Evaluating risk communication: Narrative vs. technical presentations of information about radon

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Risk Analysis

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1992.tb01304.x· OSTI ID:28956

Golding, D ^[1]; Krimsky, S; Plough, A ^[2]

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1. Center for Risk Management, Washington, DC (United States)
2. Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States)

This paper reports on an experiment to test the hypothesis that people respond better to risk communication that reflects more closely the conditions of their social and cultural lives. The experiment used the case of radon to determine whether technical or narrative forms of risk communication were more effective at drawing people`s attention, imparting information, and modifying behavior. Two series of articles on radon were placed in the local newspapers of two Massachusetts communities. Homeowners attitudes, knowledge, and responses were monitored in baseline and follow-up telephone surveys. A third community was selected for comparison. The newspaper series were developed on the basis of previous research and six focus groups conducted with homeowners. The technical series presented authoritative, factual risk information, in the scientific style of the passive voice with generalized and impersonal language. The narrative series consisted of dramatized accounts of individuals making decisions about radon testing and mitigation, written in a more personal style. The findings from the focus groups confirm the results of previous studies, but the small size of the follow-up samples was a limiting factor in drawing definitive conclusions about the relative effectiveness of the two formats. The experiment demonstrates the difficulty of any risk communication effort on radon and underscores the need for good research design. The study illustrates the need for further research on the role of sociological and cultural factors in the public perception and response to risk. 30 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 28956
• Journal Information: Risk Analysis, Journal Name: Risk Analysis Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 12; ISSN 0272-4332; ISSN RIANDF
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
PUBLIC INFORMATION
PUBLIC OPINION
RADON