Seeking and Processing Information about Zoonotic Disease Risk: A Proposed Framework

Abstract

As part of zoonotic disease management, wildlife officials strive to communicate health and safety information to promote individual behavior change and facilitate collaborative decision-making. Understanding how individuals search for and attend to information about disease risk can assist both efforts. Drawing on the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model, this article articulates a framework that explores how individuals seek and engage with information about zoonotic disease risk in different ways. The framework includes concepts such as need for information, social pressure to remain informed, beliefs about information channels, perceived risk and trust, and personal capacity to learn. The article extends the RISP model by exploring the role of values, wildlife value orientations, and opinion leadership. Overall, the framework synthesizes research from a variety of fields, with the goal of furthering inquiry on the human dimensions of disease management, particularly the importance of risk communication.