創新性與美感中心性對基改花卉消費者認知之影響

Abstract

花卉對消費者而言具有美化環境、怡情養性、贈禮等消費動機。在此需求下，國內的花卉消費與需求增加，而花卉產量與品質的成長也顯示花卉作物的生產技術愈來愈發達。目前澳洲、中國、日本與臺灣等地紛紛投入基改花卉的研發，歐盟也已核准基改花卉上市；基改花卉為透過基因科技改變性狀的花卉，自基改藍玫瑰「喝采」在2009年於東京上市後，因其有別於傳統花卉的獨特顏色而獲得大眾注目。花卉提供消費者情緒、美感等情感反應，但經文獻回顧發現，消費者對基改作物存有人體健康與生態環境的疑慮。基改花卉雖非食用作物，但基改的生態疑慮是否對基改花卉產生負面影響，甚少研究對此議題進行評估，故本研究以觀賞用花卉為標的，探討消費者對基改花卉的情緒、美感與態度是否受基改科技的介入而有所影響。由於基改花卉為涉及科技的創新產品，以及考量消費者個人美感經驗對消費者的花卉美感之影響，故本研究探討創新性與美感特質對基改花卉消費者認知之影響。 本研究以2(高�低個人創新性)x2（高�低美感中心性）拉丁方格受試者內(within-subject)設計進行實驗。研究者將受試者依特質區分為四組：第一組為高個人創新性且高美感中心性者，共8位；第二組為高個人創新性且低美感中心性者，共6位；第三組為低個人創新性且高美感中心性者，共8位;第四組為低個人創新性且低美感中心者，共10位；每組受試者隨機對基改與傳統花卉進行觀賞，並填寫其情緒、美感與態度反應。量表題項參考Mehrabian & Russell情緒量表、Ajzen & Fishbein態度理論以及Birkhoff美感理論等多位學者的理論與量表制定而成，並以結構方程式的驗證性因素分析驗證本研究量表之信效度。 分析方法以成對樣本t檢定檢驗消費者對傳統花卉與基改花卉情緒、美感與態度是否具有差異；二因子多變量變異數分析(two-way MANOVA)檢視個人創新性與美感中心性是否影響消費者情緒、美感與態度。結果發現不同特質的消費者對基改花卉的認知不同：高個人創新性且高美感中心性消費者，對基改花卉的「愉悅」情緒感受比傳統花卉的「愉悅」情緒感受高，顯示個人創新性與美感中心性較高的消費者，對基改花卉的愉悅情緒反應較為強烈。且消費者創新性與美感中心性會交互作用對基改花卉消費者情緒、美感與行為意圖產生影響。

Flowers can fulfill consumers’ needs of landscaping, character-building, and gift-giving, thus the domestic consumption on floral products has been gradually increased. The growing productivity and quality also indicate that the production technology has been well-developed. Nowadays, some countries like Australia, China, Japan, and Taiwan have been joined the research and development of GM ornamental plants, and the European Union (EU) has been approved it for sale. Genetically modified flowers (GM flowers) is a kind of ornamental plants which the character was modified by genetically modification technology. And since the GM rose, Applause, has been released in Tokyo, it has been recognized by its unique color, which is different from traditional flowers. Flowers affect consumers’ emotions, aesthetics, and the other feelings, however the present studies demonstrate that consumers doubt whether the GM flowers will danger human health and ecological environment. Although GM flowers are not food crops, still there is seldom research on whether the doubt of ecology will cause a negative impression on GM flowers. Therefore, the study focuses on the issue, takes ornamental plants as research object, and explores whether genetically modification technology will affect consumers’ emotion, aesthetics, and attitude. And because the GM flower is an innovative product which involves technology, the study also explores the effects of innovativeness and centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA) on GM flower consumers. 2 (high/low innovativeness) x 2 (high/low CVPA) Latin square and within-subject design were both applied in the experiment. The subjects were separated into 4 groups: 8 people with high innovativeness and high CVPA, 6 people with high innovativeness and low CVPA, 8 people with low innovativeness and high CVPA, and 10 people with low innovativeness and low CVPA. Each group of subjects has randomly watched GM and traditional flowers, and wrote down their emotion, aesthetics and attitude. The questionnaire was composed of and modified the semantic differential measure of emotional state scale designed by Mehrabian & Russell, attitude theory of Ajzen & Fishbein, and Birkfoff’s aesthetic measure. And confirmatory factor analysis of structural equation model was used to approve reliability and validity. Paired-samples t test was conducted to examine whether there are differences of emotions, aesthetics, and attitude on traditional and GM flowers. Two-way MANOVA was applied to explore the effect of effects of innovativeness and CVPA on consumers’ emotions, aesthetics, and attitude. The results indicate that the different characteristic consumers have different perceptions on GM flowers. Consumers who have high innovativeness and high CVPA have higher pleasure on GM flower than traditional flower, which shows that consumers with higher innovativeness and CVPA will perform stronger pleasure emotion on GM flowers. Last, the interaction of innovativeness and CVPA will affect consumers’ emotions, aesthetics, and behavioral intentions on GM flowers.