| Factual or Perceived? : Comparing Two Dimensions of Scientific Knowledge in the U.S. and South Korea |
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Hwalbin Kim1, Robert Mckeever2, Jeongheon Jc Chang3, Ju Yong Ha4 |
1The Department of Healthcare Media Research, Hallym University
2The School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina
3The Department of Health and Strategic Communication, CHA University
4The Department of Communication and Information, Inha University |
Correspondence:
Hwalbin Kim,
Email: Ku95bini@gmail.com
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| Abstract |
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This study examines predictors of two key dimensions of scientific knowledge: perceived and factual knowledge about genetically modified organisms (GMO) and nuclear energy in the U.S. and South Korea. We also explore how media use and elaborative processing affect two dimensions of scientific knowledge. The findings show that perceived and factual scientific knowledge are conceptually unique across two countries’ samples and not significantly correlated. Most of indicators were not associated with factual knowledge, and attention in newspapers and on the Internet and elaborative processing were related to perceived knowledge. Findings also suggest that the patterns of relationships between scientific knowledge and indicators were not much different between the U.S. and South Korea. We conclude that science researchers, practitioners, and educators associated with public policy of nuclear and GMO technology should measure and treat two dimensions of scientific knowledge independently in research designs, public policy, and science education. |
| Key Words:
Factual Scientific Knowledge, Perceived Scientific Knowledge, Science communication, Media Use, Elaborative Processing |
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