Abstract
A questionnaire survey on the internet was conducted to investigate the effect of information with regard to public perception of nanotechnology-applied consumer products. The products were categorized into 4 groups; cosmetics, food and drinks, medicine, and electric appliances. The respondents were asked to identify themselves as either having a high knowledge of nanotechnology (Group A) or as having a low knowledge of it (Group B). The findings of our study were that, when additional information about nanotechnology was provided with the respondents, the level of benefit perception of nanotechnology remained unchanged among Group A, while it rose among Group B. On the contrary, the level of risk perception remained unchanged among Group B, while it rose among Group A. Consequently, the statistically-significant difference among Group A and Group B disappeared in both levels of benefit perception and risk perception. In other words, the level of risk perception of the respondents in Group B remained the same even when additional information was provided with them, while the level of risk perception of the respondents in Group A was elevated to reach the level of Group B.
