Warnings and Risk Taking in the Allocation of Responsibility for Consumer Product Safety

Abstract

This study explored how product users' risk taking characteristics and the presence or absence of a warning influenced allocation of responsibility for accidents during consumer product use. Sixty-three subjects were shown eight scenarios describing a product accident and injury. The scenarios described a litigation context that implicated the consumer as a high or low risk taker. Subjects allocated accident responsibility between the manufacturer, retailer, and consumer (user). Two variables were manipulated; descriptions of users' prior risk taking behaviors, and presence or absence of a warning. A warning effect was found; mean allocation to manufacturers was 20% and 60% with and without warnings, and 74% and 31% to consumers with and without warnings. High risk takers received more responsibility (85%) than low risk takers (65%) when warnings were present; however, in the no-warning condition the difference between allocations made to high and low risk takers was greatly reduced (28% and 35% respectively).