Psychologists and biologists from the University of Rochester, the
University of Amsterdam, and Cardiff University conducted a study to answer
the question "Would consumers eat genically mosified food if they understand
the science behind it?" The result of their study published in the Journal
of Environmental Psychology says that the answer is "yes".

The researchers explored different factors that may affect consumers'
attitudes toward GM food and found that their knowledge about GM food is the
greatest determining factor. In fact, knowledge of GM was over 19 times
higher than other factors such as socioeconomic status, race, educational
attainment, age, and gender. They also found that specific knowledge on GM
foods is independent from a person's general science knowledge. The study
was conducted in the US, then replicated in the UK and the Netherlands.

In the US study, they followed up the survey with a five-week longitudinal
study with 231 undergraduates who were taught basic science behind GM
technology. They discovered that after learning GM technology, the
respondents had more positive attitudes towards GM foods, greater
willingness to eat them, and a lowered perception of GM foods as risky.

[www.rochester.edu]
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