Risk communication: a mental models approach

TLDR

People must make decisions about numerous health, safety, and environmental risks such as nuclear power, HIV/AIDS, radon, vaccines, climate change, and emerging infectious diseases, and they need carefully selected, clearly presented information to do so. The book offers a systematic approach for risk communicators and technical experts to provide the public with relevant risk information. It combines risk and decision‑analysis methods to identify key information with psychological and communication‑theory techniques to ensure comprehension, and is written in nontechnical language. Illustrations of the approach show successful communications across a range of topics.

Abstract

People today must make decisions about many health, safety, and environmental risks. Nuclear power, HIV/AIDS, radon, vaccines, climate change, and emerging infectious diseases are just some issues that may face them in the news media, ballot box, or doctor's office. In order to make sound choices they need to get good information. Because their time is limited, that information has to be carefully selected and clearly presented. This book provides a systematic approach for risk communicators and technical experts, hoping to serve the public by providing information about risks. The procedure uses approaches from risk and decision analysis to identify the most relevant information; it uses approaches from psychology and communication theory to ensure that it is understood. This book is written in nontechnical terms, designed to make the approach feasible for anyone willing to try it. It is illustrated with successful communications, on a variety of topics.