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Assessment of Slovene secondary school students’ attitudes to biotechnology in terms of usefulness, moral acceptability and risk perception

Helena rne-Hladnik

Secondary school Gimnazija ika

Cirila Peklaj

Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology, University of Ljubljana, Centre for Educational Development at the Faculty of Arts

Katarina Komelj

Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana

Ale Hladnik

Department of Textiles, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the Universtiy of Ljubljana

Branka Javornik

Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, branka.javornik{at}bf.uni-lj.si

Quantitative and qualitative studies among 469 high school students of average age 17 years were conducted. The students’ attitudes to four practical applications of biotechnology were examined: genetically modified plants (Bt corn), genetically modified animals (salmon), and hemophilia germ line and somatic gene therapy. Each of the four applications was examined from three different viewpoints: usefulness, moral acceptability and risk perception. Bt corn production proved to be the most acceptable in terms of both usefulness and risk perception. Values for genetically modified salmon and germ line gene therapy were comparable, but much lower than those for the other two applications; this was true for both usefulness and moral acceptability. In addition, students found genetically modified salmon to be ethically much less acceptable than Bt corn. Significant gender differences were observed in the case of germ line gene therapy and genetically modified salmon.

Key Words: adolescent attitudes • biotechnology • moral acceptability • risk perception • usefulness

Public Understanding of Science, Vol. 18, No. 6, 747-758 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0963662509336761


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