The Many Facets of Genetic Literacy: Assessing the Scalability of Multiple Measures for Broad Use in Survey Research

Abstract

ObjectivesTo determine how three dimensions of genetic literacy (familiarity, skills, and factual knowledge) fit the hierarchy of knowledge outlined in E.M. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations to better conceptualize lay understandings of genomics.MethodsA consumer panel representing the US adult population (N = 1016) completed an electronic survey in November 2013. Adjusting for education, we used correlations, principle components analysis, Mokken Scale tests, and linear regressions to assess how scores on the three genetic literacy sub-dimensions fit an ordered scale.ResultsThe three scores significantly loaded onto one factor, even when adjusting for education. Analyses revealed moderate strength in scaling (0.416, p<0.001) and a difficulty ordering that matched Rogers’ hierarchy (knowledge more difficult than skills, followed by familiarity). Skills scores partially mediated the association between familiarity and knowledge with a significant indirect effect (0.241, p<0.001).ConclusionWe established an ordering in genetic literacy sub-dimensions such that familiarity with terminology precedes skills using information, which in turn precedes factual knowledge. This ordering is important to contextualizing previous findings, guiding measurement in future research, and identifying gaps in the understanding of genomics relevant to the demands of differing applications.

U.S. Adults with Agricultural Experience Report More Genetic Engineering Familiarity than Those Without

“…We averaged term familiarity for individual items and averaged those item scores into a total familiarity score for each participant ( "all familiarity terms"), as well as sub-scores for the terms previously studied by Abrams et al (2015) ("Abrams terms"), and the new terms chosen for this study ("researcher-driven terms"). The Abrams terms scale had Cronbach's alpha .86, while the researcher-driven terms scale had Cronbach's alpha .98, and the combined scale of 17 terms had a Cronbach's alpha of .93, indicating acceptable reliability (Ary et al, 2014).…”

“…Defining each number on the scale allowed participants to appropriately rank their familiarity and understand the meaning of each scale point. Participants responded to 17 terms, the first eight of them matching the terms asked previously in the one national peer-reviewed study we found (Abrams et al, 2015): genetic, chromosome, susceptibility, mutation, variation, abnormality, heredity and sporadic. The Abrams et al scale did not include genetic engineering or plant-or livestock-breeding terms.…”

“…The three steps to increasingly complex knowledge are awareness knowledge, how-to knowledge, and principles knowledge. Abrams et al (2015) recommended that researchers using Roger's hierarchy of knowledge measure these types of knowledge independent of each other, analyzing each component on its own. In this study, we chose to assess awareness knowledge through term familiarity.…”

“…Indeed, a single national evaluation report (Hallman et al, 2013) and one peerreviewed study (Abrams, McBride, Hooker, Cappella, & Koehly, 2015) suggest U.S. adults may not be completely aware of or clear on the meaning of genetic engineering technology, and thus they are unable to validly respond to research soliciting opinions on whether to support the use of the technology. Related research on consumer opinions of another emerging technology, nanotechnology, suggests that once consumers do become more informed, they may become polarized on the issues of risk based on cultural associations, rather than knowledge (Kahan, Braman, Slovic, Gastil, & Cohen, 2009).…”

Genetics in the 21st Century: Implications for patients, consumers and citizens

“…"Such exposure to genomics information outside of the clinical setting call upon the public to independently evaluate the veracity of these claims and make related decisions" 34 .…”