Perceived susceptibility and self-protective behavior: a field experiment to encourage home radon testing
Journal Article
·
· Health Psychology; (USA)
- Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (USA)
Tested in a field experiment (N = 647) the hypothesis that perceptions of personal susceptibility are important in decisions to test one's home for radioactive radon gas. Experimental group subjects received a personal telephone call to tell them they lived in a high-risk area and a personal letter to reinforce the telephone message. After the intervention, experimental subjects were significantly more likely than minimal-treatment subjects to acknowledge the possibility of high radon levels in their homes. Perceptions of susceptibility and illness severity were significantly correlated with orders of radon test kits and with testing intentions. Nevertheless, there were no differences between groups in test orders or intentions. Results are discussed in terms of the difficulty of getting people to acknowledge susceptibility and the factors other than risk perceptions that influence self-protective behavior.
- OSTI ID:
- 5761361
- Journal Information:
- Health Psychology; (USA), Journal Name: Health Psychology; (USA) Vol. 10:1; ISSN 0278-6133; ISSN HEPSE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560161 -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ATTITUDES
BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BUILDINGS
DECISION MAKING
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FLUIDS
GASES
HOUSES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INJURIES
MONITORING
NONMETALS
POLLUTION
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION INJURIES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560161 -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ATTITUDES
BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BUILDINGS
DECISION MAKING
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FLUIDS
GASES
HOUSES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INJURIES
MONITORING
NONMETALS
POLLUTION
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION INJURIES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS