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Designing Risk Communications: Completing and Correcting Mental Models of Hazardous Processes, Part I
Author(s) -
Atman Cynthia J.,
Bostrom Ann,
Fischhoff Baruch,
Morgan M. Granger
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
risk analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1539-6924
pISSN - 0272-4332
DOI - 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1994.tb00289.x
Subject(s) - risk communication , set (abstract data type) , comprehension , mental model , risk analysis (engineering) , hazardous waste , computer science , risk assessment , engineering , management science , psychology , computer security , business , cognitive science , waste management , programming language
Many risk communications are intended to help the lay public make complex decisions about risk. To guide risk communicators with this objective, a mental models approach to the design and characterization of risk communications is proposed. Building on text comprehension and mental models research, this approach offers an integrated set of methods to help the risk communication designer choose and analyze risk communication content, structure, and organization. An applied example shows that two radon brochures designed with this approach present roughly the same expert facts as a radon brochure widely distributed by the U.S. EPA but meet higher standards on other content, structure, and organization criteria.