Angela Bearth

Last Name

Bearth

First Name

Angela

ORCID

0000-0003-1270-6468

Organisational unit

01630 - Lehre HEST

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Publications 1 - 10 of 54

“Chemophobia” Today: Consumers’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Chemicals
Saleh, Rita; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2019)
Risk Analysis
Sea lice management in marine-based salmon farming: Public perceptions and acceptance in England and Scotland
Zhou, Xiao; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2024)
Aquaculture
Marine-based salmon farming faces a significant challenge in the management of sea lice infestations, particularly in high-density production areas. Multiple strategies have been employed on salmon farms to prevent and treat sea lice infestations, but they have widely varied in their effectiveness in reducing infestations and their associated impact on the marine environment and fish welfare. Typically, cost and effectiveness are crucial considerations for salmon industries and researchers when determining which practice is optimal for reducing sea lice infestations, but the public's views on sea lice management have not yet been fully assessed. Therefore, an online survey was conducted to examine how the English and Scottish public evaluate different sea lice management practices. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions: four different types of sea lice management practices (medical treatment, mechanical treatment, cleaner fish treatment, or barrier technology) with two types of information formats (basic information or detailed information). The results showed that participants were more accepting of barrier technology and cleaner fish treatment than medical treatment and mechanical treatment, regardless of whether the presented information was basic or detailed. However, providing detailed information about mechanical treatment and cleaner fish treatment negatively affected the participants' acceptance and perceptions compared to the basic information condition. Specifically, when detailed information was provided, mechanical treatment was evaluated as less natural and less welfare friendly for farmed salmon, and the corresponding salmon products were considered to be less healthy than when basic information was provided. Similarly, when detailed information was provided, cleaner fish treatment was rated as less natural, less environmentally friendly, and less welfare friendly for cleaner fish than when only basic information was provided. This study has implications for salmon industries and policymakers: the public encourages a natural way of managing sea lice that has a minimum negative impact on the environment and farmed salmon, which might clash with the current realities of salmon farming.
The whole beast: Consumers’ perceptions of and willingness-to-eat animal by-products
Bearth, Angela; Khunnutchanart, Kewalin; Gasser, Oriana; et al. (2021)
Food Quality and Preference
Satisfying the global demand for proteins and avoiding food waste are global challenges. Promoting the consumption of animal by-products might contribute to the solution. The goal of our study was to investigate the role that different factors play for consumers’ willingness to engage with animal by-products. For this, an online survey and experiment with consumers was conducted (N = 260). While food disgust sensitivity works as a barrier, social norms and culinary-based drivers increase people’s willingness to engage with animal by-products. To expand consumer interest, measures could focus on increasing familiarity and reducing negative expectations regarding the sensory qualities of the product.
Psychological factors that determine people's willingness-to-share genetic data for research
Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2020)
Clinical Genetics
How do pig veterinarians view technology-assisted data utilisation for pig health and welfare management? A qualitative study in Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland
Zhou, Xiao; Garcia-Morante, Beatriz; Burrell, Alison; et al. (2024)
Porcine Health Management
Background Application of data-driven strategies may support veterinarians’ decision-making, benefitting pig disease prevention and control. However, little is known about veterinarians’ need for data utilisation to support their decision-making process. The current study used qualitative methods, specifically focus group discussions, to explore veterinarians’ views on data utilisation and their need for data tools in relation to pig health and welfare management in Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Results Generally, veterinarians pointed out the potential benefits of using technology for pig health and welfare management, but data is not yet structurally available to support their decision-making. Veterinarians pointed out the challenge of collecting, recording, and accessing data in a consistent and timely manner. Besides, the reliability, standardisation, and the context of data were identified as important factors affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of data utilisation by veterinarians. A user-friendly, adaptable, and integrated data tool was regarded as potentially helpful for veterinarians’ daily work and supporting their decision-making. Specifically, veterinarians, particularly independent veterinary practitioners, noted a need for easy access to pig information. Veterinarians such as those working for integrated companies, corporate veterinarians, and independent veterinary practitioners expressed their need for data tools that provide useful information to monitor pig health and welfare in real-time, to visualise the prevalence of endemic disease based on a shared report between farmers, veterinarians, and other professional parties, to support decision-making, and to receive early warnings for disease prevention and control. Conclusions It is concluded that the management of pig health and welfare may benefit from data utilisation if the quality of data can be assured, the data tools can meet veterinarians’ needs for decision-making, and the collaboration of sharing data and using data between farmers, veterinarians, and other professional parties can be enhanced. Nevertheless, several notable technical and institutional barriers still exist, which need to be overcome.
Barriers to the safe use of chemical household products: A comparison across European countries
Bearth, Angela; Buchmüller, Kim; Bürgy, Heribert; et al. (2020)
Environmental Research
Addressing Chemophobia: Informational versus affect-based approaches
Saleh, Rita; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2020)
Food and Chemical Toxicology
This study investigated the effect of two communication strategies (informational and affect-based) in reducing chemophobia, the irrational fear of chemicals. In an online experiment, participants (N = 448) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (“control”, “knowledge”, or “affect” group). The following dependent variables were assessed: chemophobia, knowledge of basic toxicological principles, affect towards chemicals, benefit perception of the use of chemicals, and preference for natural substitutes in consumer products. The results showed that only the informational approach, which conveys knowledge of basic toxicological principles, significantly decreased chemophobia and the preference for natural substitutes in consumer products. The affect-based approach significantly increased positive affect towards chemicals and the benefit perception of their use, but did not decrease chemophobia. This suggested that the provision of relevant information about basic toxicological principles is a more effective strategy than merely addressing laypeople's affect towards chemicals to reduce chemophobia. Relevant knowledge could be taught in schools or disseminated by toxicologists and scientists who are trusted by the public.
Consumers’ perceptions of chemical household products and the associated risks
Buchmüller, Kim; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2020)
Food and Chemical Toxicology
Accidents with chemical household products are prevalent worldwide and often involve young children. Previous research has shown that consumers use both analytical factors (e.g., warning symbols) and potentially misleading heuristics to evaluate the riskiness. However, it remains unclear whether consumers intuitively think of the specific risks of these products when handling them. We conducted an online survey with Swiss consumers (N = 1109) aiming to investigate consumer's spontaneous and prompted risk perception of chemical household products. First, we asked them about their free associations to laundry detergent, descaler, mold remover and essential oils. While participants were aware of the risks when prompted about them, they did not name them intuitively, but mainly thought of the possible uses and attributes of the product. Next, we examined prerequisites to safe handling of chemical household products. This included applied knowledge about the products, but also factors like perceived barriers to safe use. Finally, we assessed the predictors of perceived severity of accidents in order to estimate the potential behavioral changes that these predictors might elicit. For interventions, particular attention should be accorded to personal risk awareness and the perception of potential barriers, which were significantly related to the perceived severity of accidents.
Neue Züchtungstechnologien: Anwendungsbeispiele aus der Pflanzenforschung
Kümin, Michael; Oeschger, Franziska; Bearth, Angela; et al. (2023)
Swiss Academies Communications
How chemophobia affects public acceptance of pesticide use and biotechnology in agriculture
Saleh, Rita; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2021)
Food Quality and Preference

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Angela Bearth

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