Communicating Risks: Principles and Challenges

Risk communication is about exchanging risk information and opinions, and influences how people perceive and act on risks. This chapter first describes how risk communicators attract people’s attention and present information. Then the chapter explores what influences understanding and acceptance or rejection of messages, with a focus on uncertainty and mental models. Next, the chapter describes how people evaluate and use risk messages and how risk messaging relates to behavioral tendencies and behavioral responses, with an emphasis on choice architecture and habits. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the importance of matching risk communication goals and methods to audience attributes.