Indicators Of Risk Perception Research Articles

STOCK MARKET RESPONSE TO METEOROLOGICAL DISASTER RISK: FROM LIQUIDITY PERSPECTIVE

This study investigates the impact of meteorological disaster risk perception on stock liquidity of Chinese listed companies by constructing meteorological disaster risk perception indicators through the Baidu index. Empirical evidence reveals that an increase in meteorological disaster risk perception decreases investors’ risk appetite and increases investors’ loss aversion, which in turn negatively affects stock liquidity. In addition, the increase in meteorological disaster risk perception also shrinks stock trading volume by reducing investor sentiment. The negative effect of meteorological disaster risk perception on stock liquidity is more pronounced in summer and winter and for firms located in water-rich areas. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence from investors’ perspective for understanding the impact of meteorological disasters on stock market liquidity.

Risk Perception of Mental Health Disorders Among Disabled Students and Their Quality of Life: The Role of University Disability Service Support

This research explores the risk perception of mental health disorders among disabled students and its implications on their quality of life (QOL), with a specific focus on the influence of support provided by university disability services. Students with disabilities often face unique challenges in their academic and personal lives, which can significantly impact their mental health and overall well-being. To evaluate the proposed research model, we employed a quantitative methodology, utilizing a cross-sectional data collection approach and applying the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) data analysis technique using SmartPLS software version 4. We collected primary data from a sample of 640 disabled students enrolled in multiple universities across Saudi Arabia. The research unveiled adverse associations between depression, anxiety, stress (as indicators of risk perception of mental health disorders), and QOL. Moreover, it was revealed that university disability support services (UDSS) had a positive impact on QOL. Importantly, the study emphasized that UDSS effectively mitigated and alleviated the adverse effects of depression, anxiety, and stress on the QOL of students with disabilities. The findings may offer insights for universities, policymakers, and disability service providers to enhance support structures, thereby improving the overall well-being of disabled students and reducing the risk of mental health disorders.

Subjective risk and associated electrodermal activity of a self-driving car passenger in an urban shared space.

Shared spaces are urban areas without physical separation between motorised and non-motorised users. Previous research has suggested that it is difficult for users to appropriate these spaces and that the advent of self-driving cars could further complicate interactions. It is therefore important to study the perception of these spaces from the users' perspectives to determine which conditions may promote their acceptance of the vehicles. This study investigates the perceived collision risk of a self-driving car's passenger when pedestrians cross the vehicle's path. The experiment was conducted with a driving simulator. Seven factors were manipulated to vary the dynamics of the crossing situations in order to analyse their influence on the passenger's perception of collision risk. Two measures of perceived risk were obtained. A continuous subjective assessment, reflecting an explicit risk evaluation, was reported in real time by participants. On the other hand, their skin conductance responses, which reflects implicit information processing, were recorded. The relationship between the factors and the risk perception indicators was studied using Bayesian networks. The best Bayesian networks demonstrate that subjective collision risk assessments are primarily influenced by the factors that determine the relative positions of the vehicle and the pedestrian as well as the distance between them when they are in close proximity. The analysis further reveals that variations in skin conductance response indicators are more likely to be explained by variations in subjective assessments than by variations in the manipulated factors. These findings could benefit the development of self-driving navigation among pedestrians by improving understanding of the factors that influence passengers' feelings.

Evacuation decision making and risk perception: flooded rural communities in Pakistan

ABSTRACT Evacuation is considered an essential aspect of flood risk reduction. It is important to identify the factors affecting the decision-making process during evacuation. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence evacuation decision-making in flood-prone rural communities along the Indus River in Dera Ismail Khan. A total of 465 household surveys were conducted in high flood-risk areas along the river to gather data on evacuation characteristics and risk perception. Pearson's correlation technique was utilised to determine the relationship between flood risk perception indicators and the likelihood of evacuation, while a binary logistic regression test was implemented to identify the socio-economic factors that influence evacuation. The results of the study indicated that socio-economic conditions and risk perceptions can have a direct or indirect effect on evacuation decisions. It was found that those living in closer to the river tended to have a lower risk perception. However, respondents in the study reported experiencing high levels of fear in regard to floods. Age and proximity to hazards were identified as significant factors that impact willingness to evacuate. These findings suggest the need for urgent implementation of awareness campaigns in settlements located near the river in order to promote evacuation.

English

The increased health effect of pesticides on the agrarian population in Africa, particularly in Cameroon is a challenging concern. Therefore, this study aims to assess the health risks and risk perceptions of market garden producers towards the effects of pesticides in Cameroon. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, a sample of 560 producers in the Noun Division, Western Region of Cameroon was obtained and an ordered Logit model was adopted to perform the analyses. The results show that 63.93 and 74.62% of producers testify that insecticides and herbicides are among the extremely hazardous products, while 43.25 and 65.36% consider fungicides and nematicides as strongly hazardous for their health. Meanwhile, some socioeconomic characteristics including education, age, health effects, training on pesticides, knowledge and awareness are the main indicators of risk perception. Consequently, overuse of pesticides and their negative effects on the health of farmers may be aggravated, if there is no support by the integration of social norms. Furthermore, training program from agricultural extension services should place emphasis on imparting basic precautionary knowledge for limited producers. Key words: Cameroon, Market garden producers, symptoms of poisoning, Ordered Logit model, agrochemical products effects, risk awareness.

Community Concern about the Health Effects of Pollutants: Risk Perception in an Italian Geothermal Area.

Geothermal fluids for electricity and heat production have long been exploited in the Mt. Amiata area (Tuscany, Italy). Public concern about the health impact of geothermal plants has been present from the outset. Several factors influence the way people perceive risk; therefore, the objective of the present research is to develop indicators of risk perception and assess indices differences in relation to some questionnaire variables. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Amiata area on 2029 subjects aged 18-77. From the questionnaire section about risk perception from environmental hazards, four indicators were developed and analysed. A total of 64% of the subjects considered the environmental situation to be acceptable or excellent, 32% serious but reversible, and 4% serious and irreversible; as the values of the various perception indicators increased, an upward trend was observed in the averages. Risk perception was higher among women and young people, and was associated with higher education. Those who smelled bad odours in their surroundings reported higher risk perception. Furthermore, risk perception was higher in four municipalities. The results represent the basis for further investigations to analyse the link among risk perception indicators, exposure parameters, and health status.

Exploring the dynamic relationships between risk perception and behavior in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak

The relationships between risk perception and related behavior form a fundamental theme in risk analysis. Despite increasing attentions on the temporal dimension of risk perception and behavior in recent literature, the dynamic relationships between these two constructs remain understudied. Infectious disease outbreaks, such as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, provide a key setting for analyzing evolving perceptions of and responses to natural or human-induced hazards. The main objectives of this research are: (1) to assess temporal changes in cognitive and affective dimensions of perceived COVID-19 risk as well as related protective behavior; and (2) to explore the dynamic relationships between COVID-19 risk perception and behavioral responses. Timely data on changing risk perception and behavior related to the COVID-19 outbreak were collected through two series of online surveys from four major cities (Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City; N = 736) and the central Midwest region of the United States (N = 1240) respectively during March–August 2020. The analysis revealed that: (1) the cognitive and affective dimensions of perceived COVID-19 risk and preventive behavior all changed over time; (2) there were both within- and across-time correlations between COVID-19 risk perception indicators and preventive actions; and (3) preventive actions showed varied feedback effects on individual aspects of perceived COVID-19 risk over time. Findings from this research support and expand major conceptual approaches to changing relationships between risk perception and behavior, particularly the risk reappraisal hypothesis. The study also has useful implications for health risk management and future research directions.

Analysis of direction of association between radiation risk perception and relocation using a random-intercept and cross lagged panel model: The Fukushima Health Management Survey.

In the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, a person's radiation risk perception can harm their sociopsychological health. Although there are reports of an association between radiation risk perception and relocation, the direction of this association has not been clarified yet. In this study, we used a random-intercept and cross lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to investigate the association and its direction between radiation risk perception and the prefectural-level relocation (i.e., inside/outside of Fukushima Prefecture). We did this by using five waves of longitudinal surveys between 2011 fiscal year and 2015 fiscal year among the people affected by the Fukushima disaster in 2011. We included 90,567 participants aged ≥15 years during the time of the disaster who responded to the questionnaire at least once. RI-CLPM was applied to examine the reciprocal relationship between radiation risk perception and locations. We used two radiation risk perception indicators (i.e., genetic effect and delayed effect) and two handling methods on missing data (i.e., listwise deletion and full information maximum likelihood estimation) as sensitive analyses. The effects of radiation risk perception on relocation were found to be negligibly small. Living inside Fukushima Prefecture reduced radiation risk perception irrespective of the difference of indicators or methods, highlighting that radiation risk perception did not dominantly govern whether people were living inside Fukushima Prefecture, but that the locations also affected radiation risk perception. This was the first study to reveal the direction of the association between radiation risk perception and relocation in the aftermath of nuclear disasters.

Pesticide residues, health risks, and vegetable farmers’ risk perceptions in Punjab, Pakistan

Extensive use of pesticides in agricultural production results in increased health risks and health costs, productivity loss, and degradation of the environment. Farmers’ risk perceptions of pesticide residues can help mitigate these issues. This paper applies an ordered probit model to analyze farmers’ perceptions of pesticide residues using a cross-sectional dataset of 209 vegetable cultivators in Punjab, Pakistan. Important determinants of farmers’ perceptions include their educational level, family labor, ratio of self-consumed foodstuffs, health effects, integrated pest management (IPM) training, knowledge, and awareness. Among these determinants, farmers’ awareness and IPM training programs are the principle indicators of risk perception. These results have significant implications for policymakers because farmers’ perceptions including overuse of pesticides tend to worsen if supported by the internalization of social norms, which, in turn, is restricted by farmers’ awareness and knowledge. The study findings suggest that special attention should be given to farmers who are limited to receiving information directly from agricultural extension officers. Moreover, intensive IPM training programs should be designed with the aim of conveying precautionary measures for human health and a sustainable agro-ecosystem.

Examining relationships between traditional vulnerability data proxies and hurricane risk perception indicators

Development, social processes, cultures, beliefs, risk perceptions, and attitudes contribute to spatial variations in vulnerability. Risk perceptions directly and indirectly affect how individuals react to and cope with risks, which can affect both pre-disaster vulnerability and post-disaster recovery. Risk perceptions influence how people develop and implement hazard mitigation and adaptation strategies to address risks before a disaster occurs. Understanding how individuals develop risk perceptions and act on them in response to hazards can provide information about existing public risk perception that is essential for the development and implementation of successful mitigation strategies. This paper presents a methodology for identifying and measuring the influence and interdependence of risk perception indicators on vulnerability at the local scale, using Sarasota County, FL as a case study. We use contingency tables to identify interdependence between categorical demographic and risk perception variables and determine ways in which significant pairings support existing literature on risk-reduction behaviours in vulnerable populations, or ways in which this information may be specific to Sarasota County, FL. Results suggest that interdependence exists between risk perceptions and demographics, but the degree of interdependence varies across specific variables, including presence of dependent populations (e.g., children under the age of 5) and duration of residency. Decision makers can use this information to identify non-traditional vulnerability indicators that influence preparation and evacuation behaviour and target customized risk communication to those populations. This information can also help decision makers identify and address attitudes or social processes that cause unequal access to information or risk reduction/mitigation resources in individuals.

Gender-based approach for assessing risk perception in a multi-hazard environment: A study of high schools of Gilgit, Pakistan

Risk perception is a vital constituent of disaster risk. It is a measure to assess predisposition of individuals to seek disaster preparedness measures. Understanding gendered risk perception in a multi-hazard environment is important for launching proper disaster risk reduction strategies. This study proposes a risk perception assessment methodology, and is operationalized in context of high school students in a multi-hazard area of Gilgit, Pakistan. Risk perception was measured using four components, i.e., fear, attitude, awareness and trust. Indicators were identified using rigorous literature review, and index-based approach was used to calculate overall risk perception. Slovin's sampling method was used to identify sample size of 486 high school students, including 248 boys and 238 girls. Data was collected through structured questionnaires. Chi-square and t-tests were employed to ascertain differences between the two genders. Results have shown poor risk perception of high school students regarding natural hazards. Among the measured risk perception indicators, the fear component received the highest score. The study also observed significant differences in the risk perception indicators. This study highlights that for better understanding of the multifaceted nature of disaster risk, the gender aspect must be incorporated in risk perception assessment.

The perception of risk in the flood-prone area: a case study from the Czech municipality

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the risk perceptions and activities of people to reduce impacts of disaster.Design/methodology/approachCase study research has been conducted in village Podhradí nad Dyjí in the Dyje river basin in Czech Republic. Villagers from different age groups, experts, NGO members have been interviewed to understand people’s perceptions of flood risks and their actions.FindingsThe research has found that changing flood insurance policy influenced people’s risk perception. There is also increasing self-dependency among people to reduce impacts of disaster. They come together to support each other and develop collectivities in managing disaster. People’s actions and willingness to participate in disaster management activities change with distance from the river bank.Research limitations/implicationsThe village identified for the case study research has been affected by floods after implementation of the Crisis Management Act No. 240/2000 Coll. The findings of the study are influenced by geographical location of the municipality and cannot be generalised in the Czech Republic.Practical implicationsThe research has listed physical as well as socio-economic and cultural indicators of risk perception in the Czech Republic. These indicators and outcomes should help to assess and identify the gaps in reducing impacts of floods.Originality/valueThe study has revealed the interconnection between physical, socio-economic, and cultural factors of risk perception after implementing the Crisis Management Act No. 240/2000 Coll. and changing strategies in disaster management in the Czech Republic.

The effects of indicating rear-end collision risk via variable message signs on traffic behaviour

Research on the effects of safety messages on driving behaviour remains relatively scant. The present study aims to manipulate drivers’ risk perception by displaying messages containing risk level information, and measure the behavioural implications. Using proximal safety indicators (i.e. rear-end collision risk index), the risk level in each 5min time interval was determined by traffic conditions in the previous 5min interval based on a linguistic scale of “low”, “medium” and “high” risk. The risk level was displayed on Variable Message Signs (VMS) and changes in risk perception indicators (i.e. speed, time to collision and safety margin) were compared with null messages, while keeping other conditions similar in terms of driving lane and time (day/night). The experimental data set including about 43,000 vehicles was obtained by inductive loop detectors at one freeway site over two days. The control sample, where null messages were displayed, included about 40,000 vehicles and was also obtained at the same location using the same method on two different days. Results suggest that the same message may evoke opposite effects in different situations. Risky behavioural adaptations were observed under low and medium risk messages during night time. The effects of high risk messages, however, were consistently related to safe adaptations. The effects of messaging on rear-end conflicts were significant only in the fast lane at night time. The results could be used in regulating the activation algorithm for safety messages in real time VMS.

Sovereign bond markets and financial stability in an emerging economy: an application of directed acyclic graphs and SVAR models

During the last two decades, domestic government bond markets have developed significantly in emerging economies. Although the financial sector has benefited accordingly, volatility in this market also has posed potential risks in terms of financial stability. This paper uses directed acyclic graphs and structural vector-autoregressive models to evaluate the impact of different shocks on both the public debt market and financial stability. Results suggest that inflation, the policy interest rate and indicators of risk perception are the variables that most affect the slope of the yield curve. In turn, when the slope increases, there is a positive contemporary effect on bank risk indicators.

Proximity and risk perception. Comparing risk perception ‘profiles’ in two petrochemical areas of Sicily (Augusta and Milazzo)

Studies on risk perception and ‘proximity’ usually compare populations living close to or far away from alleged pollution sources. Taking a different perspective, this paper compares the risk perception profiles of populations residing in the neighborhood of two petrochemical sites in Sicily (Italy), in order to check for similarities and differences. Based on the results of a survey carried out in the period 2008–2009 (1222 interviews), risk perception is investigated; finding that on a list of 15 social risks, the two populations show a similar risk perception only as far as hazards that can be retraced to the territorial industrial environment are concerned, while other risks are differently perceived. Specific risk perception indicators are presented and the relationship between risk perception, socioeconomic characteristics, and health is also deepened. The conclusion of this study is that proximity to industrial pollution sources influences risk perception and assimilates risk perception profiles of populations.

Quantitative indicator of homeostatic risk perception in car following

Driving behavior is largely affected by the risk perception of drivers. On the basis of risk homeostasis theory, we regard that drivers may adjust car movement according to the perceived risks fluctuating around a target level. However, the manner by which risk perception is quantified remains unclear. We propose assumptions on the quantitative indicators of risk perception and identify a suitable quantitative indicator of risk perception in car-following process. Three risk indicators are discussed, i.e. time-to-collision (TTC), time headway (TH), and safety margin (SM). Using homeostatic features as bases, we found that SM more suitably quantifies homeostatic risk perception than TTC or TH does. Data collected from video drive recorders installed in taxis operating in Beijing are used to analyze the target risk level of SM (desired SM, or DSM) of professional drivers during the car-following process. The data collected by Ahn et al. (2004) to verify Newell’s model are converted into DSM data to further analyze the target risk level of general drivers. The DSM histogram of professional drivers shows that the standard deviation of the DSM value is 0.115, with a mean value of 0.862 and a total distribution close to the normal distribution. For a general driver, the mean value of DSM is 0.896, which is higher than that of professional drivers. This research may shed lights on the understanding of driving behavior.

Do pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) perceive roads as a predation risk?

The risk–disturbance hypothesis proposes that organisms respond to generalized threat stimuli; therefore, human disturbances that elicit these behaviours will cause individuals to behave similarly to avoid a natural predator. Studies have shown that pronghorn antelope, Antilocapra americana (Ord, 1815), are influenced by human disturbances. We examined several intensities of human activity and distance from disturbances as indicators of risk perception in pronghorns. We investigated whether pronghorns exhibited risk-avoidance behaviour towards road traffic consistent with the risk–disturbance hypothesis by comparing vigilance and foraging behaviour observations across increasing traffic levels and proximity to roads. Pronghorns showed higher vigilance and lower foraging times along high traffic roads during the spring season compared with lower traffic levels, suggesting that risk perception is related to traffic level. Moreover, individuals within close proximity to roads regardless of traffic level exhibited higher vigilance levels, indicating that there is an overall risk perceived towards roads. Our results also suggest that individuals in herds with young are more risk averse than other social groupings and individuals in larger groups perceive less risk. We suggest that consequences of risk-avoidance behaviour should be reflected in land-use plans that address road densities and traffic levels to better manage wildlife.