Gendered cognition, intra-household preference divergence, and behavioral choice

How gender differences shape GM maize adoption in smallholder families

Bibliographic Data

ID7473792
AuthorsYanfang Huang (0000-0002-8384-4019, Institute of Plant Protection), Minglong Zhang (0009-0009-3663-6223, Agricultural Information Institute), Fengying Nie (Agricultural Information Institute), Xianming Yang (Institute of Plant Protection), Xiangping Jia (0000-0002-4239-6897, Agricultural Information Institute, corresponding author), Kongming Wu (0000-0003-3555-4292), Wu KongMing (Institute of Plant Protection, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume123
Pages104083
Publication date2026-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Rural Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0743-0167 • E-ISSN: 1873-1392
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104083
OpenAlexW7131663150
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited46

Agricultural extension research has paid insufficient attention to intra-household heterogeneity, resulting in promotion strategies that often treat farm households as homogeneous decision-making units. Based on paired survey data from 436 smallholder couples in Yunnan Province, China, this study constructs a “gender cognition – preference divergence – behavioral choice” analytical framework to systematically examine how intra-household gender-based cognitive differences trigger disputes over planting decisions through divergent perceptions of safety risks and benefit evaluations, ultimately influencing Genetically Modified (GM) Maize adoption behavior. The study reveals three key findings: (1) Significant gender asymmetry exists in technology risk-benefit assessment, with women demonstrating 3–5 times stronger safety risk perception than men (p < 0.001). Their risk-inhibiting effect (−27.9%) substantially outweighs men's profit-promoting effect (+16.5%), consistent with the loss aversion principle in behavioral economics. (2) Household decisions exhibit gendered bargaining interactions, where cognitive differences create a “female risk veto → risk-priority bargaining (with a benefit-risk compensation threshold of 1.17) → adoption delay” pathway, collectively reducing technology adoption probability by 16.3 percentage points. (3) Household decision-making authority significantly moderates technology diffusion: male-dominant households exhibit a “patriarchal efficiency advantage” (Δ = −24.4), while female-dominant households display heightened risk sensitivity (Δ = −35.5). In contrast, joint-decision households develop a unique preference divergence-driven adoption pathway (+12 %). This study provides a theoretical foundation for designing gender-sensitive policies in agricultural technology extension, recommending optimized diffusion efficiency through differentiated communication strategies and participatory evaluation mechanisms

Agriculture · Cognition · Perception · Preference · Promotion (chess) · Risk aversion (psychology) · Risk perception · Survey data collection · Agricultural Innovations and Practices · Agricultural risk and resilience · Genetically Modified Organisms Research

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