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Personality correlates of risk perception
M Bouyer1, S Bagdassarian, S Chaabanne
1Département Hygiene Sécurité Environnement de l'IUTA, Université de Bordeaux 1, France.
Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis
|September 27, 2001
Summary
Anxiety and worldview significantly influence risk perception. Transitional anxiety affects perceptions of common, pollutant, and outdoor risks, while enduring anxiety impacts views on psychotropic drugs.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Risk Perception Studies
- Social Science
Background:
- Anxiety states and dispositions are known to influence decision-making.
- Worldviews shape how individuals interpret and react to potential threats.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for effective risk communication and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how transitional anxiety and enduring anxiety dispositions interact with different worldviews.
- To examine the differential impact of these psychological factors on the perception of ten distinct risk factors.
- To analyze the relationship between specific worldview types (hierarchic, egalitarian, individualist, fatalist) and risk perception.
Main Methods:
- Systematic examination of ten identified risk factors.
- Statistical analysis to determine the predictive power of anxiety states/dispositions and worldviews.
- Correlation analysis between psychological variables and perceived risk levels.
Main Results:
- Transitional anxiety positively predicted perceived risks for Common Individual Hazards, Pollutants, and Outdoor Activities.
- Transitional anxiety negatively predicted perceived risks for Public Transportation and Energy Production.
- Enduring anxiety negatively predicted perceived risks for Psychotropic Drugs.
- Fatalistic worldviews correlated with lower perceived risks for Pollutants and higher risks for Public Transportation/Energy Production.
- Egalitarian worldviews correlated with higher perceived risks for Pollutants.
- Hierarchic worldviews correlated with lower perceived risks for Public Transportation/Energy Production.
- Individualistic worldviews correlated with higher perceived risks for Pollutants and Deviance, Sex, and Addiction.
Conclusions:
- Both anxiety and worldview significantly modulate risk perception across different hazard types.
- The interplay between psychological disposition and belief systems offers nuanced insights into risk assessment.
- Findings highlight the need for tailored risk communication strategies considering individual psychological profiles and worldviews.