Explaining the Social and Psychological Impacts of a Nuclear Power Plant Accident¹

Abstract

This research investigates the antecedents of psychosocial impacts of the TMI nuclear power plant accident. A model of factors that are hypothesized to affect impact levels is developed and configured to approximate a hypothetical causal sequence. Using data from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission telephone survey, the technique of path analysis is used to test relationships in the model. The results show that the antecedents explain 12% of the variance in individual stress, 45% of the variance in family disruption, and 16% of the variance in perceived community change. The analysis shows that the TMI specific attitudes and sensitivity to radiation risks are strong antecedents of impacts. Although general attitudes toward nuclear power have minor indirect effects, it appears that situational experiences with the accident are the major contributors toward explaining impact levels.