Risk Perception of Nuclear Energy During the Fukushima Crisis: The Role of Trust and Communication in Taiwan

Abstract

This study explores how people in Taiwan perceived risk toward nuclear power during the Fukushima disaster in March 2011. We conducted an island-wide telephone survey of 1, 093 residents in Taiwan within one week after the disaster happened. Results show that political trust mostly determined people’s perception of the risk. People with lower political trust tend to have more concern about the risk, and those who trust government tend to have more support for nuclear energy. In terms of communication, TV news attention is positively correlated with risk perception, but those paying more attention to TV news are likely to oppose nuclear energy more. People with more objective knowledge about nuclear energy are likely to be in favor of nuclear energy and also tend to accept the risk of nuclear power. Male respondents present more tolerance of the risk than their female counterpart. Consistent with the past literature, Pan-Blue party supporters are more in favor of nuclear energy than Pan-Green party supporters.