Cross-Cultural Risk Perception: State and Challenges

Abstract

The perception of risk within different cultures is a rather complex phenomenon that cannot be described on the basis of a single theory or model. The major accomplishment gained through psychological research was the discovery of qualitative risk characteristics and cognitive as well as affective factors that serve as heuristic tools for classifying and evaluating risk sources or activities. Sociological and cultural research has been essential in pointing out the social, political, and cultural factors that influence risk perception directly, as well as indirectly through the assignment of significance to the individual risk characteristics. The relative weights of the individual risk characteristics depend on social and cultural factors that form the main research agenda for cross-cultural research. The studies compiled in this volume include trust and credibility, social values, and group affiliations as predictors for risk responses. This last chapter provides a review of the findings of these studies and outlines the main lessons for understanding risk perception and designing effective programs for risk management and communication, as well as for improving future cross-cultural risk research.