Understanding Information Evaluation and Risk Discourse Using Mental Model Theory. J. Niewoehner, University of East Anglia
Building on earlier work by Bostrom et al. (1), this paper develops and tests a mental mapping methodology to characterise individuals’ mental models for a health risk issue. The work addresses two key issues: Is it possible to use self-administered techniques such as mental mapping to elicit individuals’ mental models at a level sufficiently detailed to be of use in risk communication research? Further, can intrinsically dynamic processes such as information evaluation and risk discourse be sensibly understood in terms of mental model theory? In part one of the study, a simple mental mapping exercise about passive smoking was administered, together with a short validation questionnaire, to a group of undergraduate students (n=46). Subjects were divided according to similarities in key model domains and formed into small groups to evaluate newspaper articles and discuss the issue. Qualitative analysis of the results shows that discourse differs markedly between groups of homogeneous and heterogeneous models. The findings are discussed with respect to the theoretical validity of self-administered mental mapping techniques in the context of mental model theory. Also, the applicability of the methodology to communication design and targeting is explored with reference to ongoing work in the UK.
(1) Ann Bostrom, Baruch Fischhoff, and M. Granger Morgan, "Characterizing Mental Models of Hazardous Processes: A Methodology and an Application to Radon," Journal of Social Issues 48 (4), 85-100 (1992).
Go to . . .
2000 SRA Annual Meeting Table of Contents
2000 SRA Annual Meeting Author Index
Main Abstracts Menu Page
RiskWorld Home Page