensive and intensive controversies in society at birth, such as cloning technology, transgenic technology, adosculation etc., which in this dissertation we call’controversial technology’. Therefore, the questions’how would the public accept controversial technology?’and’Which factors influence on the public’s acceptance of controversial technology?’worth exploring. The public’s acceptance of controversial technologies will directly affect development of them.This study selects transgenic technology as a sample of controversial technologies to research the public’s acceptance of it. However, there are lots of types of transgenic technologies, thus in order to easily conduct this research, we choose Genetic Modified foods(GM foods) and Genetic Modified corns(GM corns)to represent transgenic technology to explore the acceptance. Acceptance is a quite abstract concept. In this dissertation, we adopt’attitude’and’purchase intention’ to represent ’acceptance’, and mainly explore the influence of’perceived risks’and’perceived benefits’on acceptance of transgenic technology. Presentment of these two variables is beneficial to understand the acceptance issues of transgenic technology and other controversial technologies. The conclusions of this study will propose policy and suggestions to developments of transgenic technology and other controversial technologies.This study concludes three sub-studies.The first one is based on Theory of Reasoned Action(TRA),Technology Acceptance Model(TAM), and attributes of modern controversial technologies. We add’perceived risks’and’perceived benefits’into TAM, replacing’perceived usefulness’and’perceived easiness ’in the original TAM. And then, we add’Science and Technology Value’(STV) and ’Man and Nature Orientation Value’(MNO) into the research model to eventually form’Transgenic Technology Acceptance Model based on Perceived Risks and Perceived Benefits1’The second research is based on Theory of Reasoned Action(TRA) and Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB). We add’perceived risks’and’perceived benefits’into the model to form’Transgenic Technology Acceptance Model based on Perceived Risks and Perceived Benefits2’.We combine the two questionnaires into one questionnaire, and send to cities and countries all around China.402samples are collected to be conducted Structures Equation Model(SEM)respectively in these two models, in order to test and verify the influence of factors in models on GM foods attitudes and purchase intentions.The above two models test and verify, in different vision, the influence of ’perceived risks’and’perceived benefits’and other factors on GM foods attitudes and purchase intentions. This study expands the application of TAM and TPB to controversial technology areas. The presentments of these two models effectively interpret the acceptance issue of transgenic technology, and illuminate the interpretations of acceptance issues of other controversial technologies.In the third research, we focus on GM corns and purchase intention, conduct questionnaire investigation in cities and countries around China, and over2thousands sampling data are collected. The influence of the public’s’recognition degree’,’Science and Technology Value’,’Nature Value’,’perceived physical risks’and demographic characteristics of individuals(gender, age, place, types of place, monthly income, degree of education) on purchase intentions has been studied in this research.The results of SEM analyses of Study1and Study2show that attitudes can significantly and positively affect purchase intentions. The public’s perceived risks of GM corns can significantly and negatively affect attitudes and purchase intentions, and perceived benefits can significantly and positively affect attitudes and purchase intentions. However, the influence of perceived risks overweigh that of perceived benefits far and away. The Chinese public’s MNO can significantly and positively affect perceived risks of GM corns. Science and technology value(STV) can significantly and positively affect perceived benefits of GM corns, but the influence on perceived risks is not significant. Both subjective norms and behavior control of Chinese public can significantly and positively affect their purchase intentions towards GM foods.In Study3, we conduct a large sample investigation, investigating influences of science and technology values, nature values, perceived physical risks/benefits, recognition degree, demographic characteristics of individuals (gender, age, place, types of place, monthly income, degree of education) on purchase intention. The conclusions of influences of science and technology values, nature values, perceived physical risks/benefits on purchase intention are in accordance with those of Studyl and Study2. Besides, recognition degree and demographic characteristics of individuals except gender can significantly influence on the public’s purchase intention of GM corns.This paper remains several limitations. The sample size of Studyl and Study2is402.Though402is up to the requirements of SEM, it would be better if the sample size is larger. Besides, distribution of samples in these3studies are not even in vocations and regions.According to our conclusion of this study, we propose several policy suggestions:(1) Strengthen transgenic technology risks monitoring and controlling, and develop transgenic technology benefits on the premise of safety.(2) Pay attention to lead the public’s values of STV and MNO.(3) Take steps to strengthen building culture while developing controversial technology, and pay attention to interactive relations of technology and society.(4)Based on truth and ethics, strengthen to publicize and popularize knowledge of GM foods.(5)Strengthen to mark GM foods.The conclusions of this study is beneficial to ethics and society research, and provides policy suggestions to develop transgenic technology and other controversial technologies.