Lay health epistemics and motivated information behaviors of new food technology

• Main Authors: KIM, Soojin, KIM, Jeong-Nam, KIM, Soo-Yun
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: GM food technology; health information orientation; lay health epistemics; situational theory of problem solving; Communication; Food Science; Public Health
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6519; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7518/viewcontent/SOOJIN_KIM_Lay_Health_pvoa.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This study examines relationships among health information orientation, situational perceptual frames, and active information behaviors pertinent to the safety controversy of genetically-modified (GM) food technology. A web survey was conducted in the US (N = 393). Based on our findings, an integrative model of Kim and Grunig’s (2011) Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) and Dutta-Bergman’s (2004) concept of health information orientation is suggested to explain lay health epistemics and various information behaviors about that new food technology. The study’s theoretical and practical implications are discussed.