The Swinburne National Technology and Society Monitor (SNTSM) provides an annual 'snapshot' of public perceptions of new technologies, science and technological change.

Annual telephone surveys are conducted using representative Australian samples of approximately 1000 .

The specific aims of the SNTSM are to:

• Gauge public attitudes and perceptions of emerging technologies and science in order to compare Australia with other countries .
• Examine attitudes toward controversial technologies (e.g., stem cell research, DNA paternity testing) and emerging technologies with important social consequences (e.g., the digital divide, internet relationships) .
• Examine patterns of change in attitudes and perceptions over time, and explanations for these changing patterns.

2007 Montitor :

The main findings of the 2007 Monitor are:

• Australians are comfortable with the rate of technological change in general, but the degree of comfort varies for specific technologies.

• Australians are much more comfortable with the thought of wind farms than with the thought of nuclear power in Australia.

• Significant differences in comfort ratings for nuclear power are related to gender and political affiliation. Men are more comfortable with nuclear power than women are, and Liberal voters are more comfortable than Labour voters.

• While the degree of comfort with genetically modified (GM) plants and animals for food is relatively low, Australians are more comfortable with GM plants for food than with GM animals for food. There has been a slight increase in the proportion of people reporting some degree of comfort with GM animals for food since 2006.

• Australians trust scientific institutions and the non-commercial media for information about new technologies. They do not trust government institutions, major companies or the churches. They have the least trust in the commercial media.

• Australians report high levels of trust in their family doctors and report similar levels of trust in medical specialists as in scientific institutions.

• Download Full Report (PDF format)

For more information on the SNTSM, contact:

• Professor Michael Gilding
  
• Dr. Christine Critchley