Application of the theory of planned behavior to genetically modified foods: Moderating effects of food technology neophobia

Abstract The purposes of this study are: 1) to identify the structural relationships among ecological concerns and the Theory of Planned Behavior's (TPB) constructs (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention) in the genetically modified (GM) food context; and 2) to examine the moderating effects of food technology neophobia on the proposed model with respect to consumer behaviors. Results from a survey of 387 qualified respondents are analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. The TPB with ecological concerns included, adopted as the predictive model to measure intention to purchase GM foods, is compared with the explanatory power of both models (the TPB vs. the TPB + EC). The moderating function of food technology neophobia had a statistically significant effect on all the relationships except the relationship between perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention. The implications of this study are discussed for future research.