Risk interpretation and action: a conceptual framework for research in the context of natural hazards
RIA report no. 1:
This report emphasizes the contributions that can be made to integrated risk analysis and risk reduction through the study of human behaviour and decision-making. It aims to provide an integrated perspective on research on risk and decision-making and offer pointers to how this can be applied to natural hazards, and outline implications for practice. This will be based on a critical overview of research and theory on the relationships between how people interpret risk and the decisions they make as a consequence of such interpretations.
Its main focus is to clarify the key concepts and theoretical assumptions concerning the processes underlying interpretation of risk and decision-making under uncertainty so as to make these more accessible to a range of disciplines and to practitioners in the field of natural hazards. It aims to facilitate integrated research and its application through offering a ‘conceptual tool-kit’ more critically to address a range of questions including, but not limited to:
Why do people seem more concerned about some risks than others?
What (and who) has the most influence on their levels of concern?
How do people’s assessments of risk influence their decisions to take measures to prevent or mitigate the risk to themselves and/or others?
How should risk information be communicated and by whom?
What makes some communicators and/or risk managers more trusted than others?