Facing the Facts

Employing a nationally representative sample (n = 2,000), this research investigated how specific beliefs about alcohol along with alcohol-related experiences relate to personal and general alcohol risk perceptions in Poland. Multiple hierarchical logistic regression models were performed to assess the impact of demographic and alcohol-related variables including alcohol consumption and beliefs about the benefits and hazards of drinking. In order to understand how the risks associated with alcohol consumption are viewed, we draw on the concept of ‘risk target’. Respondents tended to perceive the level of general alcohol risk to be higher than the personal risk. We were able to confirm that drinkers tend to be clearly overoptimistic towards alcohol risks, and that those who consume more alcohol rate the personal risks to be higher. Individuals who experienced the need to cut down their drinking were more concerned by alcohol risks. The same was true for people who have known someone with an alcohol problem, in terms of general risk. We also found that risk perceptions were affected by beliefs about the harmful and protective functions of drinking which shows the importance of providing substantive knowledge on alcohol risk to individuals expected to make informed choices about their drinking. All in all, most of the explanatory variables significantly influenced general risk perception while the analyses of personal risk perception yielded only a few significant results; the latter did have, however, stronger effects than general risk perception.

Recent evidence suggests that social networking sites (SNS) motivate people, in the form of civic engagement, in times of crisis. Yet, there is a lack of empirical investigations that help to understand how SNS use increases civic judgment or participatory behavior. In this study, we examine how the use of SNS in a public health crisis is related to policy support for effective mitigation of risk, particularly focusing on the role of two distinct types of risk perceptions—general and personal risk perceptions. Using an online survey conducted on the issue of fine dust pollution in South Korea (N = 510), this study found that reliance on SNS for learning (i.e., SNS learning dependency) is positively associated with general risk perception, which, in turn, promotes policy support. Moreover, the results revealed a serial mediation process in which SNS learning dependency increases general risk perception, which ultimately increases personal risk perception and policy support. Overall, this study suggests that SNS has the potential to facilitate public engagement in a crisis and that individual motivation to engage with a crisis is not just a function of individual or societal-level risk perception but can be a simultaneous function of different levels of risk perceptions.

The present study examined the relationship between risk experience and risk perceptions in relation to the target (risk to the self vs. others) and for two different types of risk: acute risks (i.e., terrorist attacks) and cumulative health risks (i.e., alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, and unhealthy eating) in two countries (Israel and Germany). An online survey (N = 571) was conducted to assess participants' previous personal experience with acute and cumulative risks and their personal and general risk perceptions. The results showed that personal experience with terrorism was related to increased personal and general risk perceptions, while personal experience with cumulative health risks was related to increased personal but not general risk perceptions. It is argued that an increase in risk perception with more risk experience can be explained by the amount of available information about people's personal as well as other people's risk status. The findings emphasize that the experience-risk perception relationship depends on the target of the risk and the type of risk experience.

This chapter first examines how risk experts and nonexperts construe health risks and indicates systematic differences between the lay and expert risk estimates. Second, it analyzes the difference between general risk perceptions and personal risk perceptions, with particular emphasis on typical biases in personal risk perceptions, such as the optimistic bias and differences in personal risk perceptions across the lifespan. Third, it examines how people respond to health risk information indicating that they are at risk by highlighting the question of whether the core motivational fabric of reactions toward personalized risk information is made up of self-defensive or adaptive strivings.

This is a survey of research on how media influence risk perception. Media are diverse in content, and often not as biased in their (news) reporting as is commonly thought. Although many take media's influence for granted, the evidence points the other way: even for heavy media users, media are probably not a strong causal factor in (especially not personal) risk perception. Risk perception may be affected by the media via availability (more information gives a stronger effect), but the effects are lessened by impersonal impact: general risk perception is more easily changed than personal risk perception. Risk perception is often thought to cause behaviour, but this is still uncertain, and caution is necessary as to this possible connection.

The hypothesis that risk perception is associated with differences in personality was proposed. Three personality variables were used, Rotter's Internal vs External Locus of Control Scale, Schwarzer's General Self-efficacy Scale and Taylor's Manifest Anxiety Scale. A scale asking for personal and general risk perception measured perceived risk. It was proposed that individuals low in anxiety, having an internal locus of control and high in self-efficacy should perceive general risks and personal risks higher than individuals high in anxiety and low in self-efficacy and having external locus of control should do. Fifty-nine business students responded to these three scales. The hypothesis was supported by the results and suggested that the personality measures and particularly anxiety were significantly associated to both personal and general risk perceptions.

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide. Despite the severe health risks, radon testing and mitigation remain insufficient. This issue is situated on multiple levels, ranging from the individual to the political, economic, social, and physical environment. While effective communication is essential to bridge this gap, radon health communication remains underexplored. This dissertation examines how strategic, theory- and evidence-based communication can enhance public engagement with radon-related behaviours. In the first phase of this research, the current communication was analysed. A systematic review of radon-related mass media interventions reveals that most campaigns rely on informational messaging, often failing to evoke personal relevance or emotional engagement. Moreover, in focus group workshops homeowners emphasised the need for communication strategies that extend beyond awareness-raising, addressing practical concerns such as financial support and regulatory measures. Participants also suggest tailoring messages to different behavioural stages, using approaches such as humour, personal letters, and testimonials. In the second phase, communication materials were developed and tested. An online experiment compared the impact of narrative-based and statistical messages on risk perception and behavioural intentions. Findings indicate that narratives are more effective in increasing personal and general risk perception while also strengthening intentions to seek information, test for radon, and consider mitigation. These results inform the development of a large-scale social media campaign, Radon Buster, designed to motivate individuals to take action. The campaign, implemented across Austria, Belgium, Ireland, and Slovenia, uses Facebook ads incorporating narratives, humour, and social norm nudges to attract attention and drive engagement. A controlled online survey experiment finds that exposure to these ads positively influences information-seeking intentions. A subsequent live Facebook study demonstrates strong audience engagement, with click-through rates and interaction metrics suggesting that social media can serve as an effective platform for radon risk communication. Overall, the findings highlight that radon communication must go beyond merely providing information, but should engage audiences, and align the messages with the decision-making process. While no one-size-fits-all solution exists, integrating social, emotional, and cognitive factors can enhance the effectiveness of communication strategies. This dissertation underscores the importance of a multi-level approach, combining stakeholder-targeted messaging with broader environmental interventions to ensure radon risk communication translates into meaningful action.

The smoking rate among adult men in South Korea is one of the highest in the world, standing at about 53%. Although various mass media–based educational initiatives have been taken to reduce this rate, their contribution toward the smoking risk perceptions of South Koreans has not been investigated. This study examined the association between genre-specific media exposure and personal and social risk perceptions of smokers and nonsmokers. Data from a survey of 558 South Korean college students (39% smokers) show that genre-specific media exposure differentially predicts personal and social risk perceptions of smokers and nonsmokers. News media exposure predicted smokers' personal risk perceptions, whereas entertainment media exposure predicted nonsmokers' personal risk perceptions. Exposure to a hybrid genre, health infotainment, predicted social risk perceptions, but not personal risk perceptions, of both smokers and nonsmokers. High rates of exposure to medical documentary were associated with low personal risk perceptions of nonsmokers, but not smokers. These results collectively suggest that mixed-media strategies may effectively address perceptions of personal and social risk of smoking. Suggestions for future research, and theoretical and practical implications, are offered.

Studies examining climate change risk perceptions rarely differentiate between personal and general risk perceptions. Researchers could come to conflicting conclusions about what variables are important in predicting people’s perceptions of risk if they do not differentiate between perceptions of personal and general risk. In this study, we used data from a survey of residents in a Midwestern region of the United States to examine the relationship between two measures of knowledge and perceptions of the risk of climate change at personal and the global (i.e. general) levels. Knowledge of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change significantly predicted perceptions of both types of risks, but was more strongly related to greater risk perceptions at the global level. Knowledge of climate change’s impact on regional flooding predicted greater climate change risk perception, and we did not find a difference in its association with risk perception at the global versus the personal level. Understanding how different types of knowledge influence peoples’ perception of climate change risks can foster a better understanding of related decision-making processes and used to support more strategic public education and communication on climate change. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2022.2028883 .

Understanding how people construe and act upon cancer risk is important for efforts to target risk-increasing health behaviors. Importantly, research participants are often asked to estimate their risk for cancer (in general), which could mask the fact that cancer represents a range of diseases, and that different cancer types can have distinct risk factors. It is unclear whether individuals perceive general cancer risk as being comprised of an aggregation of risk for specific cancer sites, or whether general cancer risk perceptions reflect the specific type of cancer most salient to them. In this study, general cancer risk perceptions were regressed on specific risk perceptions for colon, lung, prostate (men only), and breast (women only), using data from a nationally representative sample. We found that among men and women, all forms of cancer predicted independent variance in estimates of general cancer risk. There were also stronger relationships between general risk perceptions and each specific risk perception than between any two specific risk perceptions, suggesting that individuals differentiate between specific cancers and general cancer risk. These findings offer some confidence that people’s estimates of general cancer risk take multiple cancer types into account.

<p><strong>Aim</strong>: The study is aimed at examining COVID-19 personal risk perception and adherence to lockdown precautionary protocol during the peak of COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria.</p><strong>Methodology</strong>: A descriptive cross-sectional study was adopted in which 4864 responses were retrieved between April to June 2020 through an online questionnaire to assess risk perception to COVID-19 in Nigeria. Information sought was on personal risk perception, frequency of lockdown protocol violations, general perception regarding COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria, Pearson’s <p>chi square and frequencies were examined from the data with SPSS version 25.</p><p><strong>Results</strong>: 55.3% were between the ages of 26-35 years, 59.2% were males, 61.2% were singles, and 80.9% lived in urban areas. About half, (54.6%) had moderate risk perception, 41.4% had high personal COVID-19 risk perception. Though 40.1% strictly adhered to the lockdown protocols, 71.7% of the respondents had a positive perception regarding the lockdown. Pearson’ chi-square revealed significant relationship between being 26-35 years old, being male, being married, having at least a bachelor’s degree, being Hausa, being a public servant and having a moderate to high COVID-19 risk perception (p>0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: There was a good level of COVID19 personal risk perception in the majority of the Nigerian populace and although majority had a positive perception regarding lockdown as a precautionary measure to curtail the spread of COVID-19, less than half of the respondents adhered strictly to the lockdown protocols.</p>

Climate change threatens the ability to enjoy sport around the world, including in the United States. While the scientific community reached consensus regarding the presence and severity of climate change near the turn of the twenty-first century, that same agreement has not been met across the American general public. Major League Baseball (MLB) is particularly vulnerable to climate change in the U.S. due to its season duration, geographic footprint, and largely outdoor nature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between U.S.-based MLB fans’ sport identification and their climate change attitudes, perceptions of climate change risk, and willingness to adapt. Specifically, this study sought to advance climate change perception research by focusing on sport fans in a sport context, groups that are understudied in climate change and sport ecology research. Using social identity theory to frame the significance of sport identification, this study aimed to model transitions from cognition to action for MLB fans. Social identity theory served to explain how an individual creates meaning about the world around them, in this instance climate change, by the social groups to which they voluntarily belong, that is sport identification. A cross-sectional survey design was used to address the study’s purpose. The questionnaire was designed and hosted on Qualtrics Survey Software, but distributed as a Human Intelligence Task on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. The questionnaire contained items to measure fans’ attitudes, general risk perceptions, sport-specific risk perceptions, and willingness to adapt. Participant responses (n = 540) indicated personal experiences with extreme weather most strongly influenced general climate change risk perceptions. Further, responses revealed fans who had general climate change risk perceptions were more likely to have sport-specific risk perceptions. This relationship was not moderated by sport identification, but sport identification did significantly predict sport-specific risk perceptions. Likewise, sport identification did not moderate the relationship between fans’ sport-specific climate change risk perceptions and their willingness to adapt. However, responses revealed fans who perceived climate change risks to the sport were more willing to adapt their behaviors to climate change. As a result of these findings, there were several theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, although sport identification did not moderate the hypothesized relationships, social identity theory does serve as an avenue to explore the connections between sport fans and the realities of climate change on sport. The overall model structure was supported, indicating the possibility to examine found relationships through additional theoretical

Health Risk Perception

Government interventions, such as mandating the use of masks and social distancing, play crucial roles in controlling the spread of pandemic infection. Adherence depends on public perceptions about pandemic risk....

Mediators of the association between television viewing and fear of crime: Perceived personal risk and perceived ability to cope