First impressions are important. So much so that even armed with new information, many people won’t change their minds about genetically modified foods, a new University of Florida study shows.
In fact, some grow even more stubborn in their beliefs that GMOs are unsafe, says Brandon McFadden, an assistant professor in food and resource economics in the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
After they read scientific information stating that genetically modified foods are safe, 12 percent of the study’s participants said they felt such foods were less safe — not more, much to McFadden’s astonishment.
That’s partly because people form beliefs and often never let go of them, he said.
“Possibly, the best indicator for whether a person will adopt scientific information is simply what a person believes before receiving the information.”
More information is available here: http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2015/06/ufifas-study-new-information-changes-few-opinions-on-gmos-global-warming/
