Are people acting irrationally? Understanding public concerns about environmental threats.

Wandersman, Abraham; Hallman, William K.

doi:10.1037/0003-066x.48.6.681

Cited by 67 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(35 reference statements)

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“…Commonly, overcoming public opposition to such technological risks is thus seen as accomplished via cognitive-based models whereby attitudes are changed via the provision of information [43]. This has come to be known as the "information deficit" [20,33,47] or "educating the public" [21] model, whereby the provision of information about the risky technology or scientific enterprise is thought to allay concerns and generate support among a previously "irrational" public [51]. Additional information, so the logic goes, helps to reduce this supposed irrationality.…”

Section: Knowledge and Support Of Risky Technology: The Information Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom

Stedman

Evensen

O’Hara

et al. 2016

Energy Research & Social Science

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Our work examines the relationship between knowledge/familiarity with shale gas development in a comparative context. The Uni ted States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) represent very different cases of shale gas development, with development relatively mature in the US whilst, no extraction of shale gas has yet commenced in the UK. Comparing results from two national level survey efforts in 2014, we find higher levels of knowledge abou t the shale gas industry in the UK than in the US, as well as higher levels of support in the US (opposition levels were similar, but US respondents were much less likely than UK respondents to say that they did not know whether they supported or opposed development). With respect to the relationship between knowledge and support, increased knowledge in the UK is associated with increased support, while knowledge was unrelated to support in the US. We anchor these results within the inf ormation deficit model of science, suggesting that concentrated media and governance in the UK have played an important role in producing the demonstrated effects.

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Section: Knowledge and Support Of Risky Technology: The Information Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom

Stedman

Evensen

O’Hara

et al. 2016

Energy Research & Social Science

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“…Experts from U.S. governmental offices, agencies, and scientific committees have called for a better understanding of how people respond to environmental health hazards. (9) Environmental hazards can be usefully theorized as stressors that can lead to stress responses and subsequent negative health outcomes in individuals. Lazarus and Folkman (10) set out a theoretical basis for the study of stress and coping that Lazarus (11,12) later updated.…”

Section: Environmental Hazards Appraisal and Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Before and After a Refinery Explosion

et al. 2008

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On March 23, 2005, a large explosion at an oil refinery in Texas City, Texas caused 15 deaths and approximately 170 injuries. Little is known about how such an industrial accident influences concern about environmental health risks. We used measures of environmental health concern about nearby petrochemical production with a sample of Texas City residents to understand patterns of concern and change in concern after an industrial accident, as well as individual and contextual factors associated with those patterns. Survey interviews with residents of Texas City, Texas (N =315) both pre-and postexplosion using a brief Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Scale (CAPHRS) and other questions were used to collect pertinent predictor information. CAPHRS baseline, postexplosion, and change scores were compared and modeled using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a mixed model. Higher preexplosion CAPHRS scores were predicted by younger adults, foreign-born Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks, lower-and middleincome groups, and those who live with someone who has worked at the petrochemical plants. Higher CAPHRS change scores are predicted by the same variables (except income), as well as proximity to, or perception of, the explosion, and reports of neighborhood damage. Findings suggest these groups' concern scores could indicate a greater vulnerability to psychological and physical harm generated by concern and stress arising from local petrochemical activities. A clearer understanding of concern about actual environmental health risks in exposed populations may enhance the evolving theory of stress and coping and eventually enable public health professionals to develop appropriate mitigation strategies.

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“…El modelo psicométrico busca explicar cómo los individuos evalúan, temen o sienten, cuando se enfrentan a condiciones amenazantes o peligrosas; por tanto indaga fundamentalmente sobre los aspectos cognitivos y emocionales que tienen las personas frente a los riesgos (GruevVintila & Rouquette, 2007); además, pretende ser una herramienta efectiva para predecir la percepción del riesgo, y ha tenido un avance importante en la organización de la estructura cognitiva individual y colectiva; actualmente es el más utilizado por investigadores (Kellens, Zaalberg, Neutens, Vanneuville, & De Maeyer, 2011). En efecto, estudios realizados bajo este modelo han arrojado importantes resultados que muestran como el conocimiento de los individuos frente a los fenómenos amenazantes marcan las diferencias de los juicios que éstos emiten (Wandersman & Hallman, 1993).…”

Section: Conocimiento Del Riesgounclassified

Modelo De Análisis De La Vulnerabilidad Psicosocial en La Gestión Del Riesgo De Desastres

Pérez

Navarro

Rivera

2017

RGSA

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RESUMENEn la problemática de los desastres, y más aún, en la reducción de la vulnerabilidad, existen vacíos en el conocimiento sobre los factores o variables psicosociales que juegan un rol importante en la forma como las personas identifican, evalúan e interpretan los riesgos. El objetivo de este artículo consiste en desarrollar un modelo de análisis de la vulnerabilidad ante el riesgo de desastres por fenómenos naturales o socio-naturales desde un enfoque psicosocial; para tal fin, se propone una definición de la vulnerabilidad psicosocial y se analiza la influencia de las variables psicosociales sobre la vulnerabilidad de una población en particular. El modelo se desarrolla a través de las variables: percepción del riesgo, representaciones sociales del riesgo, implicación personal, estrategias de afrontamiento (coping), apego al lugar y proximidad espacial. En este estudio se seleccionaron 257 participantes de sectores aledaños a la parte baja de la cuenca de la quebrada "El Barro", donde ocurrió una avenida torrencial en el 2005, y del sector de Niquía del Municipio de BelloColombia. Los resultados muestran la influencia directa entre las variables psicosociales (correlaciones positivas y significativas); particularmente, una importante correlación entre la implicación personal y el coping activo. Esencialmente se concluye, primero, el modelo propuesto es pertinente desde el punto de vista conceptual y metodológico; segundo, la percepción a la acción frente a los riesgos incide significativamente en las estrategias de afrontamiento orientadas a la solución de problemas; terceiro, la experiencia previa de desastres influye de manera positiva sobre las variables psicosociales. Palabras claves: Vulnerabilidad. Percepción del riesgo. Representación social del riesgo. Nivel de implicación personal. Estrategias de afrontamiento. Apego al lugar. MODEL OF ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT ABSTRACTIn the context of disaster problems and vulnerability reduction there exists some knowledge gaps about psycho-social factors or variables that play an important role in the way that people identify, evaluate and interpret disaster risks. The goal of this article is to develop a vulnerability analysis model for disaster risk by natural or socio-natural phenomena from a psychosocial approach. For this, a definition of psychosocial vulnerability is proposed and the influence of psychosocial variables in a particular population vulnerability are analyzed. The model is composed of six variables: risk perception, social representations of risk, personal involvement, coping strategies, place attachment and spatial proximity. In this study, 257 participants were selected from sectors bordering the lower part of the "El Barro" stream, where a torrential flood occurred in 2005, and from the Niquía sector of the Bello, Colombia. A direct influence between the psycho-social variables (positive and significant correlations) was found; in particular, there was an important correlation between personal inv...

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Are people acting irrationally? Understanding public concerns about environmental threats.

Cited by 67 publications

References 39 publications

Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom

Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom

Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Before and After a Refinery Explosion

Modelo De Análisis De La Vulnerabilidad Psicosocial en La Gestión Del Riesgo De Desastres

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