Research on the psychological factors governing public acceptance of fuel cells

Abstract

The attitude of people toward acceptance of science and technology is called "public acceptance, " and this public acceptance is thought to be determined based on a balance of two psychological factors: perception of risk and perception of benefit. This research was conducted in order to clarify the relationship between public acceptance and the current state of subjective perception by the general public of the risks and benefits of fuel cells. Questionnaire surveys were administered to randomly selected citizens in the Sagamihara Region and Yakushima Region, where local hydrogen stations have been built, and the following conclusions were reached as main results: 1) There were many people with a positive view of the "environmental benefits" of hydrogen and the "future potential" of fuel cells, and there were many people with a negative view of the "economy" of fuel cells. There are same people with a positive and negative view of the "safety" of fuel cells. 2) The more knowledge a person has about fuel cells, the more positive is their view of hydrogen and fuel cells, and the more positive a person's view of hydrogen and fuel cells, the greater their intent to adopt or prioritize fuel cells in their region.