Evaluating Risk Communication at a Nuclear Plant: A Defence of the Psychometric Approach. Terence Lee
Independent samples were interviewed before and after visits to
the Visitors Centre exhibition at the Sellafield Nuclear Reprocessing
Plant.
Data from a verbal knowledge questionnaire and a pictorial recognition
test were analysed by ANOVAS (which included attitude measures
as co-variates). Results showed that knowledge of nuclear power
increases significantly across all categories of visitor. The
cognitive gains from individual exhibits were compared
Before/after changes in attitudes towards nuclear power were also
measured using a 30-item Likert type scale. Results were factor
analysed to reveal five sub-scales and these were interpreted
as (i) Economic and technical; (ii) Health and safety; (iii) Emotional;
(iv) Environmental; and (v) Passive acceptance. ANOVAS showed
that positive (i.e. 'expected') changes were effected in the economic/technical
aspects of nuclear power and in its environmental impact. However,
health and safety attitudes changed negatively for women, although
positively for men. The emotional attitude did not change for
any grouping except younger visitors, who changed in a negative
direction.
The psychometric approach to risk communication exemplified by
this study has been criticised in an influential article by Otway
& Wynne (Risk Analysis, 9, 141-145, 1989). For example, it
was alleged that psychometric methods do not consider the social
context of the communication; are 'top-down' and therefore
'manipulative'; and their practitioners are usually urging acceptance
in siting disputes over hazardous facilities. The authors appear
to argue that the resolution of such conflicts is what risk communication
is for - and that the best way of researching it is by case study
methods. This is a severely limited perspective of the field.
Arguments will be presented to rebut criticisms of the psychometric
method and to urge risk communication researchers to connect with
the extensive scientific literature on the processes of persuasive
communication.