The Impact of Balanced Risk–Benefit Information and Initial Attitudes on Post‐Information Attitudes¹

Abstract

In a realistic social context, people are confronted with both positive and negative information, yet research on this topic is relatively scarce. We present 2 studies examining the role of initial attitudes on the impact of one-sided vs. balanced positive and negative information on attitudes toward food production methods. The first experiment demonstrated that one-sided information influenced postinformation attitudes congruent to the direction of the message content. The second experiment showed that the effect of balanced information on post-information attitudes may depend on initial attitudes. These results demonstrate that negativity effects are dominant for people with initial positive attitudes, but change into positivity effects for people with initial negative attitudes. Implications for communicating both positive and negative information are discussed.

Naming is framing: the public understanding of scientific names

“…An interesting question is what the effect of the name is on the development of attitudes. Previous research has shown that generally the valence of attitudes towards food production technologies remains unaffected when information about the risks and benefits is provided (Fischer, Van Dijk, de Jonge, Rowe, & Frewer, 2013;Frewer, Howard, & Shepherd, 1998;Lusk et al, 2004;Scholderer & Frewer, 2003;Van Dijk, Fischer, De Jonge, Rowe, & Frewer, 2012). On the basis of these findings, the unfavourable initial attitudes towards genomics will be very difficult to change even when information is provided.…”

Making sense of food risk information : the case of organic food

“…There is evidence that individuals seek information that is in line with their current worldview and avoid information that may cause unpleasant feelings or thoughts (Gaspar et al, 2015;Narayan, Case, & Edwards, 2011). In an experimental study, Van Dijk, Fischer, De Jonge, Rowe, & Frewer (2012) found that, following information provision, positive initial attitudes were associated with lower levels of risk perception and higher levels of benefit perception. Initial attitude might also be a proxy for involvement.…”

“…This in turn has led to an increase in the provision of new information on the risks attached to these food products. This information may elicit feelings of confusion and anxiety, and a need for more information so that individuals can weigh the pros and cons and make well informed decisions on their food intake (Van Dijk, Fischer & Frewer, 2011). Individuals may choose to use the Internet to find additional information (Jacob et al, 2010;Kuttschreuter et al, 2014;Redmond & Griffith, 2006;Tian & Robinson, 2008) which they then process and make sense of, in order to decide whether to purchase and eat the particular products.…”

“…The sense-making process starts with information encountering. However, how individuals respond to this new information is predicted to be influenced by one's initial attitudes and viewpoints (Van Dijk, Fischer, De Jonge, Rowe, & Frewer, 2012). A very first start to studying sense-making is thus making the initial attitudes, ideas, and associations of individuals regarding organic food explicit.…”

“…Individuals have to make sense of this information to make well-informed decisions about their food intake (Van Dijk, Fischer, & Frewer, 2011). Sense-making is an important process in a complex society (Colville, Brown, & Pye, 2012).…”