An examination of the psychological mechanisms involved in maintaining and reducing reputational damage from Fukushima-produced food products.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13281
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10010:Social psychology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Future University
• Principal Investigator: Hanita Kenji 東京未来大学, モチベーション行動科学部, 准教授 (90757535)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 風評被害 / 原発事故 / 福島県産食品 / 購買意図 / 潜在態度 / 進化的アプローチ / 行動免疫システム / 感染嫌悪

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the psychological factors related to harmful rumors about Fukushima-produced foods that occurred as a result of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant by conducting experiments and surveys from the perspectives of implicit social cognition and evolutionary social psychology. Implicit attitudes toward Fukushima-produced foods were not significantly different when compared to other prefectures (Yamagata and Shimane), but negative attitudes were associated with lower purchase intentions. Furthermore, germ aversion, which is related to the behavioral immune system evolved to avoid disease, was consistently shown to reduce purchase intensions for Fukushima-produced foods through enhancing anxiety over radiation and nuclear power. In addition, these influences that reduce purchase intentions for Fukushima-produced foods could be attenuated by subjective connections to Fukushima and by identifying Fukushima as an in-group.

Free Research Field

社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

福島産食品の風評被害に関する社会心理学研究では，意識的な心理過程での検討がなされてきたが，本研究課題では非意識的・潜在的な心理過程がどのように影響しているかを明らかにした。また，行動免疫システムに関わる感染嫌悪が福島産食品に対する態度や購買意図に影響するプロセスも明らかにした。福島との「つながり」がこうした影響を緩和しうる可能性を見出したことにより，風評被害の問題に対する解決策を考えるうえでの一助になることが期待される。