Situative and product-specific factors influencing consumers’ risk perception of household cleaning products

Abstract

In Europe, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) provides a system for hazard communication for consumer products that includes a signal word, hazard pictograms, and hazard and precautionary statements. However, it is yet unclear whether consumers consider the pictograms as part of their interpretation of the potential hazard or whether other, potentially misleading, attributes are also considered. Previous studies suggest that consumers underestimate the risk of eco-friendly cleaning products, irrespective of the presence of objective risk information. In this study, a 7 × 4 × 2 × 2 mixed-design scenario experiment was conducted with a large sample of Swiss consumers. In seven scenarios (within-factor), the following three aspects were systematically manipulated (between-factors): (1) type of cleaning product, (2) eco-friendly or regular product and (3) GHS pictogram visible or not. Participants were asked to indicate their risk perception and self-reported behaviour regarding each scenario. The results suggest that consumers have a rather accurate estimation of the risk based on scenario and involved cleaning product and correctly identified the most problematic scenarios (e.g., unsafe storage of drain cleaner). However, consumers also exhibited a “green” halo effect for eco-friendly cleaning products by rating the perceived risk for these products lower than for the corresponding regular cleaning products. This offers important implications for further research and policy, as risk perception was also the most important predictor of self-reported behaviour within this study.