Multiple Exposures: Scientific Controversy, the Media, and Public Responses to Bisphenol A

Brewer, Paul R.; Ley, Barbara L.

doi:10.1177/1075547010377879

Cited by 31 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Higher study level was a predictor of both better knowledge and safer practices. As a matter of fact, higher education has been linked with greater knowledge about science and technology in general (16), and BPA in specific (11). Moreover, highly educated people were shown to be more attentive to scientific controversies and topics discussed in the news, although this was not always associated with greater factual knowledge (17).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, there have been only a few studies assessing the level of familiarity, knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning BPA. A study conducted in the US showed that 70% of the people surveyed had at least heard about BPA, which were considered to be familiar with the topic (11). In Thailand, a study showed that while parents and health professionals know about some of the adverse effects of BPA, they do not know how to use or purchase plastic products properly, showing a lack of knowledge despite some familiarity with the topic (12).…”

Section: Despite All the Evidence The Most Recent Risk Assessments Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To our knowledge, there is no comprehensive English questionnaire that measures familiarity, knowledge, attitude, and practice about BPA and its potential health effects. Therefore, an English questionnaire was designed based on the current literature about BPA, which is summarized in the introduction, and already-existing surveys addressing similar topics (3,11,12). Content experts from the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB were available throughout the process for advice and assistance in question development, and to ensure that the final questionnaire covers all the important aspects of the subject.…”

Section: Research Instrument Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bisphenol A Toxicity: Familiarity, Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among University Students in Lebanon

Assi¹,

Labban²,

El-Dana³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Background: In the absence of strict regulations, the extent of exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) toxicity depends mainly on the consumers' own knowledge, attitude, and practices about the matter. The aim of this study was to assess the current level of familiarity and knowledge about BPA, attitude towards it, practices related to the use of BPA-containing products, and the predictors of each. Methods : We carried out a cross-sectional study among students at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, between January and April 2017. Full-time students above the age of 18 and registered in a specific major were eligible to participate in the study. An English questionnaire that assesses familiarity, as well as knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) was developed based on current literature and expert opinion. Demographics, lifestyle, and level of familiarity with the topic were assessed among all participants. Predictors of familiarity, defined as knowing at least a little about BPA, were assessed among all participants using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Among students familiar with BPA, predictors of higher KAP scores were assessed by similar analyses. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. Results : The level of familiarity with BPA was 23.7%.Studying in a health-related field was a predictor of familiarity (adjusted OR=3.11; CI: 2.08-4.66).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Despite All the Evidence The Most Recent Risk Assessments Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Research Instrument Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Bisphenol A Toxicity: Familiarity, Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among University Students in Lebanon

Assi¹,

Labban²,

El-Dana³

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Using survey methods, researchers in the USA have shown that attitudes toward Bisphenol A are shaped primarily by news exposure, trust in business and trust in the USA regulator, the Food and Drug Administration. These surveys indicate that more exposure and less trust is associated with more negative views of Bisphenol A (Brewer and Ley 2011). Other researchers have explored the potential for scientific ambiguity to influence Bisphenol A judgements, and found that when people are told ‘there is not enough scientific evidence that Bisphenol A harms human health’ this significantly reduces their support for a Bisphenol A ban (Maxim and Mansier 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

The psychology of ‘regrettable substitutions’: examining consumer judgements of Bisphenol A and its alternatives

Scherer

Maynard

Dolinoy

et al. 2014

Health, Risk & Society

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Bisphenol A is a chemical used to make certain types of plastics and is found in numerous consumer products. Because scientific studies have raised concerns about Bisphenol A’s potential impact on human health, it has been removed from some (but not all) products. What many consumers do not know, however, is that Bisphenol A is often replaced with other, less-studied chemicals whose health implications are virtually unknown. This type of situation is known as a potential ‘regrettable substitution’, because the substitute material might actually be worse than the material that it replaces. Regrettable substitutions are a common concern among policymakers, and they are a real-world manifestation of the tension that can exist between the desire to avoid risk (known possible consequences that might or might not occur) and ambiguity (second-order uncertainty), which is itself aversive. In this article we examine how people make such trade-offs using the example of Bisphenol A. Using data from Study 1, we show that people have inconsistent preferences toward these alternatives and that choice is largely determined by irrelevant contextual factors such as the order in which the alternatives are evaluated. Using data from Study 2 we further demonstrate that when people are informed of the presence of substitute chemicals, labeling the alternative product as ‘free’ of Bisphenol A causes them to be significantly more likely to choose the alternative despite its ambiguity. We discuss the relevance of these findings for extant psychological theories as well as their implications for risk, policy and health communication.

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“…Research in Science Studies, Sociology, and Rhetoric has explored how scientific controversy shapes public discourse [Brewer and Ley, 2011;Friedman, Dunwoody and Rogers, 1999;Gregory and Miller, 1998;Priest, 2006]; yet, little research has explored how scientific controversy affects the way that science deployed in academic or professional settings. One exception might be Robert Proctor's [2008] study of "agnotology."…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The extent of engagement, the means of invention: measuring debate about mirror neurons in the humanities and social sciences

Gruber¹

2016

JCOM

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Mirror neurons (MN) — or neurons said to be able to "mirror" the sensed environment — have been widely popularized and referenced across many academic fields. Yet, MNs have also been the subject of considerable debate in the neurosciences. Using a criterion based sampling method and a citation analysis, this paper examines the extent of engagement with the neuroscience literature about MNs, looking specifically at the frequency of "MN debate sources" within articles published in the JSTOR and Communication and Mass Media (CMMC) databases. After reporting the results, the paper reviews characteristic examples in context and, ultimately, shows that MN debates remain largely absent from peer-reviewed articles published in JSTOR and CMMC. However, the paper suggests that this happens for good reason and that MNs retain the potential for inventive animations even though debates have gone largely unrecognized.

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Multiple Exposures: Scientific Controversy, the Media, and Public Responses to Bisphenol A

Cited by 31 publications

References 32 publications

Bisphenol A Toxicity: Familiarity, Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among University Students in Lebanon

Bisphenol A Toxicity: Familiarity, Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among University Students in Lebanon

The psychology of ‘regrettable substitutions’: examining consumer judgements of Bisphenol A and its alternatives

The extent of engagement, the means of invention: measuring debate about mirror neurons in the humanities and social sciences

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