Japanese and American Youth's Knowledge and Attitudes on Energy

Abstract

Two hundred and six Japanese secondary students completed a nine-item questionnaire on energy. Five hundred and three American high school students responded to the same nine items as well as one additional question. Results with statistical significance were the following: (1) on five of the six factual energy questions the Japanese students were more accurate than American students; (2) Japanese students regarded the energy issue as being more serious than American students; (3) more Japanese than American students believed that nuclear energy should be encouraged; (4) Japanese students were more optimistic about the economic future than American students; (5) males and females often differed on the accuracy of factual information, the economic future, and on the role of nuclear energy; and (6) older students' responses, especially American students, were different from those of younger students.