Adolescent responses toward a new technology: first associations, information seeking and affective responses to ecogenomics

Abstract

This paper reports on an exploratory study among adolescents (N = 752) who were introduced to the emerging technology of ecogenomics for the first time. An online survey focused on their associations with the term ecogenomics, their planned information seeking behaviors if they were to acquire information about the new technology, and their first affective responses toward ecogenomics after having read some introductory information about it. Adolescents were found to associate ecogenomics most frequently with economy. Although the Internet was the most popular medium to be used in their planned information seeking behaviors, books and science communication professionals were judged as the most trustworthy information sources. After having read the introductory information about ecogenomics most adolescents reported positive affective responses toward the new technology.

Naming is framing: the public understanding of scientific names

“…Most research on technologies investigates the way people react to a technology after they receive information (Bos, Koolstra & Willems, 2009). However, as indicated by the experiences of experts working on plant breeding for food, it appears that the beliefs and attitudes about a technology may be influenced by the name alone, without additional information.…”

“…A notable exception is provided in a study of the ecogenomics construct (Bos, Koolstra, & Willems, 2009). The goal of the study was to ascertain the amount of information people were planning to try to obtain.…”

“…As such, we depart from the dominant approach in science communication where the effects of provided information are investigated (Bos, Koolstra, & Willems, 2009) and influences of cognitive mechanisms such as framing, (re)coding and the elaboration likelihood model on the interpretation of information is investigated.…”

“…We aimed at approximating the information that can be easily found by non-experts and people without access to academic sources such as journals. Using easily accessible information is particularly important because research in the field of genomics has proved that people's motivation to search for information is minimal (Bos, Koolstra, & Willems, 2009 …”

“…In the case of genomics, laypeople have stated that there is just too much to know and that it would take too much time and effort to reach the required level of knowledge (Dijkstra & Gutteling, 2012; see also Bos, Koolstra, & Willems, 2009). According to Scheufele and Lewenstein, (2005), an alternative to using directly related knowledge is to use, among other things, knowledge and risks related to other technologies.…”