Euro-barometer 38.1 : Consumer Protection and Perceptions of Science and Technology, November 1992

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Summary

This round of Euro-barometer surveys queried respondents on standard Euro-barometer measures such as public awareness of and attitudes toward the Common Market and the European Community (EC), and ...

This round of Euro-barometer surveys queried respondents on standard Euro-barometer measures such as public awareness of and attitudes toward the Common Market and the European Community (EC), and also focused on the role that consumer, science, and entertainment issues play in the lives of residents of the European Community. Respondents were asked to describe their television viewing habits and to comment on whether they watched programs broadcast by satellite. Their interest in a 24-hour European news channel and their receptivity to purchasing and using HDTV (high definition television) technology were also probed. In addition, participants in this Euro-barometer were asked a series of questions on consumer protection issues. They reported on topics such as recent European Community initiatives on product safety, labeling, and consumer credit, the problems they experienced as consumers over the last 12 months, what action they took if they wished to lodge a formal complaint, where they would turn for information on purchasing/selling products directly, their opinion regarding the uniformity of consumer protection policies across the Community, their level of satisfaction with current practices on the packaging and labeling of foodstuffs, and their knowledge of preservatives, additives, and colorings used in food products. Respondents also described their recent travel experiences, their use of products and services while traveling, and their opinions regarding the level of safety of these products and services as compared to those found in their own countries. Other questions focused on recent issues in the news of interest to respondents and which professions they respected the most. A final battery of questions probed attitudes toward science and technology issues: how informed respondents were in general, the sources of their information, recent visits to zoos, museums, and cultural institutions, opinions as to which subjects were "scientific" and which were not, and knowledge of scientific methods of investigation and the importance of science and technology in their lives. Finally, they were asked about the role the European Community plays in scientific research and how effective Community countries were in the promotion of science and technologies as compared with Japan and the United States. As in previous Euro-Barometers, information was gathered on family income, number of people residing in the home, size of locality, region of residence, occupation of the head of household, and the respondent's age, sex, education, religion, subject social class standing, socio-professional status, and left-right political self-placement.Cf: http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06045.v2

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