Centro de Documentacion de Fundación MAPFRE - Cross-cultural differences in risk perceptions of disasters

MAP20100092378

Cross-cultural differences in risk perceptions of disasters / Elaine Gierlach, Bradley E. Belsher, Larry E. Beutler

Sumario: Public risk perceptions of mass disasters carry considerable influences, both psychologically and economically, despite their oft-times imprecise nature. Prior research has identified the presence of an optimistic bias that affects risk perception, but there is a dearth of literature examining how these perceptions differ among culturesparticularly with regard to mass disasters. The present study explores differences among Japanese, Argentinean, and North
American mental health workers in their rates of the optimistic bias in risk perceptions as contrasted between natural disasters and terrorist events. The results indicate a significant difference among cultures in levels of perceived risk that do not correspond to actual exposure
rates. Japanese groups had the highest risk perceptions for both types of hazards and North Americans and Argentineans had the lowest risk perceptions for terrorism. Additionally, participants across all cultures rated risk to self as lower than risk to others (optimistic bias) across all disaster types. These findings suggest that cultural factors may have a greater influence on risk perception than social exposure, and that the belief that one is more immune to disasters compared to others may be a cross-cultural phenomenon

En: Risk analysis : an international journal. - McLean, Virginia : Society for Risk Analysis, 1987-2015 = ISSN 0272-4332. - 01/10/2010 Tomo 30 Número 10 - 2010 , p. 1539-1549

1. Gerencia de riesgos . 2. Análisis de riesgos . 3. Percepción del riesgo . 4. Desastres naturales . 5. Japón . 6. Argentina . 7. Estados Unidos . I. Belsher, Bradley E. . II. Beutler, Larry E. .