Extending the knowledge gap hypothesis: Information seeking, avoidance, and processing as predictors of factual and subjective nanotechnology knowledge

Consumers’ information behaviors play a greater role than media attention in knowledge acquisition. Hence, this study augmented the knowledge gap hypothesis (KGH): Instead of examining media attention, this study analyzed the implications of consumers’ intention to seek information, intention to avoid information, and information processing on their nanotechnology knowledge. This study also assessed the augmented KGH’s predictive power for consumers’ factual and subjective nanotechnology knowledge. An online survey found that consumers’ education and household income did not significantly predict their factual and subjective nanotechnology knowledge, thereby challenging prior KGH literature. Meanwhile, consumers’ information behaviors predicted factual and subjective nanotechnology knowledge in different ways. Notably, increased intention to seek information ameliorated factual nanotechnology knowledge gaps across consumers with varying education. Conversely, increased information processing amplified factual nanotechnology knowledge gaps across consumers with varying education. Increased intention to seek information also amplified subjective nanotechnology knowledge gaps among consumers with varying household income.