Perspectives on Risk Perception
Paul Slovic, Ph.D., Decision Research, Eugene, OR 97401
Perceived risk can be characterized as a battleground marked by strong and conflicting views. The paradox for those who study risk perception is that, as people in many industrialized nations have become healthier and safer on average, they have become more - rather than less - concerned about risk, and they feel increasingly vulnerable to the risks of modern life. The stakes are high! These perceptions and the opposition to technology that accompanies them have puzzled and frustrated industrialists and regulators and have led numerous observers to argue that the American public's apparent pursuit of a "zero-risk society" threatens the nation's political and economic stability. Studies of risk perception attempt to understand why people's concerns are increasing and why perceptions are so often at variance with what the experts say people should be concerned about. In medicine, perceptions of drug risks are likely to influence patients' treatment choices, their compliance with treatment regimens, their views on the acceptability of adverse reactions and the drugs that cause them, and their attitudes toward government regulation of drugs. Understanding perceptions is a prerequisite for designing better communication materials for patients and the public.