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Informing and Educating the Public About Risk

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  • Paul Slovic

Abstract

The objective of informing and educating the public about risk issues seems easy to attain in principle, but, in practice, may be difficult to accomplish. This paper attempts to illustrate why this is so. To be effective, risk communicators must recognize and overcome a number of obstacles that have their roots in the limitations of scientific risk assessment and the idiosyncrasies of the human mind. Doing an adequate job of communicating means finding comprehensible ways of presenting complex technical material that is clouded by uncertainty and inherently difficult to understand. The problems may not be insurmountable, however, if designers of risk information programs are sensitive to the difficulties.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Slovic, 1986. "Informing and Educating the Public About Risk," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(4), pages 403-415, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:6:y:1986:i:4:p:403-415
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1986.tb00953.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
    2. Harold Issadore Sharlin, 1986. "EDB: A Case Study in Communicating Risk," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(1), pages 61-68, March.
    3. Slovic, Paul & Lichtenstein, Sarah, 1983. "Preference Reversals: A Broader Perspective," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 73(4), pages 596-605, September.
    4. Paul Slovic & Sarah Lichtenstein & Baruch Fischhoff, 1984. "Modeling the Societal Impact of Fatal Accidents," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(4), pages 464-474, April.
    5. Douglas MacLean, 1982. "Risk and Consent: Philosophical Issues for Centralized Decisions," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(2), pages 59-67, June.
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