Abstract
Risk perceptions typically underlie a complex social dynamic: Risk-related information is transmitted between individuals, this information influences risk perceptions, and risk perceptions influence which information is transmitted. This can lead to a social amplification of risk. We test how stress, a widespread affective state, influences the social dynamics of risk perception. Participants (N = 146) read articles about the controversial antibacterial agent Triclosan and were then asked to inform another person about Triclosan. Before and after reading the articles, participants reported their concern about Triclosan. Stress exposure before the task led to a smaller increase in concern in response to the articles. The stronger the increase in cortisol, the smaller the increase in concern. Furthermore, participants in the stress group transmitted less negative information about Triclosan to others. In contrast, participants’ subjective feelings of stress were associated with higher concern and more alarming risk communication. We conclude that feeling stressed can amplify risk perception, whereas the endocrine stress reaction can attenuate risk perception when information about risk is exchanged in a social context.
Highlights
Within the context of a growing impact of mass media and social networks, understanding the social dynamics behind the formation of risk perceptions becomes an increasingly important task
The presented study investigated the effect of acute stress on the social dynamics of risk perception
We tested whether stress influences how people perceive a risk, how they update this risk perception in response to relevant information and what kind of risk information they transmit to another person
Summary
Within the context of a growing impact of mass media and social networks, understanding the social dynamics behind the formation of risk perceptions becomes an increasingly important task. We investigated how acute stress influences this amplification or attenuation process This implies asking whether stress influences how individuals perceive a risk, how they change this risk perception when receiving information about the risk, and what kind of information about the risk they. We used a slightly adapted version of a previously developed paradigm for studying the social dynamics of risk perception4 In this paradigm, participants are asked to read articles about a controversial chemical substance, the antibacterial agent Triclosan, and subsequently pass on information to another participant informing him or her about Triclosan. Each participant received the same risk information and passed on this information by writing a message to another person Just prior to this task, half of the group was exposed to a group-version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; involving public speaking and mental arithmetic in front of an audience), while the other half completed a control task. The study has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Konstanz (IRB 12-2017), and this research was performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations concerning behavioral experiments with humans
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