Adherence
Consumer acceptance of new food technologies is negatively correlated with perceived risk and positively correlated with perceived benefit, driven by affective heuristics and moral judgments rather than objective risk assessment.
To increase acceptance of a new food technology, focus on communicating tangible consumer benefits (e.g., nutrition, safety) rather than just technical safety data. Use language that aligns with moral values of care and purity, and avoid triggering 'dread' by emphasizing control and familiarity over novelty and uncertainty.
Hence, if something is seen as beneficial, it tends to be seen as safe and vice versa. Moreover, when people are given information about the benefits of a technology, they tend to say the technology is less risky, even if the information is silent on risks.
Why this rating
The paper is a comprehensive review of meta-analyses and numerous empirical studies across economics and psychology.
Source
Consumer Acceptance of New Food Technologies: Causes and Roots of Controversies
Jayson L. Lusk et al. · Annual Review of Resource Economics · 2014
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