This study seeks to understand how the general public in Taiwan makes sense of an emerging technology -- nanotechnology, and its related policy. Based on a nationally representative survey (n = 941), this study found that education, positive scientific values, Internet use, and benefit perception were positively associated with public support, whereas risk perception and moral perception had a negative relationship.
These findings were largely in consistence with existent literature mostly generated from the U.S. and Europe about the limited role of scientific knowledge.
In terms of public attitudes toward the policy of labeling nanoproducts, the predictors were quite different. Only risk perception, moral
conflict, and support for nanotechnology were found to correlate with the necessity of labeling in a positive way. The association between labeling and some negative perceptions of nanotechnology (risk and moral conflict)
suggests that people may view labeling as a warming mechanism.