When individual cultural orientation and mediated portrayal of risk intersect: Effects of individualism–collectivism and media framing on risk perception and attribution of responsibility

Abstract

Using the cultural theory of risk, this study examines the effects of individualism–collectivism and media framing on individuals’ risk perception and attribution of responsibility. The findings of a between‐subjects experiment suggest that media framing (episodic vs. thematic framing) is a significant moderator of the effect of individualism–collectivism on risk perception (the perceived magnitude of the risk), and that collectivists have more intense emotions and perceive a more serious risk than individualists. The results of path analysis further show that individualism–collectivism and media framing influence individuals’ attribution of responsibility through emotion and the perceived magnitude of the risk. This study contributes to an increased understanding of risk perception with an emphasis on the interaction between culture and mediated portrayal of a risk.