Risk perception of mobile communication: A mental models approach

Journal of Risk Research

Volumn 13, Issue 5, 2010, Pages 599-620

  Cousin, Marie Eve ^a   Siegrist, Michael ^a  

^a ETH ZURICH   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

mental models; mobile communication; risk communication; risk perception

Indexed keywords

BASE STATION LOCATION; CELL PHONE; HEALTH CONSEQUENCES; HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIATION; INFORMATION REQUIREMENT; INTERACTION PATTERN; INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS; INTUITIVE UNDERSTANDING; KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS; KNOWLEDGE GAPS; MENTAL MODEL; MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS; QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES; RISK COMMUNICATION;

BASE STATIONS; COMMUNICATION; LAWS AND LEGISLATION; MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS; RISK PERCEPTION; TELECOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT;

HEALTH RISKS;

EID: 77953333699     PISSN: 13669877     EISSN: 14664461     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/13669870903236751     Document Type: Article

References (60)

1. Ahlbom, A., A. Green, L. Kheifets, D. Savitz, and A. Swerdlow. 2004. Epidemiology of health effects of radiofrequency exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives 112: 1741-1754
2. Asendorpf, D. 2002. Hohe Masten, heisse Köpfe. Die Zeit 10. http://www.zeit.de/2002/10/ Hohe-Masten-heisse-Koepfe (accessed September 6, 2009).
3. Atman, C.J., A. Bostrom, B. Fischhoff, and M.G. Morgan. 1994. Designing risk communications: Completing and correcting mental models of hazardous processes, Part 1. Risk Analysis 14: 779-788 (Pubitemid 24362988)
4. Barnett, J., L. Timotijevic, R. Shepherd, and V. Senior. 2007. Public responses to precautionary information from the Department of Health (UK) about possible health risks from mobile phones. Health Policy 82: 240-250
5. Boholm, A. 2008. The public meeting as a theatre of dissent: Risk and hazard in land use and environmental planning. Journal of Risk Research 11, nos. 1-2: 119-140
6. Bostrom, A., C.J. Atman, B. Fischhoff, and M.G. Morgan. 1994. Evaluating risk communications: Completing and correcting mental models of hazardous processes, Part 2. Risk Analysis 14: 789-798 (Pubitemid 24362989)
7. Bostrom, A., M.G. Morgan, B. Fischhoff, and D. Read. 1994. What do people know about global climate change? 1. Mental models. Risk Analysis 14: 959-970
8. Bronfman, N.C., and L.A. Cifuentes. 2003. Risk perception in a developing country: The case of Chile. Risk Analysis 23: 1271-1285
9. Büllingen, F., and A. Hillebrand. 2005. Zielgruppenanalyse zur differenzierten Information über Mobilfunk und Gesundheit. Studie für das Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS) [Identification of central target groups for differentiated information about mobile communication and health]. Bad Honnef: WIK Consult.
10. Burgess, A. 2002. Comparing national responses to perceived health risks from mobile phone masts. Health, Risk & Society 4: 175-188
11. -. 2004. Cellular phones, public fears and a culture of precaution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
12. Cox, P., J. Niewöhner, N. Pidgeon, S. Gerrard, B. Fischhoff, and D. Riley. 2003. The use of mental models in chemical risk protections: Developing a generic workplace methodology. Risk Analysis 23: 311-324
13. Cvetkovich, G., M. Siegrist, R. Murray, and S. Tragesser. 2002. New information and social trust: Asymmetry and perseverance of attributions about hazard managers. Risk Analysis 22: 359-367
14. Earle, T.C., and G.T. Cvetkovich. 1995. Social trust: Towards a cosmopolitan society. London: Praeger.
15. Earle, T.C., M. Siegrist, and H. Gutscher. 2007. Trust, risk perception, and the TCC model of cooperation. In Trust, technology, and society: Studies in cooperative risk management, ed. M. Siegrist, T.C. Earle, and H. Gutscher, 1-49. London: Earthscan.
16. EC (European Commission). 2007. Electromagnetic fields. Special Eurobarometer 272a/ Wave 66.2 - TNS opinion and social. Brussels: European Commission. http://ec.europa. eu/public-opinion/archives/ebs/ebs-272a-en.pdf (accessed January 21, 2009).
17. Hug, K., and R. Rapp. 2004. Hochfrequente Strahlung und Gesundheit [High-frequency radiation and health]. (Umwelt-Materialien Nr. 162. Nachtrag A. Stand März, 2004). Bern: BUWAL.
18. Hutter, H.P., H. Moshammer, P. Wallner, and M. Kundi. 2000. Diskussion von Richtwerten für den Mobilfunk am Beispiel der Resolution des Bürgerforums 'Elektrosmog' [Discussion about standards for mobile communication on the example of the resolution of the citizen forum 'electric smog']. Umweltmedizin in Forschung und Praxis 5: 170-172
19. Hyland, G.J. 2000. Physics and biology of mobile telephony. Lancet 356: 1833-1836
20. IEGMP. 2000. Mobile phones and health. Chilton: National Radiological Protection Board. http://www.iegmp.org.uk (accessed January 21, 2009).
21. Johnson, B.B. 2002. Book reviews. Risk communication: A mental models approach. Risk Analysis 22: 813-814
22. Kheifets, L.I., G.L. Hester, and G.L. Banerjee. 2000. The precautionary principle and EMF: Implementation and evaluation. Journal of Risk Research 4: 113-125
23. Lehmann, H., U. Herrmann, B. Eicher, A. Trostel, P. Fritschi, and M. Moser. 2004. General public exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by mobile phone base stations. Paper presented at the COST 281 workshop on RF Exposure Assessment, September, in Paris, France. http://www.bag.admin.ch/ themen/strahlung/00053/00921/00922/index.html (accessed January 21, 2009).
24. Morgan, M.G., B. Fischhoff, A. Bostrom, and C.J. Atman. 2002. Risk communication: A mental models approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
25. Morgan, M.G., B. Fischhoff, A. Bostrom, L. Lave, and C.J. Atman. 1992. Communicating risk to the public. Environmental Science and Technology 26: 2048-2056
26. Morgan, M.G., H.K. Florig, I. Nair, C. Corés, K. Marsh, and K. Pavlosky. 1990. Lay understanding of low-frequency electric and magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 11: 313-335
27. Neubauer, G., M. Röösli, M. Feychting, Y. Hamnerius, L. Kheifets, N. Kuster, I. Ruiz, J. Schüz, R. Überbacher, and J. Wiart. 2005. Study on the feasibility of epidemiological studies on health effects of mobile telephone base stations: Final report (ARC-IT-0124). http:// www.mobile-research.ethz.ch/var/pub-neubaer-pref14.pdf (accessed January 21, 2009).
28. Niewöhner, J., P. Cox, S. Gerrard, and N.F. Pidgeon. 2004. Evaluating the efficacy of a mental models approach for improving occupational chemical risk protection. Risk Analysis 24: 349-361
29. Poortinga, W., and N.F. Pidgeon. 2004. Trust, the asymmetry principle, and the role of prior beliefs. Risk Analysis 24: 1475-1486
30. Read, D., A. Bostrom, M.G. Morgan, B. Fischhoff, and T. Smuts. 1994. What do people know about global climate change? 2. Survey studies of educated laypeople. Risk Analysis 14: 971-982
31. Renn, O. 2006. Risk communication: Consumers between information and irritation. Journal of Risk Research 9: 833-849
32. Röösli, M., and R. Rapp. 2003. Hochfrequente Strahlung und Gesundheit [High-frequency radiation and health] (Umwelt-Materialien Nr. 162). Bern: BUWAL.
33. Rozin, P., and E.B. Royzman. 2001. Negativity bias, negativity dominance, and contagion. Personality and Social Psychology Review 5: 296-320.
34. Ruddat, M., O. Renn, A. Sautter, and U. Pfenning. 2005. Wahrnehmung und Bewertung des Mobilfunks - Eine empirische Bestandesaufnahme von Studien im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts 'Untersuchung der Kenntnis und Wirkung von Informationsmassnahmen im Bereich Mobilfunk und Ermittlung weiterer Ansatzpunkte zur Verbesserung der Information verschiedener Bevölkerungsgruppen' [Perception and evaluation of mobile communication - an empirical based assessment of studies in the context of the research project 'Research about knowledge and effects of information provision about mobile communication. Identification of further starting points for the improvement of information for different target groups']. Stuttgart: Dialogik.
35. Schreier, N., A. Huss, and M. Röösli. 2006. The prevalence of symptoms attributed to electromagnetic field exposure: A cross-sectional representative survey in Switzerland. Sozial- und Präventivmedizin 51: 202-209
36. Schütz, H., and P.M. Wiedemann. 2005. How to deal with dissent among experts. Risk evaluation of EMF in a scientific dialogue. Journal of Risk Research 8: 531-545
37. Siegrist, M., and G.T. Cvetkovich. 2000. Perception of hazards: The role of social trust and knowledge. Risk Analysis 20: 713-719
38. -. 2001. Better negative than positive? Evidence of a bias for negative information about possible health dangers. Risk Analysis 21: 199-206.
39. Siegrist, M., T.C. Earle, H. Gutscher, and C. Keller. 2005. Perception of mobile phone and base station risks. Risk Analysis 25: 1253-1264
40. Siegrist, M., and H. Gutscher. 2005. Perception of risk: The influence of general trust and general confidence. Journal of Risk Research 8: 145-156
41. Siegrist, M., C. Keller, and M.-E. Cousin. 2006. Implicit attitudes toward nuclear power and mobile phone base stations: Support for the affect heuristic. Risk Analysis 26: 1021-1029
42. Siegrist, M., C. Keller, and H.A.L. Kiers. 2005. A new look at the psychometric paradigm of perception of hazards. Risk Analysis 25: 211-222
43. Slovic, P. 1993. Perceived risk, trust and democracy. Risk Analysis 13: 675-682
44. Thalmann, A.T., and P.M. Wiedemann. 2006. Beliefs and emotionality in risk appraisals. Journal of Risk Research 9: 453-466
45. Timotijevic, L., and J. Barnett. 2006. Managing the possible health risks of mobile telecommunications: Public understandings of precautionary action and advice. Health, Risk & Society 8: 143-164
46. Valberg, P.A., T.E. van Deventer, and M.H. Repacholi. 2007. Base stations and wireless networks: Radiofrequency (RF) exposures and health consequences. Environmental Health Perspectives 115: 416-424
47. Wardman, J.K. 2008. The constitution of risk communication in advanced liberal societies. Risk Analysis 28: 1619-1637
48. White, M.P. 2007. Context effects in stated trust judgements. Journal of Risk Research 10: 977-988
49. White, M.P., J.R. Eiser, P.R. Harris, and S. Pahl. 2007. Who reaps the benefits, who bears the risks? Comparative optimism, comparative utility, and regulatory preferences for mobile phone technology. Risk Analysis 27: 741-753
50. White, M.P., S. Pahl, M. Buehner, and A. Haye. 2003. Trust in risky messages: The role of prior attitudes. Risk Analysis 23: 717-726
51. WHO. 2000. Electromagnetic fields and public health: Mobile telephones and their base stations (Fact sheet no. 193). http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs193/en/ (accessed January 21, 2009).
52. -. 2002. Establishing a dialogue on risks from electromagnetic fields. Geneva: Radiation and Environmental Health Department of Protection of the Human Environment, World Health Organization.
53. 2005. What are electromagnetic fields? http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/ Whatis EMF/en/index.html (accessed January21, 2009).
54. -. 2006. Electromagnetic fields and public health. Base stations and wireless technologies (Fact sheet no. 304). http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs304/en/print.html (accessed January 21, 2009).
55. Wiedemann, P.M., A. Bobis-Seidenschwanz, and H. Schütz. 1994. Elektrosmog - Ein Risiko? Bedeutungskonstitution von Risiken hochfrequenter elektromagnetischer Felder [Electric smog - a risk? Concept constitution of risks in regard to high-frequency electromagnetic fields] (Arbeiten zur Risiko-Kommunikation. Heft 44. Programmgruppe Mensch, Umwelt, Technik (MUT)). Jülich: Forschungszentrum Jülich.
56. Wiedemann, P.M., and H. Schütz. 2005. The precautionary principle and risk perception: Experimental studies in the EMF area. Environmental Health Perspectives 113: 402-405 (Pubitemid 40601816)
57. Wiedemann, P.M., A.T. Thalmann, M.A. Grutsch, and H. Schütz. 2006. The impacts of precautionary measures and the disclosure of scientific uncertainty on EMF risk perception and trust. Journal of Risk Research 9: 361-372
58. Wynne, B. 1992. Public understanding of science research: New horizons or hall of mirrors? Public Understanding of Science 1: 37-43.
59. Yaguchi, H., K. Nobutomo, K. Shingu, and J. Miyakoshi. 2000. Attitudes of undergraduate students to electromagnetic fields. International Medical Journal 7: 265-272
60. Zaksek, M., and J.L. Arvai. 2004. Toward improved communication about wildland fire: Mental models research to identify information needs for natural resource management. Risk Analysis 24: 1503-1514