|
KMID : 1156220090350040269
|
|
Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
2009 Volume.35 No. 4 p.269 ~ p.277
|
|
|
Differences of Experts and Non-experts in Perceiving Environmental and Technological Risks
|
|
Hahm Myung-Il
Kwon Ho-Jang
Lee Hoo-Yeon
Park Hwa-Gyoo
Lee Sang-Gyu
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Objective : The objective of this study was to examine how experts and the public perceived various environmental and technological hazards based on psychometric paradigm.
Methods : We conducted a survey that included 30 hazards and 10 risk attributes. Subjects of this study were 214 people with three groups; (1) experts (55 people), (2) graduates( 78 people), (3) under graduates (81 people). Factor analysis was used to confirm the common risk attribute from 8 risk attributes. Also, multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing on perceived risk and benefit of hazards.
Results : This study revealed that experts tend to be more tolerant than graduates and under graduate students for the 30 hazards. Using factor analysis, two main factors were identified: factor 1, commonly called “Dread Risk”, and factors 2, commonly called, “Unknown Risk” in the literature. We identified that environmental hormone concentration and global warming ranked high in both dread risk and unknown risk. Multiple regression models were used to test the association of perceived social risk and perceived social benefit with two main factors. Dread risk had significant explanatory power on perceived social risk and benefit. We identified that the experts were less likely to perceived dread risk and know more information about the hazards.
Conclusions : There were differences of risk perception between experts and lay people. Especially, experts’ perception of risk was commonly lower than other people’s perception.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
perceived risk, psychometric paradigm
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|