Because existing studies examining the impact of knowledge on people’s attitudes towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have had contradictory results, the goal of this study was to explore ...the attitudes that the population of Slovenia has towards GMOs and how knowledge affects their attitudes.
In January 2012, a telephone survey was conducted researching attitudes towards GMOs and knowledge about them on a representative sample of the population of Slovenia (N=446).
The results revealed a predominantly negative attitude towards GMOs, regardless of their type, application and geographical distance; perceptions of the negative impact of GMOs on an individual’s health were particularly strong. The majority of respondents (59.5%) had moderate knowledge about GMOs, while a largeshare (30.4%) had poor knowledge of the topic. They had better objective knowledge about topics linked to formal education or legislation and a weaker understanding of mass media myths. Correlation analysis and one-way analysis of variance showed a statistically significant correlation between knowledge and attitudes towards GMOs. The respondents with better objective knowledge (who gave the correct answers to test questions) had a less firm and a more positive attitude towards GMOs and vice versa. The respondents who lacked objective knowledge but expressed subjective knowledge (they were convinced that their answers were correct) on average had a more negative attitude towards GMOs compared to those who lacked subjective knowledge.
This finding leads to the conclusion that knowledge, particularly relating to media myths about GMOs, has an important role in forming attitudes towards the impact of GMOs on an individual’s health.
Zaradi nasprotujočih si izsledkov obstoječih raziskav o vplivu znanja na stališča o GSO je bil namen študije ugotoviti, kakšna so stališča prebivalcev Slovenije do gensko spremenjenih organizmov (GSO) in kako znanje vpliva na stališča o GSO.
V januarju 2012 je bila izvedena telefonska anketa o stališčih in znanju o GSO na reprezentativnem vzorcu med prebivalci Slovenije (N = 446).
Izsledki so pokazali prevladujoče negativno stališče do GSO ne glede na vrsto, uporabo in na zemljepisno oddaljenost; pri tem posebej izstopa percepcija vpliva GSO na posameznikovo zdravje. Večina anketiranih (59,5 %) ima o GSO srednje dobro znanje; visok delež (30,4 %) je takih, katerih znanje je slabo. Boljše objektivno znanje imajo o temah iz formalnega izobraževanja ali spremljanja zakonodaje, slabše pa o medijskih mitih. Korelacijska analiza in enosmerna analiza variance sta pokazali, da med znanjem in stališči o GSO obstaja statistično značilna povezanost. Anketiranci z boljšim objektivnim znanjem (pravilni odgovori na testna vprašanja) imajo manj trdno in bolj pozitivno stališče do GSO in nasprotno. Anketiranci brez objektivnega znanja, a z izraženim subjektivnim znanjem (prepričanost o pravilnosti svojih odgovorov) imajo v povprečju bolj negativna stališča do GSO kot tisti, ki nimajo subjektivnega znanja.
To pomeni, da ima znanje, še posebej pa medijski miti o GSO, pomembno vlogo pri oblikovanju stališča o vplivu GSO na posameznikovo zdravje.
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