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Values and risk perceptions: a cross-cultural examination
Gülbanu Kaptan1, Shoshana Shiloh, Dilek Onkal
1Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. gulbanu.kaptan@newcastle.ac.uk
Summary
This study found that personal values influence how Turkish and Israeli students perceive terror risks. Security values increased emotional responses, while self-direction values decreased them.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Risk Perception Studies
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
Background:
- Understanding the psychological underpinnings of risk perception is crucial, especially concerning threats like terrorism.
- Schwartz value theory provides a framework for analyzing individual values.
- Terrorism poses a significant global threat, impacting societal and individual well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between personal values and risk perceptions of terror attacks.
- To compare these relationships between university students in Turkey and Israel.
- To explore how cognitive and emotional responses to terror risks are influenced by values.
Main Methods:
- Survey methodology involving 536 Turkish and 298 Israeli university students.
- Application of Schwartz value theory to measure individual values.
- Assessment of cognitive (perceived likelihood, severity) and emotional (fear, anxiety, etc.) risk perceptions related to personal exposure and national-level attacks.
Main Results:
- Turkish participants exhibited significantly higher emotional responses to terror risks compared to Israeli participants.
- Both groups perceived a terror attack in their country as more likely than personal exposure.
- Personal values were linked to risk perceptions: self-direction values negatively correlated with emotional responses, security values positively correlated, and hedonism/stimulation values negatively correlated with perceived likelihood.
Conclusions:
- Personal values significantly shape risk perceptions and emotional responses to terrorism.
- Cultural differences may influence the emotional intensity of risk perception.
- Findings have implications for risk communication strategies and community support initiatives.
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