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Trust in Whom? Dioxin, Organizations, Risk Perception, and Fish Consumption in Michigan's Saginaw Bay Watershed
Joseph A Hamm1,2, J Cox3, G Zwickle1,2
1School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University (557 Baker Hall, 655 Auditorium Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA).
Journal of Risk Research
|April 28, 2020
Summary
Trust in specific organizations influences risk-related behavior by altering risk perception. Trust in risk communicators like the River Walker Program (RWP) can reduce risky actions, while trust in others may increase them.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Risk Communication
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Trust in organizations is crucial for risk-relevant behavior.
- However, trust's impact varies depending on the specific organization.
- This variability may be explained by differing perceptions of risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test hypotheses explaining how trust variability affects risk-relevant behavior.
- To investigate the mediating role of risk perception in this relationship.
- To examine the specific effects of trust in different organizations on anglers' behavior.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from 351 anglers in Michigan's Saginaw Bay Watershed.
- Assessed trust in nine relevant organizations, risk perceptions, and self-reported risky behaviors (fish consumption).
- Employed mediation analysis to test hypothesized relationships.
Main Results:
- Trust in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and River Walker Program (RWP) mediated risky behavior through risk perception.
- Trust in MDNR increased risk perception; trust in RWP decreased perceived benefit.
- Increased trust in Dow Chemical Company reduced risk perception, correlating with increased risky behavior.
Conclusions:
- Specificity of trust target is important; differential effects on risk perception explain variability.
- Organizations focused on risk communication can reduce risky behavior by impacting risk perception.
- Conversely, some organizations may inadvertently increase risky behavior by lowering risk perception.
