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Attributions in explanations of risk estimates
LeeAnn Kahlor1, Sharon Dunwoody, Robert J Griffin
1School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Public Understanding of Science (Bristol, England)
|November 12, 2002
Summary
People explained their personal risk from the 1993 Milwaukee cryptosporidium outbreak by attributing good health to themselves and illness to external factors. Income, age, and race influenced their use of probability language.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Risk Perception
- Psychology of Risk
Background:
- The 1993 Milwaukee cryptosporidium outbreak affected nearly 40% of residents, highlighting risks associated with contaminated drinking water.
- Understanding public perception of quantitative risk is crucial for effective public health communication.
Observation:
- This study analyzed open-ended survey data from 610 adult residents post-outbreak.
- The research explored how individuals made sense of their personal risk estimates concerning waterborne parasites.
Findings:
- Explanations of personal risk aligned with attribution theory: good outcomes (staying healthy) were self-attributed, while bad outcomes (illness) were externally attributed.
- Higher income correlated positively with using probabilistic language to describe risk.
- Older age and being a person of color correlated negatively with the use of probability-oriented language.
Implications:
- Findings suggest that risk communication strategies should consider psychological attributional biases.
- Tailoring risk information based on socioeconomic and demographic factors may improve understanding and response.
- Further research can explore interventions to enhance risk literacy across diverse populations.