Social Acceptance of Genetic Engineering Technology

Further, participants expressed their understanding of technology using a range of terms interchangeably, all describing technology used to change an organism’s DNA. Applications involving animals were perceived as less beneficial than a plant application, and an application for increased cattle muscle growth was perceived as more risky than a plant application. We used structural equation modelling and confirmed model fit for each survey.

In each survey, perceptions of benefit had the greatest effect on acceptance. Following our hypothesized model, social trust had an indirect influence on acceptance through similar effects of perceived benefit and risk. When assessing the acceptability of applications participants considered impacts on plants, animals, and people, trust in actors and technologies, and weighed benefits and drawbacks of GE.

Future work should consider how to best measure acceptability of GE for animals, consider contextual factors and consider the use of inductive frameworks.