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Characterising the Perceived Risks and Benefits of Some Health Issues

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  • Christina M. Harding
  • J. Richard Eiser

Abstract

Previous work on perceived risk, particularly a study by Fischhoff et al. (1978), is critically examined with reference to its applicability to specific health related issues. Judgments were obtained from 159 subjects of 15 health‐related items in terms of perceived risk, benefit, and a number of risk characteristics based on the Fischhoff et al. research. In addition, demographic details concerning sex of respondent, seat belt usage, smoking status, and birth order were collected. Using regression analyses it was found that the direction of the risk‐benefit relationship was dependent on the issue being judged. Risk was found to be better explained by ratings of likelihood of mishap and likelihood of death as a consequence of mishap. Benefit was poorly explained by the risk characteristics and demographic data. However, subject group characteristics were shown to be important influences on risk and benefit perception in certain situations. The implications of these results for understanding behavioral decisions involving risk in relation to specific activities are discussed.

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  • Christina M. Harding & J. Richard Eiser, 1984. "Characterising the Perceived Risks and Benefits of Some Health Issues," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 4(2), pages 131-141, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:4:y:1984:i:2:p:131-141
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1984.tb00942.x
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    1. Paul Slovic & Baruch Fischhoff & Sarah Lichtenstein, 1982. "Why Study Risk Perception?," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(2), pages 83-93, June.
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    1. Nicolás C. Bronfman & Luis Abdón Cifuentes & Michael L. deKay & Henry H. Willis, 2007. "Accounting for Variation in the Explanatory Power of the Psychometric Paradigm: The Effects of Aggregation and Focus," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(4), pages 527-554, June.
    2. Nancy Nighswonger Kraus & Paul Slovic, 1988. "Taxonomic Analysis of Perceived Risk: Modeling Individual and Group Perceptions Within Homogeneous Hazard Domains," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(3), pages 435-455, September.
    3. Claire Marris & Ian H. Langford & Timothy O'Riordan, 1998. "A Quantitative Test of the Cultural Theory of Risk Perceptions: Comparison with the Psychometric Paradigm," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(5), pages 635-647, October.
    4. Gerald T. Gardner & Leroy C. Gould, 1989. "Public Perceptions of the Risks and Benefits of Technology," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(2), pages 225-242, June.
    5. Harry Otway, 1985. "Multidimensional Criteria for Technology Acceptability: A Response to Bernard L. Cohen," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(4), pages 271-273, December.
    6. Ian H. Langford & Claire Marris & Annë‐Lise McDonald & Harvey Goldstein & Jon Rasbash & Tim O'Riordan, 1999. "Simultaneous Analysis of Individual and Aggregate Responses in Psychometric Data Using Multilevel Modeling," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), pages 675-683, August.
    7. Henry H. Willis & Michael L. DeKay & Baruch Fischhoff & M. Granger Morgan, 2005. "Aggregate, Disaggregate, and Hybrid Analyses of Ecological Risk Perceptions," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(2), pages 405-428, April.
    8. Bruce E. Tonn & Cheryl B. Travis & Richard T. Goeltz & Raymond H. Phillippi, 1990. "Knowledge‐Based Representations of Risk Beliefs," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(1), pages 169-184, March.
    9. Nicolás C. Bronfman & Luis Abdón Cifuentes & Virna Vaneza Gutiérrez, 2008. "Participant-focused analysis: explanatory power of the classic psychometric paradigm in risk perception," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(6), pages 735-753, September.
    10. Grant, Kevin & Edgar, David & Sukumar, Arun & Meyer, Martin, 2014. "‘Risky business’: Perceptions of e-business risk by UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 99-122.
    11. Paul Slovic, 1986. "Informing and Educating the Public About Risk," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(4), pages 403-415, December.
    12. Claire Marris & Ian Langford & Thomas Saunderson & Timothy O'Riordan, 1997. "Exploring the “Psychometric Paradigm”: Comparisons Between Aggregate and Individual Analyses," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(3), pages 303-312, June.
    13. Henry H. Willis & Michael L. DeKay, 2007. "The Roles of Group Membership, Beliefs, and Norms in Ecological Risk Perception," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(5), pages 1365-1380, October.
    14. Dirk Grasmück & Roland W. Scholz, 2005. "Risk Perception of Heavy Metal Soil Contamination by High‐Exposed and Low‐Exposed Inhabitants: The Role of Knowledge and Emotional Concerns," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(3), pages 611-622, June.
    15. Ranjit Singh & Jayashree Bhattacharjee, 2019. "Measuring Equity Share Related Risk Perception of Investors in Economically Backward Regions," Risks, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-20, January.

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