Cultural Factors in Risk Perception: Observations from Interactions with Aboriginal Communities

CO2 geological storage will be one of the cost-effective options for global warming mitigation, and this technology is under development widely in the world. However, the technology may face the challenge of public acceptance before its implementation. In order to evaluate the public acceptance, questionnaire surveys were conducted among Japanese university students. A cognitive map of geological storage, together with other major global warming mitigation options, everyday life activities, etc., was constructed by means of a statistical analysis of the responses to the questionnaire. The risk-benefit cognitive map consists of the following factors: “risk perception,” “benefit perception,” and “public acceptance.” The risk perception is further disaggregated into “dread risk” and “unknown risk.” Additionally, a second survey was conducted after providing the students with additional information on global warming and CO2 geological storage, and the effects of the information on their perceptions were evaluated. The effects of risk and benefit perceptions on public acceptance were evaluated and discussed based on the cognitive maps representing the perceptions before and after providing the information. The analyses revealed that the benefit perception was more influential than the risk perception on the public acceptance of CO2 geological storage. The benefit perception increased greatly after providing the information; however, the unknown risk remained considerably large. Further, RD&D relating unknown risk, for example, the monitoring technology for stored CO2 and the risk assessment of CO2 leakage, and the supply of related information to the public would be beneficial for increasing the public acceptance.

Adopting behavioural finance as a theory has emerged as an important field due to its opposition to finance principles that rely on rational decision-making and efficient market models. The research investigates behavioural finance elements that affect risk perception (RP) processes and financial decision-making (FDM) in equity market activities. Traditional finance depends on efficient markets with rational behaviour, but behavioural finance focuses on analyzing how psychological biases affect market participants. The Research Investigated the factors such as herding, disposition effect (DE), overconfidence, loss aversion (LA), and mental accounting (MA) that influence FDM with RP acting as a mediator. A total of 300 individual investors participated in the online survey, but researchers validated data from the responses of 270 participants. IBM SPSS version 26 employed SEM to evaluate the data collected. A Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) evaluated how the behavioural finance factors impact FDM decision-making, while a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) tested the measurement model reliability. Research data shows that RP experiences meaningful changes due to herding behaviour and disposition effect, LA, and mental accounting, but overconfidence, along with over-optimism, directly affects FDM without changing RP levels. The link between RP and financial decisions is positive, and every behavioural variable affects investment choices indirectly through RP assessment. This demonstrates that behavioural biases affect investment choices, so investigators recommend that psychological factors become integral to the risk management framework creation. Investigator teams examine supplementary behavioural elements that enhance exposure to danger assessment while studying population and ethnic influences on investment actions.

Risk perception and public acceptance toward a highly protested Waste-to-Energy facility

RETIRED: A Guide for Health Professionals Working with Aboriginal Peoples: Executive Summary

Risky energy technologies are often controversial and debates around them are polarized; in such debates public acceptability is key. Research on public acceptability has emphasized the importance of intrapersonal factors but has largely neglected the influence of interpersonal factors. In an online survey (N = 948) with a representative sample of the United Kingdom, we therefore integrate interpersonal factors (i.e., social influence as measured by social networks) with two risky energy technologies that differ in familiarity (nuclear power vs. shale gas) to examine how these factors explain risk and benefit perceptions and public acceptability. Findings show that benefit perceptions are key in explaining acceptability judgments. However, risk perceptions are more important when people are less familiar with the energy technology. Social network factors affect perceived risks and benefits associated with risky energy technology, hereby indirectly helping to form one's acceptability judgment toward the technology. This effect seems to be present regardless of the perceived familiarity with the energy technology. By integrating interpersonal with intrapersonal factors in an explanatory model, we show how the current “risk–benefit acceptability” model used in risk research can be further developed to advance the current understanding of acceptability formation.

In this paper, the influence of significant nuclear events on public attitude, and the reaction, i.e., public attitude on the development of nuclear industry have been studied. Though it has been widely known that nuclear is a type of clean, green and effective source of energy, due to the characteristics of nuclear, for most common people, they seldom pay attention to the nuclear power plants (NPPs) or the entire nuclear industry except NPPs are built near the residence of their own, or when some catastrophic failures occur. This fact leads to that when the public’s attention is attracted to nuclear, the effects on their attitude to nuclear are often negative. Even if there is positive news about nuclear, in most cases, the public will still be worried and prudent. That is one of the reasons why though the nuclear power related techniques has been developing rapidly, in some countries the usage of nuclear power is still quite limited. In order to carry the development of nuclear power forward, to improve the public acceptance is as important as to improve nuclear related science and technology. This paper focuses on how the significant events related to nuclear influence the public acceptance, which will have direct or indirect effects on the development and/or policy of nuclear industry in a country, even the whole world. Additionally, this paper discusses possible and proper solutions to improve the public acceptance to NPPs and nuclear related techniques.

Nanotechnology in Edible Food Materials (NEFM) raises health concerns and public skepticism, necessitating enhanced regulatory scrutiny and public acceptance strategies. This study delves into the key factors influencing public acceptance of NEFM in China, offering vital insights for strategic policy development to promote NEFM integration. Utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study analyzed 275 validated responses from Chinese citizens. It reveals that epistemic trust, social trust, and self-efficacy play crucial roles in shaping public attitudes towards NEFM, each through distinct mechanisms. A notable finding is the inverse relationship between epistemic trust and NEFM acceptance, mediated by perceived risks and benefits. This highlights the intricate balance required to address potential negative consequences and uncertainties of NEFM. Public trust in governmental bodies emerges as a significant determinant of NEFM approval, affecting both risk and benefit perceptions, in contrast to the negligible impact of trust in commercial entities. This study also underscores the positive correlation between perceived benefits and NEFM acceptance, suggesting the importance of highlighting tangible NEFM benefits in consumer education and public outreach programs. The study contributes to the theoretical framework by integrating insights from the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior. It provides a comprehensive understanding of factors fostering public acceptance of NEFM, vital for policymakers and stakeholders in developing strategies that enhance public perception and acceptance, thereby fostering the growth and advancement of NEFM in China and beyond.

Moderating effect of regulatory focus on public acceptance of nuclear energy

This study examines the perceptions of residents living near the Olusosun and Solus II landfills in Lagos, Nigeria, where daily scavenging activities pose environmental and health risks. Utilizing a systematic sampling method, 161 respondents within a 900-meter radius of the landfills were surveyed, achieving a 90.7% response rate. The findings indicate that socio-economic attributes significantly influence residents’ concerns about scavenging activities. The perception of risks, including pollution, crime, and hazardous conditions, was consistent across different zones despite variations in age and educational status. Respondents expressed high concern regarding the unsanitary nature of scavenging activities, linking them to increased crime and environmental degradation. Spatial analysis revealed that residents’ proximity to the landfills did not significantly affect their perceived risk severity (F = 0.450; p = .642). However, the level of concern decreased with increased distance from the landfills. Socio-economic factors, including income and length of residence, were key determinants of risk perception. Notably, factors such as rootedness of place, sense of community, and place identity influenced residents’ decisions to remain in the area despite known hazards. Emotional bonds and economic dependencies contributed to a reluctance to relocate. The study underscores the need for policy interventions that incorporate bottom-up approaches, engaging both residents and scavengers in decision-making processes. This research highlights the complex interplay between socio-economic, cultural, and environmental factors in shaping risk perception, providing insights for regulatory frameworks to manage urban landfills and mitigate associated risks.

Although effective risk management is highly dependent on risk perception and communication, limited attention has been given to the influence and consideration of these two constructs and their factors in the aviation industry. This research aimed to map practices and perspectives of safety investigators regarding risk perception and communication in aviation and reveal respective influential parameters. The interviews with ten experienced safety investigators revealed that they consider and search risk perception and communication factors but with a divergent emphasis. Investigators acknowledged the effects of emotional and cognitive biases as well as the role of context when examining risk perception and communication factors and attributed the shaping of the latter to organisational practices, mainly training, supervisory and cultural aspects. Overall, the findings of this study suggest investigation methods could be enriched with a systematic approach to examining the role of risk perception and communication and considering their shaping factors while also providing directions for abating subjectivity when addressing these two constructs. This could be facilitated by developing a common reference framework for risk perception and communication and be accompanied by support from specialists and training in the management of investigators’ heuristics.

This research aims to investigate the effect of international tourists’ perceived risk factors on ( n = 257) overall risk perceptions and consequently on their behavioural intention (i.e. intention to revisit, to recommend destination and repeat same activities) from the lens of prospect theory. An online survey was circulated to the onsite international tourists who were visiting Bali. We found that human-induced and financial risk have significant effect on overall risk perception, while overall risk perception mediates the relationship between human-induced risk and behavioural intention. Financial risk has significant negative effect on behavioural intention, however, human-induced risk interestingly has significant positive effect on behavioural intention. While international tourists were concerned about the environmental issues in Bali, it does not affect their intention to revisit Bali. This study extends prospect theory in tourism literature and attempt to provide insights for destination marketers to mitigate and manage growing risk perceptions associated with international tourists’ behavioural intention.

In the post-Fukushima accident era, the participation of local residents and their acceptance of nuclear power plants (NPPs) have become significant issues. Using the case of Qinshan NPP in China, this study examined the factors affecting public acceptance of NPPs and explored the ways in which public participation affects the public acceptance of NPPs through structural equation modeling. We found that public participation promotes public acceptance of NPPs through various paths, and there exist intermediary factors, namely trust and risk perception. Public participation improves the public acceptance of NPPs indirectly by increasing trust and decreasing risk perception. Trust can directly improve the public acceptance of NPPs and indirectly influence it through benefit perception and risk perception. In this study, we also proposed recommendations for policy and practice to enhance the level of public acceptance of NPPs.

This review discusses palliative care and end-of-life models of care for Aboriginal people in the Australian state New South Wales, and considers Aboriginal palliative care needs by reflecting on recent literature and lessons derived from Aboriginal consultation. Aboriginal people in Australia account for a very small proportion of the population, have poorer health outcomes and their culture demonstrates a clear resistance to accessing mainstream health services which are viewed as powerful, isolating and not relevant to their culture, way of life, family and belief systems. Aboriginal people regard their land as spiritual and their culture dictates that an Aboriginal person needs to know their origins, emphasising the value placed on kin and also demonstrating a strong desire to remain within their own country. Currently Aboriginal people tend to not access palliative care services in mainstream facilities; and there is very little data on Aboriginal admissions to palliative care centres. Over the last two decades only two models of palliative care focusing on and developed in Aboriginal communities have been implemented. The seminal contribution to Aboriginal Palliative Care was in the form of a resource kit developed to support palliative care providers to examine their practice for cultural appropriateness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The 'living model' coming from this project is adaptive and flexible, enabling implementation in different Aboriginal country as a participative process with community input. The Australian government's National Indigenous Palliative Care Needs Study similarly indicated that Australian empirical research on Aboriginal palliative care service provision is in its infancy, and comprehensive data on the rates of Aboriginal access to palliative care services did not exist. What literature does exist is drawn together in an argument for the development and need for culturally specific Aboriginal palliative care models, which are culturally appropriate, locally accessible and delivered in collaboration and partnership with Aboriginal controlled health services. This is essential because Aboriginal people are a minority cultural group who are disconnected from mainstream health service delivery, and have a sense of cultural isolation when accessing mainstream services. It is preferable that palliative care is delivered in a collaboration between Aboriginal Controlled Health Service and mainstream palliative care services to ensure a dignified end of life for the Aboriginal person. These collaborations and partnerships are fundamental to ensure that a critical mass of Aboriginal clinicians are trained and experienced in end of life care and palliation. Developing palliative care programs within Aboriginal communities and training Aboriginal Health Workers, promoted and developed in partnership with the Aboriginal community, are important strategies to enhance palliative care service provision. Further partnerships should be championed in this collaborative process, acknowledging a need for palliative care models that fit with Aboriginal peoples' community values, beliefs, cultural/ spiritual rituals, heritage and place.

In June 2008 the UK government published a ‘White Paper’ as part of the “Managing Radioactive Waste Safety” (MRWS) programme to provide a framework for managing higher activity radioactive wastes in the long-term through geological disposal. The White Paper identifies that there are benefits to disposing all of the UK’s higher activity wastes (Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LLW and ILW), High Level Waste (HLW), Spent Fuel (SF), Uranium (U) and Plutonium (Pu)) at the same site, and this is currently the preferred option. It also notes that research will be required to support the detailed design and safety assessment in relation to any potentially detrimental interactions between the different modules. Different disposal system designs and associated Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) will be required for these different waste types, i.e. ILW/LLW and HLW/SF. If declared as waste U would be disposed as ILW and Pu as HLW/SF. The Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) would therefore comprise two co-located modules (respectively for ILW/LLW and HLW/SF). A study has recently been undertaken by NDA RWMD to identify the key Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) interactions which might occur during both the operational and post-closure phases in order to assess the potential implications of co-location in a range of host rocks. This paper presents supporting modelling work used to help understand the potential interactions between the modules. A multi-phase flow and coupled gas generation model was used to help investigate the potential groundwater and gas fluxes between the modules, in particular considering the operational phase and resaturation behaviour of the different modules. These early phases are important because gas generation rates and hydraulic gradients will be at their maximum, and the pressure gradients associated with GDF operations will, at least initially, dominate over the background hydraulic gradient. The gas generation and multi-phase flow study considered a mudstone host rock in which gas pressurisation might significantly influence resaturation behaviour, or drive water from one module to the other. The results of the multiphase flow modelling show that although gas generation affects pressure recovery in the ILW/LLW module, the smaller size of the HLW/SF excavations compared with the ILW/LLW excavations, and the operational timings, mean that in general the groundwater pressure gradient in the GDF is from the HLW/SF module (higher pressure) to the ILW module (lower pressure). Transport of solutes from the HLW/SF module towards the ILW module is not expected to result in any deleterious interactions, indicating that hydraulic interactions during the resaturation period are unlikely to pose a fundamental barrier to co-location.

BackgroundIn the Middle East region, the incidence of breast cancer (BC) has substantially increased in the last years. Despite a considerable body of research about BC in Arab countries, how illness perceptions of healthy women about BC may influence risk perception is unknown.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 298 young Emirati women. The measures included demographic information, illness perceptions, and risk perception. Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed to assess illness perceptions about BC, perceived individual risk and comparative risk. A structural equation modelling (S.E.M.) was built to investigate the relationship between illness perceptions and perceived individual risk.ResultsParticipants reported negative illness perceptions about BC The individual risk perception and the compared risk perception for BC were low. Participants with a family history of BC reported more negative illness and higher risk perceptions. The relationship between illness perceptions and perceived individual risk was significant and mediated by compared risk. The S.E.M. explained 55.9% of the variance in predicting perceived individual risk for BC.ConclusionWomen's views of BC are important factors in risk perception and may provide culturally sensitive clues to promote early screening for BC in Arab countries. This may be important for policymakers to design intervention strategies to lower health risks, considering the different ways in which women perceive their risks for BC.