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To fear or not to fear? Applying the social amplification of risk framework on two environmental health risks in Singapore

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  • Yu Jie Ng
  • Z. Janet Yang
  • Arun Vishwanath

Abstract

Smoke haze and dengue fever seasons were nationwide environmental health risk events that plagued Singapore between April and June 2013. Although relatively harmless compared to dengue fever, people in Singapore were visibly more disturbed by smoke haze. They engaged in preventive behaviors such as frantic purchasing of protective masks or staying indoors most of the time. Such reactions hint at the possibility of the social amplification of risk, a term coined to explain irrationally high public concerns over relatively minor risk issues, due to the visible nature of the risk event or people’s reactions to it. The current study aims to confirm the social amplification of risk for the haze event, as well as to test for the underlying reasons behind this phenomenon. Among the antecedents explored were the influence of information channels (traditional media and social media) on risk perception, negative affect, information seeking, and information sharing on the enactment of preventive behaviors. Data were collected from a sample of 343 college students through an online questionnaire. Results supported the presence of social amplification of risk for the haze event, and social media exposure was found to overshadow the influence of traditional media exposure on risk perception, negative affect, information seeking, information sharing, and preventive behaviors.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu Jie Ng & Z. Janet Yang & Arun Vishwanath, 2018. "To fear or not to fear? Applying the social amplification of risk framework on two environmental health risks in Singapore," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(12), pages 1487-1501, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:21:y:2018:i:12:p:1487-1501
    DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2017.1313762
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiao Gu & Bojan Obrenovic & Wei Fu, 2023. "Empirical Study on Social Media Exposure and Fear as Drivers of Anxiety and Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Qiong Dang, 2022. "Research on the Impact of Media Credibility on Risk Perception of COVID-19 and the Sustainable Travel Intention of Chinese Residents Based on an Extended TPB Model in the Post-Pandemic Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    3. Yaodong Yang & Huaqing Ren & Han Zhang, 2022. "Understanding Consumer Panic Buying Behaviors during the Strict Lockdown on Omicron Variant: A Risk Perception View," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-19, December.
    4. aus dem Moore, Nils & Brehm, Johannes & Breidenbach, Philipp & Ghosh, Arijit & Gruhl, Henri, 2022. "Flood risk perception after indirect flooding experience: Null results in the German housing market," Ruhr Economic Papers 976, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    5. Lee, Edmund W.J. & Bao, Huanyu & Wang, Yixi & Lim, Yi Torng, 2023. "From pandemic to Plandemic: Examining the amplification and attenuation of COVID-19 misinformation on social media," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    6. Huiyun Zhu & Kecheng Liu, 2021. "Capturing the Interplay between Risk Perception and Social Media Posting to Support Risk Response and Decision Making," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-14, May.
    7. Yao Lu & Zheng Ji & Xiaoqi Zhang & Yanqiao Zheng & Han Liang, 2020. "Re-Thinking the Role of Government Information Intervention in the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Agent-Based Modeling Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-17, December.

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