Think of the news on TV, for example. Imagine they start with a distressing report. This report could influence your mood. Now, imagine further that a report about a certain hazard follows. Could your mood be manipulated by the first report (unrelated and influence affect) the perception and judgement of the later report? Or, could the which you have because affect of the second report influence the judgemental outcome? Motivation for this study The area of is studied by several academic disciplines. Scientists, engineers, humanists, risk and behavioural scientist are interested in how is perceived. In this terms can be risk risk defined as or risk perception, risk communication, risk assessment risk management (Wilkins, 2001). Because the field of is so interdisciplinary, the concept of itself is even risk assessment risk more difficult to define. may use the word several times, each time with a different “Experts meaning” (Slovic, 2002, p.2-3). For example: as a hazard, as a probability, as a risk risk risk consequence, or as a potential adversity or threat (Slovic, 2002). risk Even more complicating for the field of is the finding that experts and risk communication laypeople understand in different ways (Slovic, 2002). How can they communicate if risk they understand different situations as risky? In 1995, Fischhoff (1995, p.137) wrote that there had been years of process”, in which communication research has “twenty “risk undergone its own evolution”. Still, there is need for more research, before experts and laypeople can communicate without misunderstandings. One example of a central question is: why do people underestimate certain risks while they overestimate less risky topics? On the one hand, people can behave unhealthy or even self-disturbing, for example: excessive drinking and drunk driving, smoking, drug abuse and risky sexual behaviour (Vollrath & Torgersen, 2002); on the other hand, a minor incident, like the discovery of pollution with
Think of the news on TV, for example. Imagine they start with a distressing report. This report could influence your mood. Now, imagine further that a report about a certain hazard follows. Could your mood be manipulated by the first report (unrelated affect) and influence the perception and judgement of the later report? Or, could the affect which you have because of the second report influence the judgemental outcome? Motivation for this study The area of risk is studied by several academic disciplines. Scientists, engineers, humanists, and behavioural scientist are interested in how risk is perceived. In this terms risk can be defined as risk perception, risk communication, risk assessment or risk management (Wilkins, 2001). Because the field of risk assessment is so interdisciplinary, the concept of risk itself is even more difficult to define. “Experts may use the word several times, each time with a different meaning” (Slovic, 2002, p.2-3). For example: risk as a hazard, risk as a probability, risk as a consequence, or risk as a potential adversity or threat (Slovic, 2002). Even more complicating for the field of risk communication is the finding that experts and laypeople understand risk in different ways (Slovic, 2002). How can they communicate if they understand different situations as risky? In 1995, Fischhoff (1995, p.137) wrote that there had been “twenty years of process”, in which “risk communication research has undergone its own evolution”. Still, there is need for more research, before experts and laypeople can communicate without misunderstandings. One example of a central question is: why do people underestimate certain risks while they overestimate less risky topics? On the one hand, people can behave unhealthy or even self-disturbing, for example: excessive drinking and drunk driving, smoking, drug abuse and risky sexual behaviour (Vollrath & Torgersen, 2002); on the other hand, a minor incident, like the discovery of pollution with
Sander-S-S0119288-Bachelorthese.docx