Factors Influencing Information-Seeking Intentions and Support for Restrictions: A Study on an Arsenic-Contaminated Frying Oil Event

<p> <strong> Purpose </strong></p><p> &ndash; This study aims to examine factors influencing information&hyphen;seeking intentions and support for restrictions related to the threat of arsenic&hyphen;contaminated frying oil.</p><p> <strong> Design/methodology/approach </strong></p><p> &ndash; A telephone survey using a systematic random sample of 566 respondents in Taiwan was employed to test all hypotheses proposed in this study.</p><p> <strong> Findings </strong></p><p> &ndash; Results from the structured equation model show that news attention and elaboration significantly and positively predict information&hyphen;seeking intentions, while optimism significantly and negatively predict information&hyphen;seeking intentions; and information&hyphen;seeking intentions significantly and positively predict support for restrictions.</p><p> <strong> Practical implications </strong></p><p> &ndash; The findings of this study imply that increasing risk perceptions and providing useful information while facing the threat of food safety are of central importance.</p><p> <strong> Originality/value </strong></p><p> &ndash; The current study provides an appropriate opportunity for developing a model for better understanding the interaction among news attention, news elaboration, optimism, information&hyphen;seeking intentions, and support for restrictions as Taiwanese face the threat of arsenic&hyphen;contaminated frying oil.</p>