Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out Policy
This article extends the coverage of the trust–acceptability model to a new situation of nuclear phase-out by investigating the effect of trust on the public acceptance of nuclear power, with South Korea as the research setting. Through the structural equation modeling of a nationwide survey dataset...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/11/3343 |
| _version_ | 1797531085479870464 |
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| author | Seungkook Roh Hae-Gyung Geong |
| author_facet | Seungkook Roh Hae-Gyung Geong |
| author_sort | Seungkook Roh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article extends the coverage of the trust–acceptability model to a new situation of nuclear phase-out by investigating the effect of trust on the public acceptance of nuclear power, with South Korea as the research setting. Through the structural equation modeling of a nationwide survey dataset from South Korea, we examined the effects of the public’s trust in the various actors related to nuclear power on their perceptions of the benefits and risks of nuclear power and their acceptance of nuclear power. Contrary to previous studies’ findings, in South Korea, under a nuclear phase-out policy by the government, trust in government revealed a negative impact on the public acceptance of nuclear power. Trust in environmental non-governmental groups also showed a negative effect on nuclear power acceptance. In contrast, trust in nuclear energy authority and trust in nuclear academia both had positive effects. In all cases, the effect of a trust variable on nuclear power acceptance was at least partially accounted for by the trust’s indirect effects through benefit perception and risk perception. These findings strengthen the external validity of the trust–acceptability model and provide implications for both researchers and practitioners. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:39:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7cf393eea56b4e58ae9831b6f43371f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:39:06Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-7cf393eea56b4e58ae9831b6f43371f22023-11-21T23:05:05ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-06-011411334310.3390/en14113343Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out PolicySeungkook Roh0Hae-Gyung Geong1Department of Public Administration, Korean National Police University, 100-50 Hwangsan-gil, Hwangsan-ri, Sinchang-myeon, Asan-si 31539, KoreaCenter for Creative Convergence Education, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, KoreaThis article extends the coverage of the trust–acceptability model to a new situation of nuclear phase-out by investigating the effect of trust on the public acceptance of nuclear power, with South Korea as the research setting. Through the structural equation modeling of a nationwide survey dataset from South Korea, we examined the effects of the public’s trust in the various actors related to nuclear power on their perceptions of the benefits and risks of nuclear power and their acceptance of nuclear power. Contrary to previous studies’ findings, in South Korea, under a nuclear phase-out policy by the government, trust in government revealed a negative impact on the public acceptance of nuclear power. Trust in environmental non-governmental groups also showed a negative effect on nuclear power acceptance. In contrast, trust in nuclear energy authority and trust in nuclear academia both had positive effects. In all cases, the effect of a trust variable on nuclear power acceptance was at least partially accounted for by the trust’s indirect effects through benefit perception and risk perception. These findings strengthen the external validity of the trust–acceptability model and provide implications for both researchers and practitioners.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/11/3343trust–acceptability modelpublic acceptancenuclear powertrusttrust in governmentbenefit perception |
| spellingShingle | Seungkook Roh Hae-Gyung Geong Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out Policy Energies trust–acceptability model public acceptance nuclear power trust trust in government benefit perception |
| title | Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out Policy |
| title_full | Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out Policy |
| title_fullStr | Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out Policy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out Policy |
| title_short | Extending the Coverage of the Trust–Acceptability Model: The Negative Effect of Trust in Government on Nuclear Power Acceptance in South Korea under a Nuclear Phase-Out Policy |
| title_sort | extending the coverage of the trust acceptability model the negative effect of trust in government on nuclear power acceptance in south korea under a nuclear phase out policy |
| topic | trust–acceptability model public acceptance nuclear power trust trust in government benefit perception |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/11/3343 |
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