Awareness on adverse effects of nanotechnology increases negative perception among public: survey study from Singapore
Awareness on adverse effects of nanotechnology increases negative perception among public: survey study from Singapore
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DOI：
10.1007/s11051-014-2751-1
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发表时间：
2014-12-01
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Frewer, Lynn
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
George, Saji;Kaptan, Gulbanu;Frewer, Lynn
正如最近与引进新技术有关的社会争议所表明的那样，社会对一项技术及其应用的接受程度取决于消费者所感知的风险和益处。这里报道的研究调查公众对纳米技术的看法在新加坡，技术创新是经济的一个既定部分，它可能是预期的，消费者的风险认知是低的，和那些好处是高的。分析了社会人口变量、知识水平和风险信息暴露对不同应用领域内纳米技术应用形成风险认知的贡献。大约80%的受访者对纳米技术有一定的了解，60%的受访者表示听到过一些负面信息，39%的受访者认为纳米技术是有益的，而27.5%的受访者认为纳米技术是有风险的。据报道，纳米技术在食品中的应用引起了样本中消费者的最大关注。两步聚类分析的数据，使分组的受访者到那些谁表示“不太关注”或“更多的关注”的基础上，他们的平均分数表示与纳米技术在不同部门的应用的关注程度。分析这些集群显示，除了各种社会人口因素，暴露于风险相关的信息，而不是在纳米技术本身的认识，导致受访者表示更关注纳米技术的应用。结果提供了证据，监管机构和行业可以根据政策，知情的风险效益的沟通和管理与纳米技术的商业应用的引入。
As has been demonstrated by recent societal controversies associated with the introduction of novel technologies, societal acceptance of a technology and its applications is shaped by consumers' perceived risks and benefits. The research reported here investigates public perceptions of nanotechnology in Singapore, where technological innovation is an established part of the economy, and it might be expected that consumer perceptions of risk are low, and those of benefit are high. The contribution of socio-demographic variables, knowledge level and exposure to risk information in shaping risk perception about nanotechnology applications within different application sectors were analysed. About similar to 80 % of respondents have some understanding of nanotechnology, 60 % report having heard some negative information, and 39 % perceive nanotechnology as beneficial, while 27.5 % perceive it as risky. Nanotechnology application in food was reported to cause the most concern in the consumers included in the sample. Two-step cluster analysis of the data enabled grouping of respondents into those who expressed 'less concern' or 'more concern' based on their average scores for concern levels expressed with applications of nanotechnology in different sectors. Profiling of these clusters revealed that, apart from various socio-demographic factors, exposure to risk-related information, rather than awareness in nanotechnology itself, resulted in respondents expressing greater concern about nanotechnology applications. The results provide evidence upon which regulatory agencies and industries can base policies regarding informed risk-benefit communication and management associated with the introduction of commercial applications of nanotechnology.