4:30 PM - 4:45 PM
[AAS01-11] Changes in Public Perception of Typhoon Control Technology: Examining the Effects of Information Provision and Philosophical Dialogue
Keywords:Typhoon Control, ELSI, Philosophical Dialogue, Risk Perception
Background
From the 1960s to the 1970s, Japan conducted research on artificial rainfall and hail removal techniques, including experiments with silver iodide seeding for weather control. However, these research activities significantly slowed down due to negative media coverage, risk concerns and other factors. Development of these technologies was suspended for an extended period due to safety concerns (Abe, Fudeyasu, & Sasaoka, 2025).
In recent years, the importance of typhoon control has been reevaluated due to the intensification of typhoons caused by global warming and other factors. While technological development has resumed, research on social aspects has not progressed significantly. The social implementation of typhoon control technology requires not only technical feasibility but also addressing ELSI. In particular, understanding the perceptions and attitudes of affected citizens toward ELSI is crucial, but this has not been sufficiently examined.
This study investigated the impact of information provision and philosophical dialogue on people's perceptions and attitudes regarding typhoon control.
Method
Participants Of the 70 female high school students who participated in a workshop in Yamanashi Prefecture, 55 who understood the research purpose, agreed to participate, and responded to all surveys (pre, interim, and post) were included in the study.
Measure Items Four items were created: one item measuring sense of crisis regarding typhoons, and three items measuring receptiveness, knowledge, and trust in typhoon control technology. Each item was evaluated on a 5-point scale.
Procedure This study was conducted using Google Forms for online surveys. On Jan. 14, 2025, a pre-survey was administered to prospective workshop participants. The workshop was held on Jan. 21. First, a information session (15 mins) about typhoon control technology was provided, followed by an interim-survey. Participants were divided into groups for dialogue (1 hour) about typhoon control technology. After the dialogue, a post-survey was conducted.
Results
One-way ANOVA was conducted across time conditions (pre, interim, post). For crisis, the main effect was not significant. For receptiveness, the main effect was significant. Receptiveness became more negative in the post compared to the interim and pre. For knowledge, the main effect was significant. Knowledge increased from pre, interim, to post. Finally, for trust, the main effect was no significant.
Discussion
The results of this study yielded four insights regarding the impact of information provision and dialogue on perceptions of the technology:
First, peoples appeared to already possess a certain level of crisis regarding typhoons, unaffected by information provision or others' experiences. This suggests that previous experiences and media coverage may have already formed strong sense of crisis.
Second, change of receptiveness can be interpreted as a result of sharing not only benefits but also ELSI through dialogue. This result suggests that consideration through dialogue, not just technical explanations, plays an important role in forming receptiveness to technology.
Third, intervention of information provision and dialogue improved self-evaluation of knowledge. The large increase from pre to interim suggests that knowledge transfer may be important in initial cognitive processes. The effect from interim to post can be interpreted as dialogue promoting knowledge sharing and reconstruction.
Fourth, trust in technology may not easily change through short-term information provision and dialogue alone.
These results suggest that people's perceptions of typhoon control technology are formed not only through simple knowledge provision but through cognitive processes facilitated by dialogue. The finding that increased knowledge does not necessarily lead to positive attitudes toward technology, but rather may promote more cautious attitude formation, provides important implications for future ELSI and science communication.
From the 1960s to the 1970s, Japan conducted research on artificial rainfall and hail removal techniques, including experiments with silver iodide seeding for weather control. However, these research activities significantly slowed down due to negative media coverage, risk concerns and other factors. Development of these technologies was suspended for an extended period due to safety concerns (Abe, Fudeyasu, & Sasaoka, 2025).
In recent years, the importance of typhoon control has been reevaluated due to the intensification of typhoons caused by global warming and other factors. While technological development has resumed, research on social aspects has not progressed significantly. The social implementation of typhoon control technology requires not only technical feasibility but also addressing ELSI. In particular, understanding the perceptions and attitudes of affected citizens toward ELSI is crucial, but this has not been sufficiently examined.
This study investigated the impact of information provision and philosophical dialogue on people's perceptions and attitudes regarding typhoon control.
Method
Participants Of the 70 female high school students who participated in a workshop in Yamanashi Prefecture, 55 who understood the research purpose, agreed to participate, and responded to all surveys (pre, interim, and post) were included in the study.
Measure Items Four items were created: one item measuring sense of crisis regarding typhoons, and three items measuring receptiveness, knowledge, and trust in typhoon control technology. Each item was evaluated on a 5-point scale.
Procedure This study was conducted using Google Forms for online surveys. On Jan. 14, 2025, a pre-survey was administered to prospective workshop participants. The workshop was held on Jan. 21. First, a information session (15 mins) about typhoon control technology was provided, followed by an interim-survey. Participants were divided into groups for dialogue (1 hour) about typhoon control technology. After the dialogue, a post-survey was conducted.
Results
One-way ANOVA was conducted across time conditions (pre, interim, post). For crisis, the main effect was not significant. For receptiveness, the main effect was significant. Receptiveness became more negative in the post compared to the interim and pre. For knowledge, the main effect was significant. Knowledge increased from pre, interim, to post. Finally, for trust, the main effect was no significant.
Discussion
The results of this study yielded four insights regarding the impact of information provision and dialogue on perceptions of the technology:
First, peoples appeared to already possess a certain level of crisis regarding typhoons, unaffected by information provision or others' experiences. This suggests that previous experiences and media coverage may have already formed strong sense of crisis.
Second, change of receptiveness can be interpreted as a result of sharing not only benefits but also ELSI through dialogue. This result suggests that consideration through dialogue, not just technical explanations, plays an important role in forming receptiveness to technology.
Third, intervention of information provision and dialogue improved self-evaluation of knowledge. The large increase from pre to interim suggests that knowledge transfer may be important in initial cognitive processes. The effect from interim to post can be interpreted as dialogue promoting knowledge sharing and reconstruction.
Fourth, trust in technology may not easily change through short-term information provision and dialogue alone.
These results suggest that people's perceptions of typhoon control technology are formed not only through simple knowledge provision but through cognitive processes facilitated by dialogue. The finding that increased knowledge does not necessarily lead to positive attitudes toward technology, but rather may promote more cautious attitude formation, provides important implications for future ELSI and science communication.