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The influence of outrage and technical detail on the perception of environmental health risks
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Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Report
Language
en
Date
2004-10-25
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
The influence of outrage and technical detail on the
perception of environmental health risks
Translated Title
De invloed van onlust en technische details op de
perceptie van milieugezondheidsrisico's
Published in
Abstract
Verschillen tussen een bevolking die door een bepaald
risico getroffen is en mensen die beroepsmatig een risico moeten beoordelen,
blijken vaak obstakels te zijn in de risico-communicatie. Het hier
gerapporteerde onderzoek tracht inzicht te verkrijgen in de factoren die de
bezorgdheid van mensen over een risico kunnen beinvloeden. Het onderzoek
richt zich met name op de invloed van de hoeveelheid technische (risico)
details en de hoeveelheid 'outrage' in een risico-bericht. Voor dit
onderzoek werden vier fictieve krantenartikelen geschreven. Van elk van
deze artikelen werden vier versies gemaakt (te weten: weinig technische
details en een lage outrage; weinig technische details en een hoge outrage;
veel technische details en een lage outrage; veel technische details en een
hoge outrage), dus zestien verhalen in totaal. Elke deelnemer ontving een
versie van elk van de vier verhalen en werd gevraagd zich voor te stellen
dat deze in de regionale krant hadden gestaan en dat hij of zij te maken had
met de beschreven situatie. Na het lezen van elk verhaal, vulden de
deelnemers een vragenlijst in met vragen betreffende hun perceptie van het
specifieke, in het verhaal beschreven, risico. De analyses toonden geen
significante relatie aan tussen outrage en risicoperceptie(behalve wat
betreft de beheersbaarheid van het risico), en evenmin tussen technische
details en risico-perceptie. De manipulaties hadden ook geen significante
invloed op de aanvaardbaarheid van het risico. Andere factoren zoals
deelnemers' geslacht, leeftijd, opleidingsniveau, bekendheid met het risico,
natuurlijke neiging om risico's te nemen of te mijden, en het feit of de
deelnemers kinderen hadden - allemaal factoren waar een bedrijf of
overheidsinstelling geen invloed op heeft - bleken betere voorspellers te
zijn van de risico-perceptie. In het rapport worden de mogelijke oorzaken
van deze bevinding verder uitgewerkt.
Differences in risk perception between a professional assessing a risk and a concerned community affected by this risk have been shown to be important obstacles in the communication of environmental health risks. The study reported here aimed at gaining insight into factors that influence people's concerns about risk and that may determine their risk perception. The study focused specifically on the potential influence of the amount of technical detail and outrage provided in risk messages. This study made use of four fictional newspaper stories, with manipulated outrage factors and numbers of technical (risk) details. Four versions, i.e. low technical detail and low outrage; low technical detail and high outrage; high technical detail and low outrage and high technical detail and high outrage were made of each story. The study participants received one version of each story and were asked to imagine that the stories had appeared in their local newspapers, and that they were faced with the situations described. For each story, participants filled in a questionnaire showing their personal assessment of the situation. By manipulating outrage and technical detail, singularly or in combination, it was possible to study how these factors influenced risk perception. Analyses indicated neither a significant relation between outrage and risk perception (except for people's perception of the controllability of the risk), nor between technical detail and risk perception. Neither did the manipulations significantly affect people's risk acceptance. Other factors-such as a person's gender, age, education, previous familiarity with the risk, one's natural tendency to take or avoid risks and whether or not the person had children- proved to be much stronger predictors of people's risk perception and acceptability, but these factors were all beyond the control of the agency or corporate communicator.
Differences in risk perception between a professional assessing a risk and a concerned community affected by this risk have been shown to be important obstacles in the communication of environmental health risks. The study reported here aimed at gaining insight into factors that influence people's concerns about risk and that may determine their risk perception. The study focused specifically on the potential influence of the amount of technical detail and outrage provided in risk messages. This study made use of four fictional newspaper stories, with manipulated outrage factors and numbers of technical (risk) details. Four versions, i.e. low technical detail and low outrage; low technical detail and high outrage; high technical detail and low outrage and high technical detail and high outrage were made of each story. The study participants received one version of each story and were asked to imagine that the stories had appeared in their local newspapers, and that they were faced with the situations described. For each story, participants filled in a questionnaire showing their personal assessment of the situation. By manipulating outrage and technical detail, singularly or in combination, it was possible to study how these factors influenced risk perception. Analyses indicated neither a significant relation between outrage and risk perception (except for people's perception of the controllability of the risk), nor between technical detail and risk perception. Neither did the manipulations significantly affect people's risk acceptance. Other factors-such as a person's gender, age, education, previous familiarity with the risk, one's natural tendency to take or avoid risks and whether or not the person had children- proved to be much stronger predictors of people's risk perception and acceptability, but these factors were all beyond the control of the agency or corporate communicator.
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