FACTORS INFLUENCING RISK PERCEPTION

These four sub-criteria of the last category reflect many factors that have been proven to influence risk perception. The appraisal guidance published by the UK Treasury Department in 2005 recommends a risk appraisal procedure that is similar to our proposal and includes as well both the results of risk assessment and the direct input from data on public perception and the assessment of social concerns (HM Treasury 2005). 

Risk assessment evaluates risk in terms of hazard and exposure, but reference to risk levels must account for different perceptions of risk as well as scientific uncertainties in risk assessment. In short, this research project considers the importance of social and institutional processes in influencing risk perceptions and risk acceptability. This book therefore takes a constrained relativist approach by incorporating risk perceptions in the research framework. An unconstrained relativist perspective would imply that no scientific study is reliable or robust. By contrast, a constrained relativist approach can provide a useful basis for examining the different social and cultural factors involved in regulatory risk management. 

The statistical synthesis shown in Table 2 for the most perceived relevant risks in the area of residence of respondents reveal that the most important factors in the influencing risk perception are educational capital, the area type (rural, mixed, urban) and house type. The access to information and the educational networks activated do allow for a better assessment of the risks involved in the area of residence. Both the area type and the house type, indicators of housing... 

In his book on risk perception, David Ropeik identifies risk perception factors.The factors link to whether someone is afraid and how the brain judges the presence of danger. The more one is in control of a situation, the lower the fear. Usually, there is more than one risk perception factor involved. Other mental factors, including experience, education, and lifestyle, also influence risk perception. 

To conclude, this sampling of the literature of risk perception, the comments of Covello, 1981 may be summarized. Surveys have been of small specialized groups - generally not representative of the population as a whole. There has been little attempt to analyze the effects of ethnicity, religion, sex, region age, occupation and other variables that may affect risk perception. People respond to surveys with the first thing that comes to mind and tend to stick to this answer. They provide an answer to any question asked even when they have no opinion, do not understand the question or have inconsistent beliefs. Surveys are influenced by the order of questions, speed of response, whether a verbal or numerical respon.se is required and by how the answer is posed. Few Studies have examined the relationships between perceptions of technological hazards and behavior which seems to be influenced by several factors such as positive identification with a leader, efficacy of social and action, physical proximity to arenas of social conflict. 

Risk perception is an important ingredient of risk management. Even if actual risks are relatively low, people may perceive something as a serious threat and risk managers may decide to take action in order to reassure people. Risk perception thus is a social and political reality, which must be accounted for in the management process. It is therefore important to know how people perceive mixture risks and which factors influence mixture risk perception. 

Most studies on parental perception have been carried out within 72 hours of research participation decisions (Zupancic et al., 1997 Hoehn et al., 2005) others are retrospective or prospective questionnaire studies (van Stuijvenberg et ah, 1998). Factors that influence parental decisions are societal benefit, personal benefit, risk perception and perceived lack of harm. The logistic factors that influence parental perception of risks are the amount of information given, the trust in the institution and the time required for the decision-making. Parents who perceived benefit, either personal or societal, were more likely to participate than if they perceived risk (Tait et al., 2004 Hoehn et al., 2005). Societal benefit is the most frequently cited reason for participation in clinical research. Parents with a critically ill child have an altruistic view to help future children in similar conditions (Langley et ah, 1998 van Stuijvenberg et ah, 1998 Schmidt et ah, 1999 Mason and Allmark, 2000 Hoehn et ah, 2005). 

Not everyone perceives risks the same. There are many factors that influence individual risk perceptions. There are technical aspects and human aspects in risk perception. Recall that risk involves the likelihood and severity of events. Those elements influence various people differently. 

Others have studied risk perception. Table 34-1 lists risk perception factors that influence acceptance of risk situations. There are many factors that affect people s estimates of risk. They may think that risk is greater than it really is or less than it really is. Table 34-2 lists several factors that affect the value people place on risk. 

Scientists perceptions of risk, one study after the next suggests, can be at serious odds with those held by members of the public. Research commissioned on public perceptions of risk by Britain s Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (1996), for example, provides a series of pertinent insights. In addition to the actual size of the risk, a variety of different factors are identified which appear to influence public perceptions ... 

Influencing factors, risk perception and behaviours There was perception of low enforcement of level crossings. The majority of drivers felt that a pohce or camera presence at level crossings woirld deter people from breaching the rules. Fines for breaching the rales were also noted to be a strong deterrerrt. 

Different factors influencing the amplification and attenuation of public risk perception and tolerance in relation to chemical process industry have been documented. 

Moura, R. 2012. Improving risk perception during the lifecycle of an offshore oil gas production facility the influence of human and organisational surrounding factors in the major-hazard assessment outcomes. Cranfield Cranfield University. 

When trainers focus on particular hazards, like roof falls or methane explosions, the increased attention should theoretically result in lower accident rates. But many factors influence local decisions about risk. When individuals believe that risk is high, they take precautions that actually reduce the potential for disaster in the long term. When individuals believe that risk is low, they may become complacent and inadvertently increase the likelihood of a bad outcome. Such a rational approach to risk ideally lowers the future potential for a bad outcome. If people s confidence is not warranted, however, their perceptions can create the potential for disaster (Fig. 2.6). 

In their study of biotechnology, Frewer et al. (2001) found that while overall prior attitude and food neophobia influenced both the perception of a source s expertise and trustworthiness, no source-related factor had any increased effect on the perceived benefit or perceived risk of consuming the product (see Figure 6). This finding is important because it directly contradicts the conventional belief that these benefits and risks are influenced by an information source. In some cases, they seem to be influenced more by prior views than by the messenger. 

Risk management is the process of deciding what to do to reduce a known or suspected risk. Risk management balances the various community demands with the scientific information generated from the risk assessment. Public perception of risk is also considered. Table 19.2 characterizes some of the factors that influence perception of risk. An individual s perception of risk is sometimes very different from a risk... 

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