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Risk: from perception to social representation
1Department of Psychology, University College London, UK. h.joffe@ucl.ac.uk
The British Journal of Social Psychology
|April 26, 2003
Summary
People perceive risk through social and symbolic meanings, not just individual information processing. This study proposes an intersubjective theory to better understand risk perception and response in areas like biotechnology and health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Risk Analysis
Background:
- Dominant risk perception approaches often focus on static, intrapersonal cognitive processes.
- These models frequently view human thinking as flawed information processing, creating an individual 'deficit' model.
- Existing frameworks may not fully capture the complex nature of how individuals and societies understand risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critique the assumptions of dominant risk perception approaches.
- To propose an intersubjective theory for understanding responses to risk.
- To evaluate Social Representations Theory using empirical data on biotechnological and health risks.
Main Methods:
- Critical analysis of existing risk perception theories.
- Evaluation of Social Representations Theory (SRT).
- Review of empirical studies on representations of biotechnological and health risks.
Main Results:
- Risk perception and response are fundamentally social, emotive, and symbolic processes.
- Dominant models inadequately represent the dynamic, intersubjective nature of risk understanding.
- Social Representations Theory offers a more suitable framework for studying risk.
Conclusions:
- A valid psychology of risk requires theories and methods that acknowledge its social, emotive, and symbolic dimensions.
- Intersubjective approaches, such as SRT, provide a more comprehensive understanding of risk perception than individualistic models.
- Future research should employ methods suited to the complex, socially constructed nature of risk.