Risk perception, experience, and objective risk: a cross-national study with European emergency survivors

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Risk Perception Studies
• Emergency Management

Background:

• Understanding public responses to hazardous events is crucial for effective emergency management.
• Direct experience with a hazard often heightens future risk perception, but cross-over effects to other hazards are less understood.
• The influence of objective risk levels and national context on perceived risk requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of direct experience on perceived risk for various emergency events.
• To examine potential cross-over effects of hazard experience on the perception of other risks.
• To assess the influence of objective risk and country of residence on public risk perception.

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 1,045 emergency survivors across seven European countries (Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Italy) as part of the BeSeCu Project.
• Analysis of perceived risk levels for domestic/public fires, earthquakes, floods, and terrorist attacks.
• Statistical examination of the relationship between prior experience, objective risk, country of residence, and perceived risk.

Main Results:

• Individuals perceived heightened risk for emergency events they had previously experienced.
• Evidence of cross-over effects was found, where experience with one hazard influenced perception of others, though effects were not substantial.
• Significant country differences in perceived earthquake risk were observed, but diminished when objective earthquake risk was considered.
• Minimal country-level differences in perceived risk were noted for fires, floods, terrorist attacks, and traffic accidents.

Conclusions:

• Prior direct experience with emergencies is a significant factor in shaping perceived risk for similar and related events.
• While cross-over effects exist, they appear less pronounced than direct experience effects.
• Objective risk and national context play a role in risk perception, with objective earthquake risk moderating country-specific differences.