Abstract

Overview

The study presented investigates the effects of how different formats of descriptions influence the perception of risks associated with electromagnetic fields (EMF). This study utilized an experimental setup featuring 629 participants divided into three groups, each receiving varying information about the carcinogenic possibilities of RF EMF from mobile phones.

Findings

• The experimental groups received excerpts and additional explanatory text concerning EMF and its categorization by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
• Despite varied informational depth across groups, participants in all groups showed increased risk perceptions for electromagnetic sources after exposure to the texts.
• Participants with a strong belief in risk generalization were found to exhibit significantly higher risk perceptions for all EMF sources except for mobile phones.

Conclusion

This research underlines the importance of how information is presented in risk communication, demonstrating that different presentation formats can significantly affect risk perception. The role of inherent risk generalization beliefs plays a crucial part in this process. The study suggests the potential usefulness of Reyna's fuzzy trace theory in understanding and improving risk communication practices, highlighting the need for precise communication to avoid generalization biases and specifying the conditions under which risk assessments are valid.