Messages promoting genetic modification of crops in the context of climate change: Evidence for psychological reactance.
Genetic modification (GM) of crops and climate change are arguably two of today's most challenging science communication issues. Increasingly, these two issues are connected in messages proposing GM as a viable option for ensuring global food security threatened by climate change. This study examines the effects of messages promoting the benefits of GM in the context of climate change. Further, it examines whether explicit reference to "climate change," or "global warming" in a GM message results in different effects than each other, or an implicit climate reference. An online sample of U.S. participants (N = 1050) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: "climate change" cue, "global warming" cue, implicit cue, or control (no message). Generally speaking, framing GM crops as a way to help ensure global food security proved to be an effective messaging strategy in increasing positive attitudes toward GM. In addition, the implicit cue condition led to liberals having more positive attitudes and behavioral intentions toward GM than the "climate change" cue condition, an effect mediated by message evaluations.
Department of Communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States. Electronic address: hl896@cornell.edu.
Hang
H
Lu
Department of Communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
Katherine A
KA
McComas
Department of Advertising and Public Relations, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.
John C
JC
Besley
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000786:Anger; D057231:Climate Change / Q000191:economics; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D003463:Cues; D004034:Diet Surveys; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D030841:Food, Genetically Modified / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014481:United States
Climate change; Communication; Genetic modification; Political ideology; Psychological reactance