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Public attitudes to genomic science:: an experiment in information provision

¹ Patrick Sturgis is Professor of researchmethodology in the Division of Social Statistics, University of Southampton.
² Ian Brunton-Smith is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Surrey.
³ Chris Fife-Schaw is Professor of psychology in the department of psychology and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences at the University of Surrey.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

	Abstract

We use an experimental panel study design to investigate the effect of providing "value-neutral" information about genomic science in the form of a short film to a random sample of the British public. We find little evidence of attitude change as a function of information provision. However, our results show that information provision significantly increased dropout from the study amongst less educated respondents. Our findings have implications both for our understanding of the knowledge–attitude relationship in public opinion toward genomic science and for science communication more generally.

First published on November 17, 2008
Public Understanding of Science 2008, doi:10.1177/0963662508093371


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