研究成果

The influence of public perception on risk acceptance of the chemical industry and the assistance for risk communication

2014-06-08
论文链接

Abstract This paper aims to identify factors underlying public risk acceptance of the chemical industry in a case study of Jiangsu Province, China and to explore the diverse views of various demographic groups and in various regions using the psychometric paradigm method. The surveys were conducted between August and December 2010 in three representative cities: Changzhou, Nanjing and Yancheng, located in the southern, central and northern parts of Jiangsu, respectively. Based on 1190 valid questionnaires, the results show that public acceptance of the risk related to the chemical industry could be predicted by four factors: the public perception of their personal knowledge about the chemical industry, the perceived effect of accidents related to the chemical industry, the perceived benefit obtained from the chemical industry, and trust in the government’s risk management abilities. Additionally, the study found that respondents’ demographic characters, such as gender, age, education level, occupation, and household income, influenced the effect of the four factors on risk acceptance at different degrees. The Effect factor more significantly affected risk acceptance among lower-income residents than that among higher-income persons, and people over age 50 with lower education levels were more sensitive to Knowledge than others. Moreover, Trust was an important factor for risk acceptance among people with various demographic characteristics or regional characteristics. These findings can assist governments and policy makers to select target groups for effective risk communication, and also guide the public to improve their rational judgment on risk acceptability of the chemical industry.