Social Amplification Of Risk Framework Research Articles

Picture this! Vulnerable women’s perspectives on SDGs prioritisation

This study examines the most significant development risk women at risk of being left behind in the SDGs implementation experience. It uses the photovoice method and the social amplification of risk framework (SARF) to highlight development risks in participants’ everyday lives that increase their likelihood of being left behind. The findings demonstrate that while the challenges faced by at-risk individuals can be complex, frameworks such as the SARF can assist in understanding the underlying socio-cultural processes that intensify the effects of risks faced by those vulnerable to being left behind. The priorities identified by participants suggest that aside from targeting the needs of the farthest behind, initiatives prioritised in SDGs localisation should also harness the linkages between the SDGs to optimise the limited time and resources available for SDG implementation. The findings are relevant to identifying strategies to operationalise the ‘leave no one behind’ (LNOB) commitment effectively and efficiently in developing contexts. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .

288 It affected me so much that I even had to tie my tubes: The Role of Patient-Clinician Communication on Black Women’s Perceptions of Pregnancy Risk

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This study utilizes a Black Feminist metatheoretical approach in conjunction with the Social Amplification of Risk Framework to: i) assess the role of communication with clinicians on Black women’s perceptions of risk and ii) outline recommendations for empowering communication that attenuates Black women’s perceptions of pregnancy risk. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 self-identified Black women in 2022 and 2023 to gain insights into their conceptualizations of pregnancy risk, and the role of communication with clinicians in the amplification and/or attenuation of pregnancy risk perceptions.An IRB approved flier was used for both in-person and online recruitment of participants from 12 US states.Each participant signed a consent form and received $20 as compensation for their time. Interviews were recorded and transcribed using a digital transcription tool, and then reviewed and edited to ensure accuracy. This study’s metatheoretical underpinning in Black Feminist Theory informed the use of reflexive thematic analysis in the qualitative analysis of the in-depth interviews. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: This study found thatunclear communication (including insufficiently contextualized history taking), obstetric violence, anddiagnoses with insufficient explanation,led to the amplification of concerns and worries about pregnancy as well as erosion of trust in healthcare. In contrast,clinicians lessenedconcerns about pregnancy through clear communication (including appropriately contextualized history-taking), demonstration of empathy, and by fostering patient agency.The study thus highlights the importance of clinicians' clear communication,demonstration ofempathy and fostering of patient agencyas critical factors to empowering communication that attenuates Black women’s pregnancy-related risk perceptions. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Given the unjust dangers Black women face during pregnancy, this study demonstrates how patient-clinician communication influences Black women’s pregnancy risk perceptions, providing recommendations for clinician communication practices that empower Black women and attenuate their perceptions of pregnancy risk.

Long-term assessment of social amplification of risk during COVID-19: challenges to public health agencies amid misinformation and vaccine stance

This study employs the Social Amplification of Risk Framework to investigate the stance on COVID-19 vaccines and the spread of misinformation on Twitter in Finland. Analyzing over 1.6 million tweets and manually annotating 4150 samples, the research highlights the challenges faced by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in steering online vaccination communication. Using BERT models, Botometer, and additional computational methods, the study classifies text, identifies bot-like accounts, and detects malicious bots. Social network analysis further uncovers the underlying social structures and key actors in Twitter discussions during the pandemic. The THL remained a primary source of COVID-19 information throughout the pandemic, maintaining its influence despite challenges posed by malicious bots spreading misinformation and adopting negative vaccine stances. However, THL ceased its Twitter activity at the end of 2022 because its posts were being exploited to gain visibility and traction for misinformation and negative vaccine stance. The study also identifies key influencers in online vaccine discussions, suggesting avenues for improving public health communication. Overall, the research underscores the need to understand social media dynamics to counter misinformation and foster accurate public communication on COVID-19 and vaccination.

Before amplification: the role of experts in the dynamics of the social attenuation and amplification of risk

In this article, we use system/network theory together with the social amplification of risk framework (SARF) to show how expert actors over time and across multiple events can contribute to social risk amplification and attenuation. The framework and the theory, in particular the concepts of risk emplacement and displacement, are employed in the analysis of an illustrative case related to the use of the feed additive, narasin, and provide explanations of how risks are part of continuously ongoing and dynamic social processes. By emphasizing the role of experts in such developments, connecting what happens in expert communities with the processing of risks and effects on the outside, the analysis shows the larger context within which social risk attenuation and amplification happen. Showing the value of integrating different theories and perspectives, this article lays the foundations for further studies of risk amplification and attenuation dynamics. Based on the results of the analysis, we indicate opportunities to update and further develop the SARF. We also present some implications for public policy and risk management practices including addressing the positive contributions of risk amplification and how this relates to adaptive risk management approaches.

Framing analysis of the print media coverage of the 2020 Taal volcano eruption

The media became a primary source of information for the public during the 2020 Taal Volcano Eruption in the Philippines. However, before this study, the quality of media communication about Taal remained unknown. Understanding the content and manner of media coverage during the eruption is important in understanding and enhancing volcanic risk communication. Hence, this study analysed 384 stories about the 2020 Taal Volcano Eruption using the Framing Theory and Social Amplification of Risk Framework as analytical lenses. Specifically, it aimed to identify the salient frames used by the news media and describe the potential implications of framing to risk amplification or attenuation. It was determined that the frames used by the media largely functioned as a problem identifier, with a particular focus on human interest and governance. Potentials for risk amplification were also noted in the use of dramatization and projection of future risks. However, amplification was balanced by attenuating signals such as the downplaying of economic impacts and clarifications on governance conflict. On the other hand, due to the limited use of cause diagnosis frames, the volcanic risk was not well-discussed. Numerical uncertainty statements were also missing in the coverage but some stories used verbal, albeit vague, uncertainty statements. Furthermore, moral evaluation and solution recommendations were noted, although media coverage was dominated by disaster response actions. In conclusion, while the media was able to provide useful information during the eruptive phase of Taal Volcano in 2020, it fell short of conveying comprehensive risk information towards better-informed decision-making and responses.

Heuristic Information Processing as a Mediating Factor in the Process of Exposure to COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Misinformation Sharing on Social Media

ABSTRACT Social media use for risk communication during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable concerns about an overabundance of information, particularly misinformation. However, how exposure to COVID-19 information on social media can lead to subsequent misinformation sharing during the pandemic has received little research attention. This study adopted the social amplification of risk framework to delineate how exposure to COVID-19 vaccine information on social media can be associated with individuals’ misinformation sharing through heuristic information processing. The role of social media trust was also examined. Results from an online survey (N = 1488) of Chinese Internet users revealed that exposure to COVID-19 vaccine information on social media was associated with misinformation sharing, mediated by both affect heuristics (i.e., negative affect toward the COVID-19 pandemic in general) and availability heuristics (i.e., perceived misinformation availability). Importantly, both high and low levels of trust in social media strengthened the mediating associations. While a low level of trust strengthened the association between exposure to COVID-19 vaccine information on social media and the affect heuristics, a high level of trust strengthened its association with the availability heuristics, both of which were associated with misinformation sharing. Our findings suggest that heuristic information processing is essential in amplifying the spread of misinformation after exposure to risk information on social media. It is also suggested that individuals should maintain a middle level of trust in social media, being open while critical of risk information on social media.

Public risk perception of cruise travel on social media: A collective sensemaking perspective

Social media is an important crisis communication channel, which can shape the public's risk perception and subsequently affect their attitudes, decisions, and behaviors. The significance of social-mediated crisis communication is further highlighted in times of a global pandemic, given people's increasing informational needs and reliance on social media. Guided by the Social Amplification of Risk Framework, this study explores the Chinese public's risk perception of cruise travel from a collective sensemaking perspective. This study used netnography to analyze 78,373 Weibo posts about cruise travel. The findings revealed the process of personal-level risk perceptions evolving into societal-level risk perceptions. The findings further demonstrated how the perceived risk of cruise travel was amplified by activating emotional contagion and public consensus. The role played by co-presence, social norms, and cultural values to amplify societal-level risk was highlighted. Finally, this study discusses the theoretical and managerial implications for managing public risk perception during pandemic times for cruise travel.

From pandemic to Plandemic: Examining the amplification and attenuation of COVID-19 misinformation on social media

This study examines the proliferation of COVID-19 misinformation through Plandemic—a pseudo-documentary of COVID-19 conspiracy theories—on social media and examines how factors such as (a) themes of misinformation, (b) types of misinformation, (c) sources of misinformation, (d) emotions of misinformation, and (e) fact-checking labels amplify or attenuate online misinformation during the early days of the pandemic. Using CrowdTangle, a Facebook API, we collected a total of 5732 publicly available Facebook pages posts containing Plandemic-related keywords from January 1 to December 19, 2020. A random sample of 600 posts was subsequently coded, and the data were analyzed using negative binomial regression to examine factors associated with amplification and attenuation. Overall, the extended an extended Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) provided a theoretical lens to understand why certain misinformation was amplified, while others were attenuated. As for posts with misinformation, results showed that themes related to private firms, treatment and prevention of virus transmission, diagnosis and health impacts, virus origins, and social impact were more likely to be amplified. While the different types of misinformation (manipulated, fabricated, or satire) and emotions were not associated with amplification, the type of fact-check labels did influence the virality of misinformation. Specifically, posts that were flagged as false by Facebook were more likely to be amplified, while the virality of posts flagged as containing partially false information was attenuated. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

“Flix rhymes with sh*t”. Exploring the potential for place stigmatization of media coverage of a declining industrial village in rural Spain

Purpose This study aims to analyze and assess 21 years of media coverage (2000–2020) of Flix, a small industrial village located in an rural area on north-eastern Spain, which has endured in these years a severe environmental and industrial crisis, with a strong potential for stigmatization of the place. Design/methodology/approach The research is conceptualized under the Social Amplification of Risk Framework, a theoretical/conceptual approach aimed at accounting for the huge gaps that often arise between public perception of technological or environmental risks of some technologies, products and places and the expert estimations of these risks. The authors studied the coverage on Flix by a local, a regional and a national newspaper through a content analysis where the corpus (1,524 news pieces) was coded for several variables, including tone, genre and thematic area. Findings The studied coverage was in general overwhelmingly negative and strongly focused on “bad news” relating to pollution and deindustrialization, although this was much less the case in the local newspaper than in the regional and, in particular, the national newspaper. Thus, a territorially escalated pattern clearly emerges from our research concerning the stigmatization potential of news media coverage for the specific case under scrutiny. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time such a longitudinal study of media coverage and its potential for place stigmatization is performed with this specific territorial perspective.

A Culture of Fire: Identifying Community Risk Perceptions Surrounding Prescribed Burning in the Flint Hills, Kansas

In the Flint Hills region of eastern Kansas, there is a long tradition of spring prescribed burns. However, air quality concerns in downwind communities have sparked conversation regarding the environmental and social impacts of these burns. This study aimed to identify the risk perceptions associated with prescribed burns using two theoretical frameworks: the social amplification of risk framework and the protective action decision model. In April 2022, we conducted 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Flint Hills community members from different social stations. Participants identified several benefits of prescribed burns: cattle production gains, invasive species management, prairie ecological health maintenance, and wildfire prevention. Some participants viewed prescribed burning as a protective response. However, risk perceptions differed between rural and urban participants: rural community members were primarily concerned with prescribed fires that went out of control, while those in downwind cities were primarily concerned with smoke exposure. Participants sometimes used protective actions to mitigate their risks, but also explained the complexities of changing burn practices that are integral to the local culture, economies, and greater society. Additionally, formal communication of health and safety risks from prescribed burns is not uniform across Kansas counties. We therefore recommend systematic county and statewide communication of burn practices and protective behaviors. Understanding community perceptions of the risks and effects of prescribed burns, and any protective actions taken, can inform how professional communicators approach burning in similar agricultural and ranching communities.

The Relationship Between Social Interaction and Anxiety Regarding COVID-19 in Japanese Older Adults.

While previous studies suggest that women have higher anxiety than men regarding COVID-19, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study tries to explain the mechanisms by gender difference in social interaction based on a theory of social amplification of risk framework (SARF). We surveyed older adults in Japan regarding their anxiety regarding COVID-19, as well as the frequencies of their direct and indirect social interaction in July 2020 (N = 1,587, aged 78-99 years). To explore the way in which gender and anxiety regarding COVID-19 were mediated by these two types of social interactions, MODEL4 of SPSS's Process MACRO was applied to the data. We found that older women interacted more directly and indirectly with others than did older men. And, direct social interaction was negatively and related, but indirect social interaction was positively related to older adults' anxiety regarding COVID-19. Furthermore, direct social interaction was related to older women's low anxiety regarding COVID-19, whereas indirect social interaction was related to older women's high anxiety regarding COVID-19. The findings of our study suggest that the degree of anxiety regarding COVID-19 among older women may be dependent upon the types of social interaction they have with others.

The paradoxical effects of institutional trust on risk perception and risk management in the Covid-19 pandemic: evidence from three societies

Adopting the theoretical lenses of social amplification of risk framework and trust paradox, this study examines how people’s attention to media information influences their risk perception and risk management behaviors (i.e. vaccination intention) in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic in three Chinese societies (i.e. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China). A total of 9,575 valid samples were obtained via online survey panels. The results revealed that media attention significantly influenced risk perception and risk management across the three societies. Institutional trust, however, could amplify or attenuate risk perception and risk management in different societies: While institutional trust was found to have a positive impact on people’s risk perception in Taiwan and Mainland China, a negative impact was discovered in Hong Kong. Moreover, different dimensions of institutional trust, which we term ability-based trust and benevolence-based trust, were found to mediate the effect of media attention on risk perception and risk management in different societies: While both dimensions were significant mediators for Taiwan, benevolence-based trust and ability-based trust was the only mediator for Mainland China and Hong Kong, respectively. The paradoxical impact of institutional trust on risk perception and risk management is explained with contextual factors specific to each of the three societies, supplemented with post-hoc analysis on how publics assign risk management responsibility to risk management institutions in different societies. Overall, the results provide empirical support to the social amplification of risk framework (SARF) by highlighting the roles of media and institutions as social stations that shape risk perception.

COVID-19 and hospitality services: The role of information sources, believability, fear, and behavioral intentions

Based on the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) and crisis decision theory, this study examined the influence of trust in different types of information sources on the believability of COVID-19 information (BCI). Furthermore, the influence of BCI on fearfulness and the corresponding influence of fearfulness on the intention to use hospitality services and stay at home are analyzed. Structural equations modeling, using data from 1,017 American consumers, successfully confirmed the significant influences of trust in media and government on BCI and the corresponding positive effect of BCI on fearfulness. Additionally, the negative effects of fearfulness on intentions to visit hotels and restaurants (general and Chinese) and the positive effects of fearfulness on intentions to stay at home and use third-part food delivery services are validated. Trust in social media was not found to influence BCI and the negative effect of fearfulness on Chinese restaurants was weaker than that of general restaurants. Numerous implications are offered for practitioners.

Issue Information ‐ TOC

Risk AnalysisVolume 42, Issue 7 Issue InformationFree Access Issue Information - TOC First published: 21 July 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13788AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume42, Issue7Special Issue: The Social Amplification of Risk Framework: New PerspectivesJuly 2022 RelatedInformation

What Drives People to Travel during a Pandemic: The Role of Media Information and Trust in the Government

ABSTRACT In order to better understand of travelers’ risk perception and travel decision in pandemic, this study examines the role of media information and the effect of trust in the government on travel decision making based on the social amplification of risk framework. We perform a structural equation model using 1,156 samples collected through an online survey. The most notable findings are that the exaggeration and volume of media information play significant roles as moderators in the relationship between risk characteristics and perceived risk. In addition, the results reveal that trust in the government completely mediates the relationship between perceived societal risk and travel intention. Based on the findings, this study provides implications for the risk management and travel decision-making process during pandemic crises.

Vaccines and the social amplification of risk.

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) named “Vaccine Hesitancy” one of the top 10 threats to global health. Shortly afterward, the COVID‐19 pandemic emerged as the world's predominant health concern. COVID‐19 vaccines of several types have been developed, tested, and partially deployed with remarkable speed; vaccines are now the primary control measure and hope for a return to normalcy. However, hesitancy concerning these vaccines, along with resistance to masking and other control measures, remains a substantial obstacle. The previous waves of vaccine hesitancy that led to the WHO threat designation, together with recent COVID‐19 experience, provide a window for viewing new forms of social amplification of risk (SAR). Not surprisingly, vaccines provide fertile ground for questions, anxieties, concerns, and rumors. These appear in new globalized hyperconnected communications landscapes and in the context of complex human (social, economic, and political) systems that exhibit evolving concerns about vaccines and authorities. We look at drivers, impacts, and implications for vaccine initiatives in several recent historical examples and in the current efforts with COVID‐19 vaccination. Findings and insights were drawn from the Vaccine Confidence Project's decade long monitoring of media and social media and its related research efforts. The trends in vaccine confidence and resistance have implications for updating the social amplification of risk framework (SARF); in turn, SARF has practical implications for guiding efforts to alleviate vaccine hesitancy and to mitigate harms from intentional and unintentional vaccine scares.

Perceiving and managing Brexit risk in UK manufacturing: evidence from the midlands

ABSTRACT This paper assesses the risk implications of Brexit for UK-based, manufacturers, drawing on data generated from semi-structured interviews with senior managers and directors in the advanced manufacturing sector of the West Midlands region of the UK in 2021. The UK’s departure from the EU has led to increased socio-economic risk for manufacturing businesses, requiring careful management by the latter. This paper draws on elements of the Kasperson et al. [1988. The social amplification of risk: A conceptual framework. Risk Analysis, 8(2), 177–187] Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) to explore the communication of risk and uncertainty to businesses, during and post-Brexit discussions. This paper then examines the extent to which risk arises from changes to supply chains and production regimes and in turn examines consequences for the management of risk.

Robots can’t take my job: antecedents and outcomes of Gen Z employees’ service robot risk awareness

PurposeThere has been a dramatic increase in the adoption of service robots in hotels, potentially replacing the human workforce. Drawing on Social Amplification of Risk Framework, this study aims to examine the moderating effect of transformational leadership on the indirect relationships between Gen Z employees’ tech-savviness and social skills on industry turnover intention via service robot risk awareness (SRRA).Design/methodology/approachThis study collected two-wave time-lagged multilevel data of 281 frontline Gen Z hotel employees from 54 departments in China. Participants were asked to rate their tech-savviness, social skills and SRRA in the first survey. They rated their supervisor’s transformational leadership and industry turnover intention one week later.FindingsMultilevel path analysis results showed SRRA mediates the negative indirect relationship of Gen Z employee’s tech-savviness and social skills on industry turnover intention. Transformational leadership weakened the positive effect of SRRA on industry turnover intention.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the growing literature on service robots by investigating the antecedents and outcomes of employees’ SRRA. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is one of the first empirical studies investigating the role of leadership to mitigate the negative consequences of employee’s SRRA. Managers can use the results of this study to implement training programs and ensure that employees and service robots successfully coexist in the workplace.

Social amplification of risks and the clean energy transformation: Elaborating on the four attributes of information.

The social amplification of risk framework (SARF) was developed to help comprehend how emerging contributions about the psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of risk could work in unison to impact decision making about risk. The framework proposed that risks are amplified or attenuated by interested parties employing different rhetorical strategies to give information about risk a certain "spin." The original literature identified four "attributes of information." However, despite the longevity of the framework, these have not been explicated in detail. Here we add depth and clarity by examining how amplification stations send risk signals that amplify or attenuate risk by emphasizing these different attributes of information. Drawing on a wealth of qualitative data from two case studies of offshore wind turbine siting off the coasts of Maryland and Delaware and guided by an extensive literature review, we reveal the strategies interested parties are using to influence siting decisions and risk management. The paper explores the usefulness of SARF in organizing qualitative information and sharpening insights on participatory risk governance and the nuances of public responses to a relatively new low-carbon technology. The authors conclude that the framework is valuable for analyzing stakeholder information while also recognizing limitations that may be addressed with some targeted future research.

Residents' Support for Tourism Amidst the COVID-19 Era: An Application of Social Amplification of Risk Framework and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Theory.

Given that the concept of risk perception stems primarily from consumer behaviour, tourism research has tended to address the issue from tourists’ perspective, resulting in a lack of consideration of destination residents’ risk perception and its impact on their attitudes and subsequent behaviour. Based on the social amplification of risk framework (SARF) and the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) theory, this study constructed a theoretical model to deepen the understanding of destination residents’ support for tourism. Results indicate that residents’ social media use, knowledge of COVID-19 and attitudes to tourism and tourists are all positively related to their support for tourism. Furthermore, residents’ risk perception is negatively associated with their attitudes to tourism, attitudes to tourists and support for tourism. However, the relationship between residents’ social media use and risk perception was not confirmed. Theoretical and managerial implications were discussed.