Abstract
This study contributes to our knowledge of whether and why citizens engage in self-protective behavior with regard to a real-life risk (the transportation of chemical substances by train). We assume that the way in which relevant risk information is processed, actively vs. passively, is a crucial factor. We hypothesize that behavioral training on self-protectiveness (the active approach) will increase respondents’ perceived feasibility (self-efficacy) and the expected usefulness (response-efficacy) of risk-mitigating options to a larger extent than the passive approach (merely read about it). We subsequently propose that behaviorally trained participants will show more self-protectiveness than merely informed participants. Both groups are also compared to an uninformed control group. First, a behavioral-training-effectiveness-study was conducted in order to explore whether the training developed led to an increase in participants’ efficacy beliefs and self-protectiveness (N = 47). Second, in our main study we took a random sample from the town's population (N = 614) and tested if the instructional method (behavioral training vs. information only vs. no information) is a predictor of efficacy beliefs and self-protectiveness. As expected, the instructional method used and the level of perceived response-efficacy positively influence self-protectiveness. Behaviorally trained respondents perceived risk mitigating options as more useful and showed more self-protectiveness than merely informed and uninformed participants. Furthermore, response-efficacy turned out to be a partial mediator between instructional method and self-protectiveness. Self-efficacy did not significantly predict self-protectiveness in this study. This study demonstrates that using appropriate risk communication tools is crucial in order to increase self-protective behavior of citizens.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Safety science |
Volume | 101 |
Early online date | 24 Aug 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2018 |
Keywords
- Behavioral training
- Efficacy beliefs
- Real-life risk
- Self-protective behavior