How Risk Communication via Facebook and Twitter Shapes Behavioral Intentions: The Case of Fine Dust Pollution in South Korea

Abstract

Despite the importance of social network sites (SNSs) in addressing emerging public health risks, there is still a relative lack of studies examining the effects of risk communication via SNSs on risk perceptions and preventive behaviors. Based on message expression-and reception-effects paradigms, this study aims to explore how expressing and receiving risk information shape preventive behavioral intentions via risk perceptions. Given the differential nature and functionality of SNSs, the present investigation also examines whether expressing and receiving risk information via two different types of SNSs-Facebook and Twitter-have different effects on risk perceptions and behavioral intentions. Analyzing survey data from 1,152 South Korean adults in the context of fine dust hazards, this study found that expressing and receiving risk information not only affected risk perceptions but also directly or indirectly influenced preventive behavioral intentions. In addition, the effects of expressing and receiving risk information were differentiated between SNS platforms, specifically Facebook and Twitter. Risk Communication via Social Networking Sites in Risk and Crisis Situations Risk communication refers to the real-time exchange of information among individuals, groups, and organizations in the context of understanding, analyzing, and managing risk (National Research Council, 1989). Effective risk communication may prevent a risk or reduce the harmful impact of an event. Robust evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of risk communication in encouraging preparedness for natural disasters (Eisenman et al.

Media system dependency and change in risk perception during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This media effect on the risk perceived by people has been confirmed widely in different studies (Dillard and Yang, 2019;Morton and Duck, 2001;Wahlberg and Sjӧberg, 2000;Yoo, 2019), both for the case of the traditional media and the social networks (Duc-Huynh, 2020;Muñiz, 2011;Yoo, 2019). In this sense, it has been detected that great consumption of media can generate and/or increase anxiety and risk perception by people (Coleman, 1993) and even affect their behavior (Morton and Duck, 2001).…”

“…Crisis situations lead to the generation of scenarios where the perception of threat by the population tends to increase (Garfin, Silver, and Holman, 2020;Muñiz, 2011;Yoo, 2019;Yoo, Paek, and Hove, 2020). In these contexts, it is common for a sensation of fear to increase among the population before the situation at hand, that is, a negative emotion associated with others such as anxiety or concern before the uncertainty that accompanies the crisis.…”

“…Therefore, it is possible to observe a clear relation between the development of negative emotions and the increase of risk perception, which grows in situations of crisis and uncertainty. This perception has been described as a sensation resulting from the subjective judgments that individuals make about possible negative consequences, such as injuries, diseases or death itself, which the crisis at hand can entail (Yoo, 2019;Yoo, Paek, and Hove, 2020). It implies, therefore, a "quantifiable probability of an adverse event to occur with tragic or negative consequences for human beings" (Farré, 2005: 103).…”

“…To a large extent, these actions conducted by the citizens in view of crisis situations are associated with the increase of a personal risk perception, resulting from the threat existing in the social context. This perception is a subjective judgment made at an individual level about the possible negative conse quences of a crisis such as the coronavirus disease (Yoo, 2019;Yoo, Paek, and Hove, 2020), due to the fact that the existence of a concrete and strong probability is perceived of an occurrence that presupposes a risk for the individual (Farré, 2005). The research conducted so far has determined that this perception tends to increase when certain factors appear; one of the key factors among them is the fact that there is sufficient information via the media that reveal the potential dangers of the contingency (Coleman, 1993;Frewer, 2000;Garfin, Silver, and Holman, 2020;Morton and Duck, 2001;Wahlberg and Sjӧberg, 2000).…”

Risk perception and COVID-19 preventive behaviors: application of the integrative model of behavioral prediction

“…Higher levels of risk perception are found to be associated with higher intentions to engage in preventive behaviors (e.g., Bish & Michie, 2010;Pask & Rawlins, 2015;Stasson & Fishbein, 1990). Regarding infectious outbreaks, researchers found that risk perception of a pandemic is associated with social and economic activities (Choi et al, 2018), hand washing, personal contact avoidance, and non-essential traveling (Ludolph et al, 2017), and mask wearing and sheltering in place (Yoo, 2019).…”