Consumer Attitudes and Decision -making with Regard to Geneticall Y Engineered Food Products – a Review of the Literature and a Present Ation of Models for Future Research

PREFACE This report is a task of a project with the title Consumer Attitudes and Decision-Making with regard to Genetically Engineered Food Products. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Few studies have to date explained consumer attitudes and purchase decisions with regard to genetically engineered food products. However, the increased marketing of genetically engineered food products and the considerable concern that consumers seem to express with regard to the technology call for the development of a theoretical basis for research into these issues. 2. The aim of the paper is to present three models which we have developed to explain consumer attitudes, buying behaviour and attitude change with regard to genetically engineered food products. All three models build on established consumer behaviour theory and on existing and comparable research in the field. 3. Consumer attitudes toward genetic engineering in food products are explained in an attitude model that builds on Fishbein's multiattribute attitude model. The model deviates from Fishbein's model in a number of ways: there is an explicit distinction between perceived benefits and risks and between attitude towards product and process, outcome beliefs are targeted at different outcome groups, more general attitudes are included as additional determinants of attitudes , and the traditional outcome evaluation measures are replaced by stan-dardised regression coefficients obtained by regressing attitudes, measured by global measures, on beliefs. 4. Consumer buying behaviour with regard to specific genetically engineered food products is explained in a behavioural intention model which uses Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior as its point of departure. In the model, behavioural intention covers both intentions to purchase and intentions to avoid a genetically engineered food product, and the model suggests perceived moral obligation,perceived difficulty and, through the attitude to behaviour factor, the person's attitude towards genetic engineering in food production in general as additional determinants of behavioural intentions. 5. How consumers' attitudes towards genetically engineered food products are affected by various information strategies is explained in an attitude change model, which integrates aspects of the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Social Judgment Theory. The model specifically takes into account the impact of source credibility and various informational factors, such as persuasive content of the information provided, on attitudes.