Public Acceptability of Nuclear Power in Jordan: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior with Institutional Trust and Risk-Benefit Perceptions

Jordan’s heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels has increased the policy relevance of nuclear energy as a potential pathway toward energy security, supply diversification, and long-term economic resilience. However, the success of nuclear energy development depends not only on technical and economic feasibility but also on public acceptability. This study examined the psychological, social, and institutional determinants of public acceptability of nuclear power plants in Jordan using an extended theory of planned behavior framework incorporating self-assessed knowledge, perceived benefits, perceived risks, social factors, subjective norms, and trust in regulations.Data were collected from 300 Jordanian respondents through a bilingual online survey and analyzed using partial least-squares structural equation modeling. The findings showed that perceived benefits were the strongest predictor of nuclear energy acceptability (β = 0.736, p < .001), while perceived risk had a weaker negative effect (β = −0.080, p = .028). Trust in regulations significantly increased perceived benefits (β = 0.462, p < .001), indicating that institutional trust strengthened the perceived value of nuclear energy.Contrary to the hypothesized direction, self-assessed knowledge was positively associated with perceived risk, suggesting that greater familiarity with nuclear energy may increase the awareness of potential hazards. Subjective norms and demographic variables did not show significant direct effects on acceptability. In addition, perceived benefits significantly mediated the relationships between social factors, institutional trust, and acceptability.These findings suggest that, among the surveyed respondents, public communication strategies in Jordan may benefit from prioritizing tangible national benefits, transparent governance, and regulatory credibility rather than relying solely on general information dissemination. This study contributes to the nuclear energy and risk communication literature by providing a context-specific framework for understanding public acceptability in a Middle Eastern developing country context.