Comparison of Risk Perception Among Different Population Groups As Assessed by a Conventional Risk Ranking Technique. Sadayoshi Kobayashi, Reiko Kanda, and Kenzo Fujimoto, Safety Analysis Unit, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1, Anagawa, Chiba, Japan 263
Risk perception on 30 items of social and technological human activities was compared among different population groups regarding sex, age, nationality, and educational and some other socio-economic backgrounds by means of a simple risk ranking technique which was originally devised and used by Slovic et al. (1981). Population groups examined were Japanese college students and postgraduate trainees, Japanese and Asian professional researchers and officials and etc. of both sexes. Some of the results were also compared with the corresponding results reported by Slovic et. al. for U.S. citizen groups. Risk ranking by perception generally showed a great and almost random variation from that by technical estimates. Chernobyl accident greatly increased the perceived risks on nuclear power. Items which were easily associated by images with environmental hazards such as pesticides were overly perceived as having greater risks, while items which were directly beneficial such as vaccines were perceived as having lesser risks.