The Cognition and Appraisal of Risks in ‘Western’ and ‘Eastern’ Countries: A Comparative Study in Six Countries. B. Rohrmann, University of Melbourne Australia
Within a cross-cultural project on risk perception, judgments and subjective evaluations of risky activities and environmental hazards were investigated in ‘western’ and ‘eastern’ countries. "Cross-cultural" is explicated via countries and via groups within a culture. The aim of this research is to compare risk cognitions and appraisals across countries of different cultural background in which general risk issues and particular risk sources (e.g., industrial facilities or natural hazards) have distinct salience; and to explore disparities between societal groups which differ in their professional background. The project is based on a socio-psychological framework. Fully comparable data were collected in Australia, China, Germany, Singapore, Canada and Japan (N=203/270/235/153/138/196; total: 1195). The sampling focussed on 3 groups of students (Geography, Psychology, Engineering) and a group of scientists. Respondents were asked for appraisals of 24 hazards (based on a risk taxonomy) according to 12 risk aspects (derived from a risk perception model). Data comparisons for countries, groups and risk types yield a complex picture. Cross-cultural disparities are evident in several ways: Firstly, there is considerable cross-national variation in risk perception, particularly in the personal acceptance of risks (highest in Australian, lowest in Chinese data). Secondly, groups of particular professional orientations differ in their appraisal of hazards (e.g., Geography students seem most, Technology students least worried about environmental hazards; these differences, as well as the scientist/student disparity, are smaller than expected though). Thirdly, regarding risk sources, the largest differences emerge for morally or politically disputed hazards (e.g., gambling, drugs, nuclear power). The empirical basis is still small though. A wider range of (sub)cultures needs to be investigated to further explicate the role of ‘culture’ in people’s risk perception.
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