Our research on “Past debates, fresh impact on nano-enabled food: A multi-group comparison of presumed media influence model based on spillover effects of attitude toward genetically-modified food” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Communication. This project is a joint collaborative effort between NTU and the Harvard School of Public Health. Congratulations to the entire team (Tong Jee Goh, Agnes Chuah, Yan Wah Leung, Mesfin Belaku, and Vish Vishwanath)!

Reference: Ho, S. S., Goh, T. J., Chuah, A. S. F., Leung, Y. W., Belaku, M. A., & Viswanath, K. (in press, 2020). Past debates, fresh impact on nano-enabled food: A multi-group comparison of presumed media influence model based on spillover effects of attitude toward genetically-modified food. Journal of Communication.

Abstract:  Informed by the notion of spillover effects between two phenomena, this study examines how differences in prior attitudes would influence the relationships posited by the influence of presumed media influence (IPMI) model. Specifically, this study examines how pre-existing favorable and unfavorable attitudes toward genetically-modified food are associated with audiences’ intention to consume nano-enabled food. The results of a nationally-representative survey with 1,000 respondents found general support for the IPMI from media attention to behavioral intentions, through attitude and social norms. Further, a multi-group analysis of the IPMI provided evidence for differences in the IPMI effects between the audiences with favorable and unfavorable pre-existing attitudes toward genetically-modified food. These results contribute to stronger theoretical understanding of the IPMI in terms of how pre-existing attitudes toward a preceding food technology can have a spillover effect on how audiences make decision regarding a newer food technology.