Some Factors Related to Increased or Decreased Perception of Risk
| Decreases Perceived Risk | Increases Perceived Risk |
|---|---|
| Hazard factors | |
| Familiar | Unfamiliar |
| Not catastrophic | Catastrophic potential |
| Natural | Synthetic |
| Adults affected | Fetuses or children affected |
| Nondreaded effect | Dreaded effect (cancer, birth defects) |
| Voluntary | Involuntary |
| Personal factors | |
| Male gender | Female gender |
| White race | Nonwhite race |
| Scientist | Nonscientist |
| Employed by industry or government | Employed by academic institutions |
| Social and ethical factors | |
| Trust in the risk communicator | Mistrust |
| Trust in the risk imposer (polluter) | Mistrust |
| Equal distribution of risks and benefits | Unfair or unequal distribution of risks and benefits |
| No perception of preexisting problem | Perception of unfair burden of cumulative risk in the community |