Public perception of risk: a general perspective and application to health communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35669/revistadecomunicacionysalud.2015.5(1).99-110Keywords:
Risk perception; psychometric paradigm; health risk communicationAbstract
Risk perception is a central component in behavioral and decision making theories. The present article aims to review the present state of knowledge in public perception of risk. More specifically, we will focus on health risk perception and the people´s tendency to underestimate the probability of personal health risk. Understanding the nature of risk perception is key for developing more effective health risk communication.
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References
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Brady, J. T. (2012). Health risk perceptions across time in the USA. Journal of Risk Research, 15(6), 547–563.
Braverman, J. (2008). Testimonial versus informational persuasive messages: The moderating effect of delivery mode and personal involvement. Communication Research, 35, 666-694.
Brewer, N. T., Chapman, G. B., Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., McCaul, K. D., y Weinstein, N. D. (2007). Meta-analysis of the relationship between risk perception and health behavior: the example of vaccination. Health Psychology, 26(2), 136-145.
Chang, C. (2008). Increasing mental health literacy via narrative advertising. Journal of Health Communication, 13, 37-55.
Chauvin, B., Hermand, D., y Mullet, E. (2008). New age beliefs and societal risk perception. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38(8), 2056-2071.
De Graaf, A. (2014). The Effectiveness of Adaptation of the Protagonist in Narrative Impact: Similarity Influences Health Beliefs Through Self‐Referencing. Human Communication Research, 40(1), 73-90.
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Dillard, A. J., McCaul, K. D., y Klein, W. M. (2006). Unrealistic optimism in smokers: Implications for smoking myth endorsement and self-protective motivation. Journal of Health Communication, 11(S1), 93-102.
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Floyd, D. L., Prentice‐Dunn, S., y Rogers, R. W. (2000). A meta‐analysis of research on protection motivation theory. Journal of applied social psychology, 30(2), 407-429.
Morton, T. A., y Duck, J. M. (2001). Communication and health beliefs mass and interpersonal influences on perceptions of risk to self and others. Communication Research, 28(5), 602-626.
Moyer‐Gusé, E., y Nabi, R. L. (2010). Explaining the effects of narrative in an entertainment television program: Overcoming resistance to persuasion. Human Communication Research, 36(1), 26-52.
Murphy, S. T., Frank, L. B., Chatterjee, J. S., y Baezconde‐Garbanati, L. (2013). Narrative versus nonnarrative: The role of identification, transportation, and emotion in reducing health disparities. Journal of Communication, 63, 116-137.
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Rosenstock, I. M. (1974). Historical origins of the health belief model. Health Education & Behavior, 2(4), 328-335.
Sloman, S. A. (1996). The empirical case for two systems of reasoning. Psychological Bulletin, 119(1), 3–22.
Slovic, P. (1987). Perception of risk. Science, 236(4799), 280-285.
Slovic, P., Finucane, M. L., Peters, E., y MacGregor, D. G. (2004). Risk as analysis and risk as feelings: some thoughts about affect, reason, risk, and rationality. Risk Analysis, 24(2), 311-322.
Slovic, P., Fischhoff, B., y Lichtenstein, S. (1982). Why study risk perception?. Risk analysis, 2(2), 83-93.
Slovic, P., Peters, E., Finucane, M. L., y MacGregor, D. G. (2005). Affect, risk, and decision making. Health psychology, 24(4S), S35-S40.
Slovic, P., y Peters, E. (2006). Risk perception and affect. Current directions in psychological science, 15(6), 322-325.
Slovic, P., y Weber, E. U. (abril, 2002). Perception of risk posed by extreme events. Ponencia presentada en el congreso “Risk Management strategies in an Uncertain World,” Palisades, New York. Recuperado de https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/chrr/documents/meetings/roundtable/white_papers/slovic_wp.pdf
Weber, E. U. (2001b). Decision and choice: Risk, empirical studies. In N. J. Smelser y P. B. Baltes (Eds.), international encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences (pp. 13347- 13351). Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science Limited.
Weinstein, N. D., Kwitel, A., McCaul, K. D., Magnan, R. E., Gerrard, M., y Gibbons, F. X. (2007). Risk perceptions: assessment and relationship to influenza vaccination. Health Psychology, 26(2), 146-151.
Witte, K. (1992). Putting the fear back into fear appeals: The extended parallel process model. Communications Monographs, 59(4), 329-349.
Zajonc, R. B. (1980). Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences. American Psychologist, 35, 151–175.
Barrett, L. F., y Salovey, P. (Eds.). (2002). The Wisdom in Feeling. New York: Guilford.
Bouyer, M., Bagdassarian, S., Chaabanne, S., y Mullet, E. (2001). Personality correlates of risk perception. Risk analysis, 21(3), 457-466.
Brady, J. T. (2012). Health risk perceptions across time in the USA. Journal of Risk Research, 15(6), 547–563.
Braverman, J. (2008). Testimonial versus informational persuasive messages: The moderating effect of delivery mode and personal involvement. Communication Research, 35, 666-694.
Brewer, N. T., Chapman, G. B., Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., McCaul, K. D., y Weinstein, N. D. (2007). Meta-analysis of the relationship between risk perception and health behavior: the example of vaccination. Health Psychology, 26(2), 136-145.
Chang, C. (2008). Increasing mental health literacy via narrative advertising. Journal of Health Communication, 13, 37-55.
Chauvin, B., Hermand, D., y Mullet, E. (2008). New age beliefs and societal risk perception. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38(8), 2056-2071.
De Graaf, A. (2014). The Effectiveness of Adaptation of the Protagonist in Narrative Impact: Similarity Influences Health Beliefs Through Self‐Referencing. Human Communication Research, 40(1), 73-90.
De Wit, J. B., Das, E., & Vet, R. (2008). What works best: objective statistics or a personal testimonial? An assessment of the persuasive effects of different types of message evidence on risk perception. Health Psychology, 27(1), 110-115.
Dillard, A. J., Fagerlin, A., Dal Cin, S., Zikmund-Fisher, B. J., y Ubel, P. A. (2010). Narratives that address affective forecasting errors reduce perceived barriers to colorectal cancer screening. Social science & medicine, 71(1), 45-52.
Dillard, A. J., Ferrer, R. A., Ubel, P. A., y Fagerlin, A. (2012). Risk perception measures' associations with behavior intentions, affect, and cognition following colon cancer screening messages. Health psychology, 31(1), 106-113.
Dillard, A. J., McCaul, K. D., y Klein, W. M. (2006). Unrealistic optimism in smokers: Implications for smoking myth endorsement and self-protective motivation. Journal of Health Communication, 11(S1), 93-102.
Epstein, S. (1994). Integration of the cognitive and the psychodynamic unconscious. American Psychologist, 49, 709–724.
Fischhoff, B., Slovic, P., Lichtenstein, S., Read, S., y Combs, B. (1978). How safe is safe enough? A psychometric study of attitudes towards technological risks and benefits. Policy sciences, 9(2), 127-152.
Floyd, D. L., Prentice‐Dunn, S., y Rogers, R. W. (2000). A meta‐analysis of research on protection motivation theory. Journal of applied social psychology, 30(2), 407-429.
Morton, T. A., y Duck, J. M. (2001). Communication and health beliefs mass and interpersonal influences on perceptions of risk to self and others. Communication Research, 28(5), 602-626.
Moyer‐Gusé, E., y Nabi, R. L. (2010). Explaining the effects of narrative in an entertainment television program: Overcoming resistance to persuasion. Human Communication Research, 36(1), 26-52.
Murphy, S. T., Frank, L. B., Chatterjee, J. S., y Baezconde‐Garbanati, L. (2013). Narrative versus nonnarrative: The role of identification, transportation, and emotion in reducing health disparities. Journal of Communication, 63, 116-137.
Rogers, R. W. (1975). A protection motivation theory of fear appeals and attitude change. Journal of Psychology, 91(1), 93-114.
Rogers, R. W. (1983). Cognitive and physiological processes in fear appeals and attitude change: a revised theory of protection motivation. En J. T. Cacioppo y R. E. Petty (Eds.), Social psychophysiology. A sourcebook (pp. 153-176). Nueva York: The Guilford Press.
Rosenstock, I. M. (1974). Historical origins of the health belief model. Health Education & Behavior, 2(4), 328-335.
Sloman, S. A. (1996). The empirical case for two systems of reasoning. Psychological Bulletin, 119(1), 3–22.
Slovic, P. (1987). Perception of risk. Science, 236(4799), 280-285.
Slovic, P., Finucane, M. L., Peters, E., y MacGregor, D. G. (2004). Risk as analysis and risk as feelings: some thoughts about affect, reason, risk, and rationality. Risk Analysis, 24(2), 311-322.
Slovic, P., Fischhoff, B., y Lichtenstein, S. (1982). Why study risk perception?. Risk analysis, 2(2), 83-93.
Slovic, P., Peters, E., Finucane, M. L., y MacGregor, D. G. (2005). Affect, risk, and decision making. Health psychology, 24(4S), S35-S40.
Slovic, P., y Peters, E. (2006). Risk perception and affect. Current directions in psychological science, 15(6), 322-325.
Slovic, P., y Weber, E. U. (abril, 2002). Perception of risk posed by extreme events. Ponencia presentada en el congreso “Risk Management strategies in an Uncertain World,” Palisades, New York. Recuperado de https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/chrr/documents/meetings/roundtable/white_papers/slovic_wp.pdf
Weber, E. U. (2001b). Decision and choice: Risk, empirical studies. In N. J. Smelser y P. B. Baltes (Eds.), international encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences (pp. 13347- 13351). Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science Limited.
Weinstein, N. D., Kwitel, A., McCaul, K. D., Magnan, R. E., Gerrard, M., y Gibbons, F. X. (2007). Risk perceptions: assessment and relationship to influenza vaccination. Health Psychology, 26(2), 146-151.
Witte, K. (1992). Putting the fear back into fear appeals: The extended parallel process model. Communications Monographs, 59(4), 329-349.
Zajonc, R. B. (1980). Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences. American Psychologist, 35, 151–175.
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How to Cite
Stanojlovic, Milena. 2015. “Public perception of risk: a general perspective and application to health communication”. Revista de Comunicación y Salud 5 (1):99-110. https://doi.org/10.35669/revistadecomunicacionysalud.2015.5(1).99-110.
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