Abstract
The purposes of this study were to develop instruments that assess public knowledge of nanotechnology (PKNT), public attitudes toward nanotechnology (PANT) and conduct a pilot study for exploring the relationship between PKNT and PANT. The PKNT test was composed of six scales involving major nanotechnology concepts, including size and scale, structure of matter, size-dependent properties, forces and interactions, tools and instrumentation, as well as science, technology, and society. After item analysis, 26 multiple-choice questions were selected for the PKNT test with a KR-20 reliability of 0.91. Twenty items were developed in the PANT questionnaire which can be classified as scales of trust in government and industry, trust in scientists, and perception of benefit and risk. Cronbach alpha for the PANT questionnaire was 0.70. In a pilot study, 209 citizens, varying in age, were selected to respond to the instruments. Results indicated that about 70 % of respondents did not understand most of the six major concepts involving nanotechnology. The public tended to distrust government and industry and their levels of trust showed no relationship to their levels of knowledge about nanotechnology. However, people perceived that nanotechnology provided high benefits and high risks. Their perceptions of the benefits and risks were positively related with their knowledge level of nanotechnology. People's trust showed a negative relationship to their risk perception. Implications for using these instruments in research are discussed in this paper.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 548-559 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Science Education and Technology |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 Aug 1 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Education
- Engineering(all)
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Validation and Exploration of Instruments for Assessing Public Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Nanotechnology. / Lin, Shu-Fen; Lin, Huann shyang; Wu, Yi ying.
In: Journal of Science Education and Technology, Vol. 22, No. 4, 01.08.2013, p. 548-559.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Validation and Exploration of Instruments for Assessing Public Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Nanotechnology
AU - Lin, Shu-Fen
AU - Lin, Huann shyang
AU - Wu, Yi ying
PY - 2013/8/1
Y1 - 2013/8/1
N2 - The purposes of this study were to develop instruments that assess public knowledge of nanotechnology (PKNT), public attitudes toward nanotechnology (PANT) and conduct a pilot study for exploring the relationship between PKNT and PANT. The PKNT test was composed of six scales involving major nanotechnology concepts, including size and scale, structure of matter, size-dependent properties, forces and interactions, tools and instrumentation, as well as science, technology, and society. After item analysis, 26 multiple-choice questions were selected for the PKNT test with a KR-20 reliability of 0.91. Twenty items were developed in the PANT questionnaire which can be classified as scales of trust in government and industry, trust in scientists, and perception of benefit and risk. Cronbach alpha for the PANT questionnaire was 0.70. In a pilot study, 209 citizens, varying in age, were selected to respond to the instruments. Results indicated that about 70 % of respondents did not understand most of the six major concepts involving nanotechnology. The public tended to distrust government and industry and their levels of trust showed no relationship to their levels of knowledge about nanotechnology. However, people perceived that nanotechnology provided high benefits and high risks. Their perceptions of the benefits and risks were positively related with their knowledge level of nanotechnology. People's trust showed a negative relationship to their risk perception. Implications for using these instruments in research are discussed in this paper.
AB - The purposes of this study were to develop instruments that assess public knowledge of nanotechnology (PKNT), public attitudes toward nanotechnology (PANT) and conduct a pilot study for exploring the relationship between PKNT and PANT. The PKNT test was composed of six scales involving major nanotechnology concepts, including size and scale, structure of matter, size-dependent properties, forces and interactions, tools and instrumentation, as well as science, technology, and society. After item analysis, 26 multiple-choice questions were selected for the PKNT test with a KR-20 reliability of 0.91. Twenty items were developed in the PANT questionnaire which can be classified as scales of trust in government and industry, trust in scientists, and perception of benefit and risk. Cronbach alpha for the PANT questionnaire was 0.70. In a pilot study, 209 citizens, varying in age, were selected to respond to the instruments. Results indicated that about 70 % of respondents did not understand most of the six major concepts involving nanotechnology. The public tended to distrust government and industry and their levels of trust showed no relationship to their levels of knowledge about nanotechnology. However, people perceived that nanotechnology provided high benefits and high risks. Their perceptions of the benefits and risks were positively related with their knowledge level of nanotechnology. People's trust showed a negative relationship to their risk perception. Implications for using these instruments in research are discussed in this paper.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84880506589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84880506589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10956-012-9413-9
DO - 10.1007/s10956-012-9413-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84880506589
VL - 22
SP - 548
EP - 559
JO - Journal of Science Education and Technology
JF - Journal of Science Education and Technology
SN - 1059-0145
IS - 4
ER -