A COMPARISON OF TWO APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING CONSUMER OPINIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Two approaches to risk communication about complex and controversial technology are compared through analysis of responses to a nationwide survey of 2,070 consumers conducted in the United States. Results indicate that key components of the cognitive science approach, which emphasizes the importance of information exchange, and the sociocultural approach, which emphasizes the importance of trust and perceived ethical legitimacy, complement one another as determinants of consumer opinion formation regarding complex and controversial technology. Implications for risk communication approaches regarding biotechnology are described.