Transcript Geography 237 Geographic Research: Methods and Issues

Geography 106b
Hazards
Communicating Hazard Risk
(Wilson and Crouch, in Cutter: Ch 18)
• communication scenarios
• forms of risk communication
– message-focused
– source-focused
– audience/context-focused
• limitations
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Risk Communication Scenarios
low risk – low concern
• much historical hazard event data
• little communication effort
low risk – high concern
• much historical hazard event data,
relatively low risk but high public
concern to regulate
high risk – low concern
• risk exists, but behaviour change slow
uncertain risk – mixed concern
• benefits typically better understood
than risks, stakeholder disagreement
and conflict
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Exercise:
Selecting Hazards Deserving of
Risk Communication Resources
Which of the following
deserves more resources for
warning people about the
seriousness of the hazard to
humans?:
• aflatoxin
• dioxin
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The Social Context of Risk
Communication Spending
• while aflatoxin is at least as serious a
threat as dioxin, dioxin risk
communication typically receives more
attention and funding
• why?
Health Canada’s current position on dioxins (detailed)
Health Canada’s current position on aflatoxin
(buried – 15 ppb in inspected food)
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Message-Focused Communication
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technical risk information
focus on getting the numbers right
scientific experts deliver message
typically impersonal (single
audience)
non-local
contains both factual and inferential
information (see last day)
emphasis on risk comparisons to get
the message across
e.g, EPA Citizen’s Guide to Radon
Risk
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Risk Comparisons
Involuntary Risk:
Deaths Per Person Per Year
• create a mental picture of the risk of natural
hazards impacts from the next few tables
Source: http://www.psandman.com/articles/cma-appb.htm
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Risk Comparisons:
Various Hazards: Risk of Death
Per Million Persons
Source: http://www.psandman.com/articles/cma-appb.htm
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Risk Comparisons:
Hazards That Increase Risk of
Death by 1 in 1 Million/Year
Source: http://www.psandman.com/articles/cma-appb.htm
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Risk Comparisons:
Technological/Natural:
Probability of Disaster Killing
100 or 1000 Persons
Source: http://www.psandman.com/articles/cma-appb.htm
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Exercise:
Uncertainty and Decision-Making
from the following table:
• select the 3 hazards most in need of
further regulation
• select the 3 hazards least in need of
further regulation
Source: http://www.psandman.com/articles/cma-appb.htm
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Limitations of Message-Focused
Communication
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impersonal
context independent
condescending and patriarchal
lack of historical event data for key
hazards
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Source-Focused Communication
• focus on ensuring the source is
believable
• basis in social engineering/marketing
• more personalized (re: source)
• more localized
• contains both factual and inferential
but also cultural symbolic
information (see last day)
• risk comparisons still used
• e.g, local physician, an expert who is
a resident of area affected by the
hazard, similar to audience
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Trusted Sources of Information?
Who will be your message source for: Americans,
Canadians, Japanese for the following message:?
“Canada’s beef is safe for human consumption.”
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Confidence in Information
Source for Health Risk
Information 1992
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Confidence in Information
Source for Health Risk
Information 2004
•“a lot” of confidence increased 1992-2004:
medical doctors, university scientists
“a lot” of confidence decreased 1992-2004:
public environmental groups, government
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Limitations of Source-Focused
Communication
• still impersonal (source-centered not
audience centered)
• manipulative and “clever”
• potentially subversive of message
content
• credible sources hard to find
• understanding of sources of audience
concern potentially ignored
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Audience-Focused Communication
• focus on understanding the meaning
of hazard risk for audience
• trust in “sources” (but, now more
two-way communication) built
slowly
• trust built outside of crisis situations
• attention to conflict and controversy
• more personalized (re: audience)
• often very localized
• contains both factual, inferential
information (see last day)
• risk comparisons rare
• e.g.s, ?
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Limitations of AudienceFocused Communication
• trust is difficult to develop
• if trust is lost, very difficult to regain
• costly to implement “tailored”
messages (since single message,
single source, single audience
unrealistic)
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Technical vs Narrative Messages
• Risk Communication Experiment:
Golding et al. (1992) Risk Analysis,
12(1): 27-35
• hypothesis: narrative message better
than technical at gaining attention,
increasing knowledge, and altering
behaviour
• radon messages in three communities
via
– 1) technical newspaper (Clinton)
– 2) narrative newspaper (Fitchburg)
– 3) no messages by experimenters
(Worchester)
• subdivision of sample:
– dependent = baseline and followup survey
– independent = only follow-up
survey
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Technical vs Narrative Messages:
Results
• getting attention: readership higher
for technical messages
• retaining attention: readership
declined slower for narrative
messages
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Technical vs Narrative Messages:
Results
• enhanced concern: for readers of
technical information
• reduced concern: for readers of
narrative information
• how message is delivered matters!
Comparison had no
specific information
about radon from
researchers
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Message Effectiveness
• Which message do you feel is the
most effective?
– radon rooftops
– radon person on the street
• Why (try to use terminology from
recent lectures)?
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