Attitudes of genetic modified organism technology among undergraduates
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As the agricultural industry adapts new technologies to increase the food supply, consumers have expressed an increased concern about the safety of their food. Consumers have more choices on how their food was produced and how they chose to select their food products. Marketing for organically raised, naturally raised food and NON-GMO has increased over the years. Many consumers are hesitant to purchase GMO foods and question the safety it has. This study measures the factors contributing to an undergraduate student's ability to accept or reject GMO technology. Researchers conducted a simultaneous multivariate regression to determine to what extent differences in sex, farm experience, major, college ag coursework, science and biotech knowledge, and class size explain differences in attitudes toward the scaling of acceptability and active support or rejection of GMOs among undergraduate students. For scaling of acceptability, researchers accounted for statistically significant (adjusted R2=0.164) proportions of variation in the dependent variable. The predictor variables of farm experience, genetics knowledge, and biological science credits accounted for significant (p < 0.05) proportions of variance in the scaling of acceptability. For active support or rejection, researchers accounted for statistically significant (adjusted R2=0.124) proportions of variation in the dependent variable. The predictor variables of farm experience and genetics knowledge accounted for significant (p < 0.05) proportions of variance in the active support or rejection of GMOs. Among the variables tested, researchers concluded genetics knowledge was the strongest predictor of active support or rejection of GMO technology, with a medium effect size (Davis, 1971). Farm experience and genetics knowledge were the strongest predictors of positive attitudes toward GMO scaling of acceptability, both with a small effect size (Davis, 1971).
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M.S.