Construction and validation of a psychometric scale to measure consumers' fears of novel food technologies: The food technology neophobia scale

Abstract

Consumers' fears of novel food technologies are documented. The ability to identify population segments that have greater or lesser neophobia, thus enabling identification of early adopters of innovative products, would be useful. The Food Neophobia Scale [FNS; Pliner, P., & Hobden, K. (1992). Development of a scale to measure the trait of food neophobia in humans. Appetite, 19, 105-120] is a useful tool for assessing reactions to ethnic foods (and sensation seeking) but less suitable for assessing receptivity to foods produced by novel technologies. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new psychometric tool that identifies food technology neophobia. In a three stage validation exercise, 81 statements (items) were reduced to 31 (n = 193) and subsequently reduced to 13 items (n = 459) by factor analysis. After a face validity check, the new 13 item Food Technology Neophobia Scale was tested (n = 295) and found to have predictive (criterion) validity (willingness to consume foods produced by novel food technologies). Furthermore, convergent validity was found between the FTNS and Trust in Science scale [TISS; Bak, H. (2001). Education and public attitudes toward science: Implications for the 'deficit model' of education and support for science and technology. Social Science Quarterly, 82(4), 779-793] and FNS. © 2008.