To understand how biotechnology, specifically, genetic modification of foodstuffs, is understood by more highly educated consumers, a recent study was conducted at Iowa State University among college students to understand issues that influence consumer attitudes. An anonymous, volunteer survey was distributed among students, which polled level of awareness, level of concern, perceived safety, and level of support of genetic modified food products. In addition, demographic information was collected concerning students' college of major area of study, character of the major area of study, and nationality. A Chi-square test for association, analysis of variance, and t test were used in this study. Comparing the relationship between students studying in physical science programs and students not in physical science based programs; the observed Chi-square of 1.86 was below the expected value of 5.991 at the 5% significance level. The analysis of variance among students with 'little', 'some', and 'a lot' of knowledge of genetically modified food products and the students' level of concern, the tabulated F of .078 was smaller than the lookup value of 3.42 at the 5% significance level. However, there was a statistically significant difference of mean scores comparing American and International students concerns of the use of genetic modified food products with an obtained t value of 2.51 greater than a tabulated t value of 2.06 at the 5% significance level. Understanding end user opinions of gene modification of foodstuffs will improve education efforts of life science and technology organizations adopting biotechnology.
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