EMA LIBRARY

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Risk Communication

List of Resources available at EMA Library

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JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Johnson, Branden B.
Author              Slovic, Paul
Title                 "Improving" risk communication and risk management: legislated solutions or legislated disasters [Article]
Publication       1994
Citation  Risk Analysis. An international journal. Vol.14(6) December 1994 p.905-906
Summary  Recently Congress has been moving to enact legislation that enhances the role of risk analysis in policy-making. The various risk-benefit analyses, risk comparisons, and risk characterizations mandated by the bills under consideration may provide valuable data for risk analysts and risk managers. The authors question a central assumption underlying this legislation: that the provision of more information through these procedures will improve risk communication and reduce conflict over risk management.

JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Handmer, John
Title                 Are flood warnings futile?  Risk communication in emergencies [Article]
Publication       2000
Citation  The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, Vol.2, 2000
Summary  Flood warnings often don't work well and too frequently fail completely - and this despite great effort by the responsible authoriites.  Reasons for this may be inherent in the methodology and definitions used to assess warnings, for example, higher standards may be applied to warnings than to other forms of risk communication, and the definition of failure will often determine the outcome of an evaluation.  Aside from these methodological issues, warnings may fail for a range of reasons associated with the meshing of the warning message with those at risk; as well as institutional factors such as cooperation between the organisations involved, and how they conceptualised narrowly leaving out important elements of the risk.  These factors are examined in the context of recent European and Australian research and experience of warnings.

Books 363.7056094 COM 
Title                 Communicating about risks to environment and health in Europe / edited by Philip C.R. Gray, Richard M. Stern, Marco Biocca.
Publication       Dordrecht, [The Netherlands] : Kluwer Academic Publishers, c1998.
Physical Description  xxii, 409 p. : ill.
Series  Technology, risk, and society ;  v. 11
Note               Includes index.
Note               "Published on behalf of the World Helath Organisation Regional Office for Europe in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental and Risk Management, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom"--T.p.
Summary  Public experience with risk communication differs greatly from country to country in Europe and there has been little opportunity for the transfer of experience and learning between countries. This is especially true for the many new European states, including the countries in transition from centralized to market economies. This book presents case studies on risk communication. One of its unifying concepts is the role of risk communication in the risk management process. Technical and philopsphical introductions to risk communication and risk management and research in risk communication are given. The case studies themselves occupy the central portion of the book, each one covering a particular hazard, risk or situation seen from a particular point of view. The issue of the special circumstances for environmental and health risk communication in central and eastern Europe is also addressed through a separate presentation and discussion of an appropriate case study. A different approach to risk communication is taken by examining how it forms part of the risk management process at the local level. Research into risk perception, a field that forms an important foundation for many aspects of risk communication, is summarized and practical guidelines for risk communication are reviewed. These include discussions on how to carry out public information programmes and methods for increasing public involvement in risk management decisions
 
Books 363.105 COM
Title                 Communicating risks to the public: international perspectives
Publication       Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991
Physical Description  vi, 481p.: ill.
Series  Technology, risk and society v. 4
Note               Includes bibliographies

Books 302.2COM 
Author              Wade, C. R.
Title                 Communicating with the public about risk
Publication       1992
Physical Description  8 p.
Note               Bibliography: p. 8
Summary  Risk communication is a growing specialty field in communication that draws from well-established principles of sociology and psychology. It is a new way to communicate with potentially hostile audiences about sensitive environmental, safety, and health issues they face. This paper explains the most important principles of risk communication and discusses audience analyses, perceptions of risk (outrage factors), and comparisons. These principles are applied to a risk communication issue in Malhuevo, a fictitious Arizona community

Books 302.12MIL 
Author              Mileti, Dennis S.
Author              Fitzpatrick, Colleen
Title                 Communication of public risk : its theory and its application
Publication       JAN 1991
Physical Description  9p., 1 fig, 65 refs
Note               Reprinted from Sociological Practice Review, Vol. 2, No. 1, January 1991, pp20-28
Summary  Details the process of risk communication, which involves characteristics of the message itself and personal characteristics of those receiving the message. A general model representing the interrelationship of these various factors which serve to influence risk perception and behavior is presented. This model has been put into practice by those responsible for communicating risk to endangered publics. Example applications are also presented.
 
Books 363.1050973 CRI
Title                 Crisis and emergency risk communication [text]
Publication       Atlanta, Ga. : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002.
Physical Description  x, 266 p.
Note  Includes bibliography p. 249-250.
Contents  Module 1 : Introduction -- Module 2 : Psychology of a crisis -- Module 3 : Messages and audiences -- Module 4 : Crisis communications plan -- Module 5 : Spokesperson -- Module 6 : Working with the media -- Module 7 : Stakeholder/partner communication -- Module 8 : Other communication channels -- Module 9 : Terrorism and bioterrorism communication challenges -- Module 10 : Human resources for crisis communication -- Module 11 : Understanding roles of federal, state, and local health partners -- Module 12 : Media and public health law -- Acronyms -- Epidemology.
Summary  "The purpose of this course is to introduce the reader to communication principles and tools as they relate to what we have called emergency risk communication. The principles in this course borrow from (1) font of classical rhetoricians, (2) wealth of modern crisis, issues management, communication and psychological theory and, (3) lessons learned from the real and often painful world of experience, old fashioned trial and error." -- VERSO TP
 
JOURNAL CITATION
Author              Fisher, Ann
Author              Chen, Ya-Chin
Title                 Customer perceptions of agency risk communication [Article]
Publication       1996
Citation  Risk Analysis: An International Journal Vol.16(2) April 1996 pp.177-184
Summary  A government agency commissioned a baseline study of how its customers view the agency's risk information. The 70% response rate to a mail survey allows analysis by subgroups representing customers' primary interests. Customers think many risk communication activities are important, but that the agency is not especially effective in conducting those activities
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Peters, Richard G.
Author              Covello, Vincent T.
Author              McCallum, David B.
Title                 The determinants of trust and credibility in environmental risk communication : an empirical study [Article]
Publicati on       2002
Citation  Risk analysis : an international journal, Vol. 17 (No. 1), 2002, pp. 43-65
Summary  This study examines a key component of environmental risk communication : trust and credibility.  The study was conducted in two parts.  In the first part, six hypotheses regarding the perceptions and determinants of trust and credibility were tested against survey data.  The hypotheses were supported by the data.  The most important hypothesis was the perceptions of trust and credibility are dependent on three factors : perceptions of knowledge and expertise; perceptions of openness and honesty; and perceptions of concern and care.  In the second part, models were constructed with perceptions of trust and credibility as the dependent variable.  The goal was to examine the data for findings with direct policy implications.  One such finding was that defying a negative stereotype is key to improving perceptions of trust and credibility.
 
Books 363.31 EFF
Title                 Effective risk communication: the role and responsibility of government and nongovernment organizations
Publication       New York: Plenum Press, 1987
Physical Description  xiii, 370p.: ill.
Series  Contemporary issues in risk analysis v. 4
Note               Includes bibliographical references and index
Contents  Perspectives on government risk communication; Government risk communication programs; Case studies of government risk communication; The risk communication process
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Rohrmann, Bernd
Title                 Effective risk communication for fire preparedness: a conceptual framework [Article]
Publication       1995
Citation  The Australian Journal of Emergency Management Vol.10(3) Spring 1995 pp.42-46
Summary  Based on a review of current fire risk communication practices, theoretical input from social-scientific literature, and exploratory interviews with experts from fire-fighting organisations, a comprehensive conceptual framework was developed. It specifies the factors which determine the outcomes of (fire) risk communication efforts, referring to message, source, audience and process attributes. The focus is on comprehension, acceptance of messages and the link between knowledge and actual behaviour in emergencies. The problem analysis concludes with suggestions for designing and distributing fire hazard information to the public and enhancing commitment and preparedness. Also, integrated evaluation research is strongly recommended.
 
Shelf Location  CD 363.1
Title                 Emergency risk communication CDcynergy [computer file]
Publication       Atlanta, Ga. : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003.
Physical Description  1 computer optical disc : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Note  Includes bibliography.
Contents  Pre-event -- Event -- Verify situation -- Conduct notifications -- Assess level of crisis -- Organize assignments -- Prepare information and obtain approvals -- Release information to the public -- Post-event -- Checklists.
Summary  The purpose of the ERC CDCynergy is to introduce the user to communication principles and tools as they relate to what we have called emergency risk communication. Emergency risk communication encompasses the urgency of disaster communication with the need to communicate risks and benefits to the public and stakeholder.
 
Books 363.1 EXP
Author   & nbsp;           Gutteling, Jan M.
Title                 Exploring risk communication / by Jan M. Gutteling and Oene Wiegman.
Publication       Dordrecht ; Boston : Kluwer Academic, c1996.
Physical Description  xii, 221 p. : ill. ;
Series  Advances in natural and technological hazards research ; v. 8
Note  Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-206) and indexes.
Contents  Hazards and risks -- Risk communication -- The context of risk communication : the mass media -- The risk communication audience -- Influences of risk messages -- The sources of risk messages -- Risk communication media -- Risk communication revisited and future developments
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Drottz-Sjoberg, Britt-Marie
Title                 Exposure to risk and trust in information; Implications for the credibility of risk communication [Article]
Publication       2000
Citation  The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, Vol.2, 2000
Summary  This paper gives some examples of empirical studies where people have rated their experiences of risk, and of trust, in situations of increased risk exposure.  Data are obtained from various studies conducted in Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland.  They describe public reactions to radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl accident, environjmental pollution, violence at work,  and the prospect of siting a repository for high level radioactive waste in a community.  Based on such heterogenous examples, the paper aims at delineating systematic results showing that (a) the strength of the risk reactions is related to the factual severity of the hazard, thus disputing suggestions of rather arbitary reactions to risk, and (b) that trust in information constitutes just one aspect of social trust.  The latter phenomenon represents a more comprehensive concept which involves an integrated system of knowledge and personal experience.  The relevance of the examples regarding emergency preparedness, disaster perception and especially risk communication is discussed.
 
Books F 302.12 HAZ
Title                 Hazards and the communication of risk
Publication       Aldershot, Hampshire: Gower Technical, 1990
Physical Description  xiii, 335p.: ill., facsims, maps
Note               Includes bibliographies and index
Contents  Persuading individuals; The context of persuasion; Assessing success; Programme design and implementation
 
Books 363.1 NAT
Title                 Improving risk communication
Publication       Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989
Physical Description  xvii, 332p.: ill.
Note               Includes index
Note               Bibliography: p.309-319
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Graham, John
Title                 Making more sense of risk [Article]
Publication       1998
Citation  Risk - Australasian Risk Management, Vol.8(8), 1998, pp.1, 3-5
Summary  The author examines how government regulatio n could more effectively reduce risks, the costs associated with risk management, and increase the number of lives saved. Tabled as an agenda for the US Congress, it is also a serious study in how to make better sense of risk everywhere.
 
JOURNAL CITATION
Author              Noy, Shabati.
Title                 Minimizing casualties in biological and chemical threats (war and terrorism) : the importance of information to the public in a prevention program. [article]
Publication       2004.
Citation  Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, Vol. 19 (1), January-March 2004, pp. 29-36.
Summary  The most effective means of defending against biological or chemical war-fare, whether in war or as a result of terror, is the use of primary prevention. The main goal of such a prevention program is to minimize the human loss by reducing the number of casualties (fatalities, physical wounds, and psychological injury). A secondary objective is to prevent the widespread sense of helplessness in the general population. These two aims complement each other. The more the public is active in defending itself, rather than viewing itself as helpless, the lesser the expected number of casualties of any kind. In order to achieve these two goals, educating the civilian population about risk factors and pointing out appropriate defensive strategies is critical. In the absence of an effective prevention program and active participation by the public, there is a high risk for massive numbers of physical and psychological casualties. An essential ingredient of any preventive program, which ultimately may determine the success or failure of all other protective actions, is early, gradual dissemination of information and guidance to the public, so that citizens can become active participants in the program. The public needs to be given information concerning the nature of the threat and effective methods of coping with it, should an unconventional attack occur. Lack of such adaptive behavior (such as wearing protective gear) is likely to bring about vast numbers of physical and psychological casualties. These large numbers may burden the medical, political, and public safety systems beyond their ability to manage. Failure to provide reasonable prevention and effective interventions can lead to a destruction of the social and emotional fabric of individ-uals and the society. Furthermore, inadequate preparation, education, and communication can result in the development of damaging mistrust of the political and military leadership, disintegration of social and political struc-tures, and perhaps, even risk the collapse of the democracy.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Gough, Janet
Title                 Natural hazards and risk management [Article]
Publication       1996
Citation  Tephra Vol.15(1) June 1996 pp.18-23
Summary  Environmental decision making and environmental risk management, both from the perspective of technical risk assessment and developing approaches to incorporating people's perceptions of risk in formal risk assessment
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Chess, Caron
Title                 Organizational theory and the stages of risk communication [Article]
Publication       2001
Citation  Risk Analysis : An International Journal, Vol. 21 (1), February 2001, pp. 179-188
Summary  The evolution of risk communication has been described as a series of communication strategies. This article sugges t s that organizational theory provides another dimension to understanding the evolution of risk communication, and that risk communication can be seen as an organizational adaptation of chemical manufacturers to external pressure. Following the tragedy in Bhopal the chemical manufacturing sector's loss of legitimacy led to destabilization of its authority and to increased uncertainty in its external environment. Risk communication was one means to increase legitimacy, thereby decreasing uncertainty and potential impact on resources. However, although risk communication may evolve from crises of legitimacy, the concept of "isomorphism" - conformance to norms within a corporate sector - predicts this need not be the case.
 
Books 658.155 OWN
Title                 Owning the future : integrated risk management in practice / David Elms, editor.
Publication       Christchurch, N.Z. : Centre for Advanced Engineering, University of Canterbury, c1998.
Physical Description  vi, 330 p. : ill. ;
Note  Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary  Careful management of risk in all its forms is becoming an increasingly important factor in today's competitive business environment. Wrong choices can be very costly. But organisations don't often share information. Techniques that are excellent for business and financial risk management seem unable to cope with the accident-related risks of a transport operator, or the way local and national government deal with disasters. Though risk management approaches have developed in a range of often independent circumstances, the underlying principles are often similar or complementary. It is clear that organisations have much to learn from each other. As the discipline matures and more people come to realise the importance of risk management, the integration of procedures and techniques across finance, law, science, business, engineering, medicine and insurance becomes more necessary. While the benefits of better risk management are extremely diverse, the principles are refreshingly simple and universal: understand the risks, then find the best possible mix of avoidance, protection and transference in relation to costs, benefits and social imperatives. The material presented in this book has been prepared by people from diverse backgrounds, all with a wealth of practical experience in risk management. The book presents a mix of practical approaches, principles, ideas and examples for helping both organisations and practitioners increase their risk management skills, and thus own their futures more effectively
 
Books 302.12PER
Author              Rohrmann, Bernd
Title                 Perception and evaluation of risks : a cross-cultural comparison
Publication       1992
Physical Description  39 p. in various pagings : ill.
Note               Includes bibliographical references
Summary  In a socio-psychological field study, perceptions and subjective evaluations of risky activities and environmental conditions are investigated in three countries: Germany, New Zealand and Australia. The aim of this cross-cultural project is to analyze the cognitive structure of judgments about the magnitude and acceptability of risks to which individuals are exposed, and to compare risk judgments across countries in which risk issues in general as well as particular risk sources (eg., industrial facilities or natural hazards) have different salience. Data comparisons for countries, for societal groups (eg., ecologists, engineers, feminists) and for types of risks demonstrate manifold differences. However, the considerable influence of psychological aspects on judging risks c an be shown in all settings. Altogether the findings confirm the significance of the cultural context of risk evaluations. They are relevant for a better understanding of conflicts about risk and for improving risk communication among the various involved parties
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Gough, Janet
Title                 Perceptions of risk from natural hazards in two remote New Zealand communities [Article]
Publication       2000
Citation  The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, Vol.2, 2000
Summary  New Zealand's spectacular scenry owes its origins to natural processes that continue to shape and move the physical environment.  Thus many of New Zealand's tourist centres are located in areas where there are significant risks from natural hazards.  These case studies aimed to learn more about community understanding of the risk and willingness to accept the risk, and to help establish communication channels between agencies responsible for managing the risk and the residents.  The purpose of this paper is to review the processes applied and to suggest how this experience might be used to help design effective procedures for communicating emergency response information.

Books 363.1 PRO
Title                 Prospects and problems in risk communication
Publication       Waterloo, Ont.: University of Waterloo Press, 1989
Physical Description  vi, 216p.: ill.
Note               "Based on a symposium held in Ottawa in December, 1987"
Note               Includes bibliographical references
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Neuwirth, Kurt
Author              Dunwoody, Sharon
Author              Griffin, Robert, J.
Title                 Protection motivation and risk communication [Article]
Publication       2000
Citation  Risk Analysis, Vol.20(5), October 2000, pp.721-734
Summary  The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of protection motivation theory (PMT) in the context of mass media reports about a hazard.  Content elements of a hazard's severity, likelihood of occurring and the effectiveness of preventative actions were systematically varied in a news story about a fabricated risk: exposure to fluorescent lighting lowering academic performance.  Results of this experiment (N=206) suggest that providing information about the severity of a hazard's consequences produces greater information seeking.  In addition, information about levels of risk, severity, and efficacy combined jointly to produce greater rates of willingness to take actions designed to avoid the hazard.  Results are seen as providing general support for PMT and are discussed within the broader framework of information seeking and heuristic and systematic information processing.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Griffin, Robert J.
Author              Dunwoody, Sharon
Author              Zabala, Fernando
Title                 Public reliance on risk communication channels in the wake of a cryptosporidium outbreak [Article]
Publication       1998
Citation  Risk Analysis, Vol.18(4), August 1998, pp.367-375
Summary  In the Spring of 1993, about 39% of Milwaukee-area residents suffered through a nationally publicized illness brought about by cryptosporidium, a parasite that had infested the metropolitan drinking water supply. This study, based on a telephone survey of 610 local adult residents, indicates that worry about becoming ill in the future with cryptosporidiosis relates more strongly and consistently to public reliance on, and use of, media for cryptosporidium information than do a range of risk perception and experience variables. It is proposed that more studies should take an audience-centered approach to understanding risk communication.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Salter, John
Title                 A question of community participation or public relations:  [Article] lessons from a comparison of two Australian programs in risk communication. [Analysis of emergency procedures and associated literature for urban areas near hazardous industrial wastes sites.  Paper presented to the Disaster Communications, Warning systems and Public Awareness sym posium, Pacific Science Congress (17th: 1991:  Hawaii )]
Publication       1991
Citation  Macedon Digest, v.6, no.3, Sept 1991 : 12-15
Summary  Port Adelaide (SA) ; Altona (Vic) ; Community awareness and emergency response programs ; Compares the history, vulnerability and community awareness of Altona and Port Adelaide. Looks at the brochures produced by each community, the approaches taken, warning signals (including frequency of testing), community profiles and the planning process.
 
Books 363.1 NAT
Title                 Risk communication: proceedings of the National Conference on Risk Communication, held in Washington, D.C., January 29-31, 1986
Publication       Washington, D.C.: Conservation Foundation, 1987
Physical Description  viii, 143p.
Note               Bibliography: p.128-134
Subject             Risk communication -- Congresses
 
Books 016.3633472 DIG
Title                 Risk communication, lessons from natural hazards: an annotated bibliography
Publication       [Boulder, Colo.: The Center], 1988
Physical Description  vi, 112p.
Series  Topical bibliography No. 15
Note               Includes indexes
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Renn O
Title                 Risk communication : [Article] towards a rational discourse with the public
Publication       1992
Citation  Journal of Hazardous Materials, 1992, V29, N3 (FEB), P465-519
Summary  Professional risk managers and the general public strongly disagree about the seriousness of many risks.  Most members of the public are concerned about long-term effects of risks, inequitable siting, lack of personal control, and the pace of technological diffusion into their cultural environment, whereas professional risk managers focus on the task to minimize the probability of adverse effects caused by a technology or other human activity. To bridge the gap between the professional mandate and the public perception of risk, a dialogue has to be initiated between risk managers, interest groups and representatives of the affected public.  This dialogue should serve the function of reconciling conflicts among various groups.  A prerequisite for a successful conflict resolution is the willingness of each group to respect the perspective of all the other participating groups and to include their concerns into the decision-making process. This paper reviews the literature on the three main functions of risk communication:  message recognition, inducement of attitude and behavioral changes, and resolution of risk-related conflicts.  The paper also discusses the structure of the communication process from a descriptive and a normative point of view, and draws on studies about risk preception and communication to develop some guidelines for successful risk communication. --
 
Books 302.12 RIS
Title                 Risk communication : a handbook for communicating environmental, safety, and health risks
Publication       Columbus, Ohio : Battelle Press, 1994
Physical Description  xii, 175 p. : ill.
Note               Includes index
Contents  Part I: Understanding risk communication; Approaches to communicating risk; Laws that mandate risk communication; Constraints to effective risk communication; Ethical issues; Principles of risk communication; Part II: Planning the risk communication effort; Analyze your audience; Determine the proper media; Set a schedule; Develop a communication plan; Part III: Developing risk communication messages; Written messages; Oral messages; Visual messages; Interacting with the audience; Computer-based applications; Part IV: Evaluating risk communication efforts
 
Books 658.408 RIS
Title                 Risk communication : a mental models approach
Publication       Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2002
Physical Description  351 p. : ill.
Note               Includes bibliographical references and index
Contents  Introduction -- Our mental models approach -- Creating an expert model of the risk -- Mental models interviews -- Confirmatory questionnaires -- Development and evaluation of communications -- Case studies: applications to environmental risks -- A mental models approach to HIV/AIDS -- Some concluding thoughts
 
Books 302.2 RIS
Title                 Risk communication
Publication       Denver, Colo. : Robin H. Koons, Ph.D., [2002?]
Physical Description  [3] p.
Summary  Communicating risk can be both challenging and stressful. It is an art and a science that reuires skill and intuition for success. Too often agencies focus of the science and ad-lib the most critical components of risk communication -- the actual message being conveyed. To avoid a disastrous experience, it is essential to have a communication plan in place before you find yourself in a critical situation. As with any strategic planning process, there are basic rules and guidelines you should follow. These rules are general and c an be adapted to virtually any situation. The outc ome will vary based on the audience receiving the information, the circumstances surrounding the situation (how quickly communication begins), and the individuals delivering the message.
 
Books 363.1072RIS
Author              Nigg, Joanne M.
Title                 Risk communication and warning systems
Publication       1993
Physical Description  27 p.
Series  Article (University of Delaware. Disaster Research Center) 261
Note               Reprinted from Proceedings Preprint International Conference on Natural Risk and Civil Protection; 1993; p. 209-236
Note               Bibliography: p. 234-236
Summary  Focuses on how warnings can be effectively disseminated when the threat is from a relatively rapid onset hazard agent, whether natural (e.g., severe storms, earthquakes, riverine floods, volcanic eruptions) or technological (e.g., chemical emergencies or accidental radiological emissions) in nature. Limited to situations in which a short-term forecast of danger is necessary (e.g., earthquake forewarnings for a decade or more in the future) or when risks are developing slowly over time ( e.g., global climate change or environmental pollution) because empirical research has demonstrated that risk communication processes are qualitatively quite different for these two types of events
 
Books 362.1 RIS
Title                 Risk communication and public health
Publication       Oxford, England : Oxford University Press, 1999
Physical Description  xxiv, 272 p. : ill.
Series  Oxford medical publications
Note               Includes bibliographical references and index
Summary  Controversies about risks to public health regularly hit the news - whether about food safety, environmental issues, medical interventions, or "lifestyle" risks. To those trying to manage or regulate risks, public reactions can seem bizarre and exacerbated by the media; and to the public, the behaviour of those supposedly in charge can seem secretive and confusing. This book brings together a wide variety of perspectives on risk communication, from the health professions, campaigning organizations, government and its advisory committees, academia, consultancies, and think tanks. The book should be of interest not only to those involved in risk assessment and risk communication but also to anyone interested in the role of science and the media in the political process, and how one bit of the system is responding to demands for greater openness and participation
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Tarrant, Michael
Title                 Risk communication in the context of emergency management : [Article] planning "with" rather than "for" communities
Publication       1998
Citation  The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Vol.12(4), Summer 1997-98, pp.20-21
Summary  Failure on the part of policy makers to provide a suitable environment in which communities can work through risk related problems can end up generating more conflict and trouble than the original issue. Until methodologies and processes are developed that include appropriate community participation or ownership, the concept of the "prepared community" will never be fully realised. The concept of developing good processes in working with communitie s is not new.
 
JOURNAL CITATION  ;
Author              Quint, J.G.H.
Title                 Risk Communication on a National Scale:  [Article] The Dutch Way
Publication       1993
Citation  Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 1993 Vol 2 No. 3, pp 41-47
Summary  Risk communication is first and foremost a local responsibility and, in The Netherlands, the Ministry of Home Affairs therefore stimulated local government to start their campaigns.  Of the municipalities, 95 per cent participated in Risk Communication.  A national campaign to strengthen and support these local campaigns started in March 1993.  A clear strategy that covers all possible risks, including nuclear and industrial disasters, and co-operation between governments at all levels is a necessity for effective national coverage.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Mann, Brett, W.
Title                 Risk Communications and Communities [Article]
Publication       2000
Citation  Emergency Preparedness Digest,  Vol.27(1), January - March, 2000, pp.21-24
Summary  Public risk education is becoming an increasingly important issue for industries in or near large population centres which produce or use significant quantities of toxic chemicals.  This article examines both public and industry perspectives on the importance and role of risk communications.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Fischhoff, Baruch
Title                 Risk perception and communication unplugged: twenty years of process [Article]
Publication       1995
Citation  Risk analysis Vol.15(2) April 1995 pp.137-145
Summary  Over the past twenty years, risk communication researchers and practitioners have learned some lessons. Offers a personal history of the field over this period and identifies a series of developmental stages. Progress through the stages involves consolidating the skills needed to execute it and learning its limitations. Knowing about their existence might speed the learning process and alert one to how much there still is to learn.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Long, Jun
Author              Firschoff, Baruch
Title                 Setting risk priorities: a formal model [Article]
Publication       2000
Citation  Risk Analysis, Vol.20(3), June 2000, pp.339-351
Summary  This article presents a model designed to capture the major aspects of setting priorities among risks, a common task in government and industry.  The model has both design features, under the control of the rankers (e.g. how success is evaluated), and context features, properties of the situations that they are trying to understand ( e.g. how quickly uncertainty can be reduced).  The model is demonstrated in terms of two extreme ranking strategies.  The first, sequential risk ranking, devotes all its resources, in a given period, to learning more about a single risk, and its place in the overall ranking.  This strategy characterizes the process for a society ( or organisation or individual ) that throws itself completely into dealing with one risk after another.  The extreme strategy, simultaneous risk ranking, spre ads available resources equally ac ross all risks.  It characterises the most methodical of ranking exercises.  Given ample ranking resources, simultaneous risk ranking will eventually provide an accurate set of priorities, whereas sequential ranking might never get to some risks.  The model is intended to clarify the nature of ranking tasks, predict the efficacy of alternative strategies, and improve their design.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Vaughan, Elaine
Title                 The significance of socioeconomic and ethnic diversity for the risk communication process [Article]
Publication       1995
Citation  Risk analysis Vol.15(2) April 1995 pp.169-180
Summary  Risk communication is being characterized as one way of facilitating more effective, democratic and participatory risk management strategies. An emphasis on formal communication approaches as a means to improve decisions and decrease conflict will highlight the challenge of managing hazards within a culturally heterogeneous society. Communication and participatory strategies will be considered successful only if diverse communities can be engaged as partners in the policy process. Because responses to risks are embedded and evolve within broader social environments, achieving the promise of risk communication across a diverse society may not be possible absent an understanding of how sociocultural variables and past experiences shape the exchange to ideas or information in any particular situation. Considers the implications of ethnic and socioeconomic variability for the risk communication process, summarizing theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence on the link between sociocultural features and risk responses. Two examples of situations requiring communications about risk are presented and illustrate how these principles could operate in minority or lower-income communities. A significant challenge for health and regulatory officials will be to engage in an interactive process of information and opinion exchanges that is reasonable and effective within vastly different socioeconomic and cultural contexts.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Rohrmann, Bernd
Title                 A socio-psychological model for analysing risk communication processes [Article]
Publication       2000
Citation  The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, Vol.2, 2000
Summary  In this conceptual article, a theoretical framework for the socio-psychological process underlying risk information, communication and education efforts is outlined.  The model identifies a set of message features, person characteristics  social influences and context factors which determine whether, and if so, how a particular risk communication regarding a hazard influences individual risk assessment and management.  Three overlapping processes need to be considered and linked: how people deal with hazards, how risk information is processed and evaluated, and how accepted information affects risk perception, evaluation and behaviour.  As interactive risk communication is far more likely to be effective, two way communication pathways are looked at as well.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Blanchard-Boehm, R. Denise
Title                 Understanding public response to increased risk from natural hazards : [Article] application of the hazards risk communication framework
Publication       1998
Citation   International Journal of M ass Emergencies and Disasters, Vol.16(3), November 1998, pp.247-278
Summary  For the past four decades researchers in the field of natural hazards have studied extensively how people "hear" warning messages of potential natural disasters and then, eventually, how they "respond" by way of adopting preparation and mitigation measures. Until the 1980s, a single framework did not exist for understanding risk communication as an integrated process. The proliferation of research on risk communication over several decades has resulted in the evolution of a general model of hazards risk communication. This article applies the risk communication framework and its principles to a case study where probabilities were increased in 1990 of future earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay area. Following the scientific community's announcement a low-key warning was issued to approximately two million residents through a large-scale information campaign. This study demonstrates that the risk communication model is an invaluable tool for helping to understand the behaviour of individuals who must learn of and act upon warning information that could save their lives and property.
 
JOURNAL CITATION 
Author              Thompson, Kimberly M.
Title                 Variability and uncertainty meet risk management and risk communication. [Article]
Publication       2002.
Citation  Risk Analysis, Vol. 22(3), June 2002, pp. 647-654.
Summary  In the past decade, the use of probabilistic risk analysis techniques to quantitatively address variability and uncertainty in risks increased in popularity as recommended by the 1994 United States National Research Council. Under the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, the U.S. EPA supported the development of tools that produce distributions of risk demonstrating the variability and/or uncertainty in the results. This shift away from the use of point estimates creates new challenges for risk managers, who now struggle with decisions about how to use distributions in decision making. The challenges for risk communication, however, have only been minimally explored. This article uses the case studies of variability in the risks of dying on the ground from a crashing airplane and from the deployment of motor vehicle airbags to demonstrate how better characterisation of variability and uncertainty in the risk assessment lead to better risk communication.
 
Shelf Location  363.1172
Title                 Warnings and risk communication / edited by Michael S. Wogalter, David M. DeJoy, Kenneth R. Laughery.
Publication       London : Taylor & Francis, c1999.
Physical Description  xviii, 365 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. (some col.) ;
Note  Includes bibliographies and indexes.
Contents  Pt. One. Introduction -- Ch. 1. Overview / Kenneth R. Laughery and Amy Hammond -- Ch. 2. Organizing theoretical framework : a consolidated communication-human information processing (C-HIP) model / Michael S. Wogalter, David M. DeJoy, Kenneth R. Laughery -- Pt. Two. Methods/Techniques -- Ch. 3. Intermediate processing stages : methodological considerations for research on warnings / Stephen L. Young, David R. Lovvoll -- Ch. 4. Methodological techniques for evaluating behavioural intentions and compliance / Michael S. Wogalter, Thomas A. Dingus -- Pt. Three. Research on warnings : stages of the model -- Ch. 5. Source / Eli P. Cox -- Ch. 6. Channel / Michael B. Mazis, Louis A. Morris -- Ch. 7. Attention capture and maintenance / Michael S. Wogalter, S. David Leonard -- Ch. 8. Comprehension and memory / S. David Leonard, Hajime Otani, Michael S. Wogalter -- Ch. 9. Attitudes and beliefs / David DeJoy -- Ch. 10. Moti vation / Da vid M. DeJoy -- Ch. 11. Behaviou r / N. Clayton Silver, Curt C. Braun -- Ch. 12. Standards and government regulations in the USA / Belinda L. Collins -- Ch. 13. Practical considerations regarding the design and evaluation of product warnings / J. Paul Frants and Timothy P. Rhoades, Mark R. Lehto -- Pt. Five. Forensics -- Ch. 12. The law relating to warnings / M. Stuart Madden -- Ch. 15. The expert witness / Kenneth R. Laughery.
Summary  "It seems that warning and risk communications are everywhere. A bottle of correction fluid warns that deliberate inhalation could be fatal, or a desk lamp warns that a bulb bigger than 75 watts could start a fire. Questions regarding how best to communicate warnings and risk information, whether such communications are likely to be effective, and what factors influence the communication process are of importance to a wide range of today's society. Stimulated by the tremendous growth in litigation on product liability and associated personal injury, research into warning and risk communication has developed rapidly over the last few years. This book addresses the major issues in theory, research and applications of warnings and risk communication, bringing together the leading international authorities in the field." --p. xi.
 
Books 363.3472 WAR
Title                 Warnings during disaster : normalizing communicated risk
Publication       [S.l. s.n.], 1992
Physical Description  18 p.
Note               Reprinted from Social Problems; 1992; Vol. 39 No. 1; p. 40-57
Note               Bibliography: p. 54-57
Summary  The theory of risk communication was tested with data on public perception of risk and response to aftershock warnings during the post-impact Loma Prieta earthquake emergency. Findings from samples of households in Santa Cruz and San Francisco Counties were consistent, confirm established propositions, and suggest theoretical refinement. It was concluded that the social psychological process which explains public response to pre-impact warnings. The lack of mainshock damage created a "normalization bias" for non-victims. This bias constrained perception of risk to damaging aftershocks and protective response to warnings