The effect of risk communication on the acceptance of policies for high-risk facilities in South Korea: with particular focus on the mediating effects of risk perception

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dae-Woong Lee ◽  
Gi-Heon Kwon

Continuous technological development has resulted in a new type of risk to human lives: what is now regarded as “socially created risk.” Ideas on risk have increasingly focused on subjective, rather than objective, risk. This shift is clearly observable in the case of location policies for nuclear energy facilities. The South Korean public is often suspicious of new energy facilities; for example, in the case of nuclear power, they are suspicious of the risk of involuntary exposure to dangerous radiation, which cannot be effectively controlled. Therefore, the South Korean government is continuously discussing how to increase the acceptance of such high-risk facilities by managing the public’s risk perceptions. The research question was as follows: “Does the Korean government’s risk communication strategy have a positive impact on the public’s risk perceptions and acceptance of policies?” This study analyzed whether communicating risks helps boost public acceptance of high-risk facilities. A structural equation model and multiple group analyses were used for empirical analysis. The study explores government perspectives in terms of insecurity and conflict caused by scientific advancements, and uncertain public perceptions of high-risk facilities such as nuclear power plants. It provides empirical results regarding risk communication and implications for public policy that decrease risk perception and increase the acceptance of such policies. Points for practitioners This study analyzes whether risk communication can solve the problem of low public acceptance of high-risk facilities, based on their risk perception. As a result, this study contributes to policy implications regarding risk communication as a way to control risk perception and increase policy acceptance. In particular, it is critical to develop strategies for risk communication in which the public shares the decision-making process with governmental bodies and energy providers.

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Leena Lohiniva ◽  
Jussi Sane ◽  
Katja Sibenberg ◽  
Taneli Puumalainen ◽  
Mika Salminen

Understanding risk perceptions of the public is critical for risk communication. In February 2020, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare started collecting weekly qualitative data on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) risk perception that informs risk communication efforts. The process is based on thematic analysis of emails and social media messages from the public and identifies factors linked to appraisal of risk magnitude, which are developed into risk communication recommendations together with health and communication experts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 528-536
Author(s):  
Ruishi Si ◽  
Meizhi Wang ◽  
Qian Lu ◽  
Shuxia Zhang

Carcass waste recycling exerts an important influence on preventing epidemic diseases, improving the ecological environment, and promoting sustainable development of the livestock industry although it has rarely aroused widespread attention throughout the world. Based on the data of 470 households engaged in breeding pigs in Hebei, Henan, and Hubei, China, and considering dead pigs as an example, this study employed the Double Hurdle model to assess impact of risk perception on household dead pig recycling behaviour and further tested the moderating effects of environmental regulation on the impact of risk perception on household dead pig recycling behaviour. The results show that: (1) Risk perception has a positive and significant influence on household dead pig recycling behaviour; however, this influence is mainly caused by households’ production and public health safety risk perceptions. Food and ecological safety risk perceptions have no significant influence on household dead pig recycling behaviour. (2) Environmental regulation has enhanced moderating effects on the impact of risk perception on household dead pig recycling behaviour, but the moderating effects mainly arose from imperative, guiding, and voluntary regulations. A moderating effect of incentive regulation is not obvious. (3) The moderating effects of environmental regulations present strong heterogeneity when different breeding scales and recycling technical attributes are considered. Finally, some policy implications, such as improving households’ risk perception level, enhancing environmental regulation intensity, and classifying to formulate measures, are proposed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (10) ◽  
pp. 2444-2461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajie Li ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
Lang Luo ◽  
Yanan Ren

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate risk dimensions affecting food risk perceptions and to develop effective risk communication strategies based on their risk perceptions dimensions. The reason for writing this paper is that applying single risk communication strategy for public often fails because food risks are systemic risks and public perceptions toward them consist of multiple dimensions. Launching an effective risk communication need to investigate the perception dimensions of the target audience. Design/methodology/approach A total of 2,673 parents of 3-14-year-old children from the rural area of Sichuan province in China were chosen as target audience. Based on the survey conducted about parents’ food risk perceptions, this study used factor-cluster analysis method to segment parents to sub-clusters with significantly different risk perception dimensions. Parents’ representative demographic characteristics within each cluster were further identified through cross-tabs analysis with χ2 tests. Findings All the parents could be segmented into four sub-clusters, namely, sensitive parents, dependent parents, familiarity-oriented parents and institutional distrust parents, according to their risk perception difference on five dimensions. A series of risk communication strategies were specifically designed for each cluster based on their risk perception features as well as demographic characteristics. Originality/value The insight derived from this study described a deeper image of public risk perceptions and provided suggestions for risk communication launchers to pinpoint the risk perception as well as perception dimensions of the target audience and accordingly develop effective risk communication strategies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulcin Yapici ◽  
Oya Ögenler ◽  
Ahmet Öner Kurt ◽  
Fazıl Koçaş ◽  
Tayyar Şaşmaz

Background. Environmental destruction is one of the most important problems in this century. Objective. The aim of the study was to determine the environmental attitudes and perceived risks associated with environmental factors of the students. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 7 faculties of Mersin University. The research data were collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, the “Environmental Attitudes Scale,” and the “Environmental Risk Perception Scale.” 774 students who filled out questionnaires were evaluated. Results. The sample included 55.8% females. Environmental Attitudes Scale mean scores of students were identified as 81.1±11.3. The highest perceived risk was release of radioactive materials associated with nuclear power generation. The environmental attitudes and risk perception scores were higher in Health Sciences than in the other faculties. Females were more positive towards the environment and had higher risk perceptions than the men. There is a negative correlation between age and resource depletion risk and global environmental risk score. Conclusion. Students had a positive attitude to the environment and had moderate-level risk perception about the environment. Environmental awareness of students, especially those studying in the Social Sciences, should be increased. The environmental education curriculum should be revised throughout all the courses.


Author(s):  
Mika Terado ◽  
Hidekazu Yoshikawa ◽  
Toshio Sugiman ◽  
Aiko Hibino ◽  
Mariko Akimoto

A new research project has started to develop two kinds of Internet communication systems which are aimed at effective social risk information on nuclear energy. One is mutual communication system for fostering safety culture among the workers in nuclear industry while the other is to enlighten general public about the risk issues on final disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Prior to the Internet systems development, social investigations have been conducted on risk perception for nuclear power for both the nuclear experts and women in the metropolitan area, in order to know how and what should be considered for the effective risk communication methods. It was found from the statistical analysis to the results of social investigation that the majority of nuclear people take business risk seriously but there is a fraction of nuclear people who are afraid of present practice of nuclear power operation while women in metropolitan area are evenly afraid of radioactive risk. The obtained results of social investigation gave useful insight for developing two kinds of risk communication systems and the related field study for enhancing safety culture in nuclear industries.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e22129-e22129
Author(s):  
Zhuoer Xie ◽  
Neil Wenger ◽  
Liliana Johansen ◽  
David Elashoff ◽  
Jacqueline Trent ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1181-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyo-Jin Kim ◽  
Seul-Ye Lim ◽  
Seung-Hoon Yoo

The South Korean government is pursuing an energy transition, which means a reduction in nuclear power and coal-fired power generation, and an expansion into renewable energy. This study seeks to evaluate the South Korean public’s preference for a mix of power generation sources. For this purpose, 1000 households throughout the country were randomly selected and a choice experiment survey of them was undertaken in March 2018. We considered four attributes: the ratio of nuclear power, the ratio of coal-fired generation, the ratio of natural gas-fired generation, and the ratio of renewable energy. An increase in the monthly electric bill was also considered as an attribute. The results of applying the choice experiment approach show that households were willing to accept an increase in their monthly electric bill by KRW 192 (USD 0.17) and KRW 165 (USD 0.15) for reducing the proportion of nuclear power and coal, respectively, by 1%p. They were willing to pay KRW 159 (USD 0.14) and KRW 409 (USD 0.38) for raising the ratio of natural gas and renewable energy, respectively, through an increase in the monthly electricity bill. The findings reveal that the government’s energy transition has overall support from the public.


F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1335
Author(s):  
Marium Salwa ◽  
M Atiqul Haque ◽  
Muhmammad Ibrahim Ibne Towhid ◽  
Sarmin Sultana ◽  
Mohammad Tanvir Islam ◽  
...  

Background: Any public health emergency demands adequate risk communication with the vulnerable population along with their optimized perception about the impending risk to ensure proper risk management and crisis control. Hence, this study will be conducted to explore healthcare providers’ perceptions regarding risks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as well as how they are being communicated to about the risk, and how they practice risk reduction measures. Methods: A two-phased explanatory sequential mixed-method study will be conducted among physicians and nurses from randomly selected tertiary healthcare facilities in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. In the first phase, the general pattern and quantifiable measures of risk perception, risk communication, and infection prevention practices will be assessed quantitatively. Multiple linear regression analyses will be performed to explore how much variability of risk perception is predicted by risk communication methods and contents. In the second phase, qualitative data will be collected for in-depth understanding and exploration of participants’ experiences and insights regarding COVID-19 risk through interviews and document reviews. Thematic content analysis of the qualitative data will be done manually. Findings from both quantitative and qualitative phases will then be triangulated to illustrate the research objectives. Discussion: Based on the psychometric dimensions of risk perception and psycho-social theory of the health belief model, perception of COVID-19 risk among healthcare providers will be evaluated in this study. The relationship between risk perception and infection prevention and control practices among healthcare providers will also be investigated. The explanatory sequential design of this study is expected to generate hypotheses on how risk perception is being shaped in a time of uncertainty and thus, will help to build a proper risk communication strategy to minimize risk perception among healthcare providers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12389
Author(s):  
Ming Zhong ◽  
Lu Xiao ◽  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Tao Jiang

In order to improve the decision-making of risk management and enhance community resilience to flash floods, the perception of risks, communication of warnings, and mitigation actions concerning flash floods were investigated in this study. The survey involves 280 participants from three types of communities in flash flood-prone areas. Results show that: (i) About 55.4% of community participants misperceived or underestimated the risk of flash floods, especially in the suburban communities, and people had misconceptions about the safety of crossing fast-flowing water, even though most of them had experienced flash flood hazards. (ii) In total, 67.9% of participants indicated that they had at some point received a flash flood warning. The perception of accuracy was related to trust in flash flood warnings, but they were different constructs for some individuals. Moreover, residents in the rural community and suburban community reported a closer social communication with neighbors, which would greatly influence inhabitants’ attitudes and behaviors towards the flash flood warnings and mitigation actions. (iii) Most of the participants indicated they would take some protective action when they received a warning. Risk perceptions and risk communications influence the mitigation actions in the community. Significant variables in the rural community and non-rural community were explored, and some important suggestions are highlighted. These findings suggest that risk perception and risk communication in neighborhoods help people to decide what action to take in the given scenarios, contribute to enhancing the community resilience, and contribute to coping with future flash floods in a more specific and effective way.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document