| CODE | 104394 |
|---|---|
| ACADEMIC YEAR | 2023/2024 |
| CREDITS |
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| SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR | M-PSI/06 |
| LANGUAGE | English |
| TEACHING LOCATION |
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| SEMESTER | 2° Semester |
| TEACHING MATERIALS | AULAWEB |
Presentation
People’s behaviour in relation to a risk depends on many factors: cognitive, emotional, social, political, and cultural. Risk communication faces the challenging goal to tackle as many factors as possible, in order to foster a proper perception of risks and, consequently, safe behaviors. This loop between perception and communication must be monitored. This course will address these issues, in order to provide the tools to promote resilience and safety of a community.
The course will address the topic of risk from a psychosocial perspective, as it is perceived by stakeholders and as it is communicated among them. The participants will be able to describe the main factors concerning risk perception and its relationship with risk-protective behaviours. They will also be able to analyze case studies by means of theoretical frameworks and models concerning risk perception. In addition, they will be able to describe and apply the main principles of risk and crisis communication to specific cases.
After an introduction to the several approaches to investigate and model human risk perception, we will describe the communication strategies more effective for promoting a proper risk perception in the community.
At the end of the course, the students will be able to:
- describe the main approaches to model risk perception
- apply the risk perception theories to specific case studies and different environmental risks
- describe on the most recent communication strategies to trigger behavioural changes in citizens
- list the main phases of risk communication plans
- apply the communication principles to specific case studies
- describe the main characteristics of crisis communication
No prerequisites needed
· Frontal teaching
· Case studies
· Video analysis
· Group activities
· Talks
Working students and students with DSA, disability or other special educational needs certification are advised to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and exam methods which, in compliance with the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning patterns.
Syllabus
- introduction to the course
- definition of risk and risk perception
- rational approach to risk perception
- neurophysiology of risk perception
- risk perception and decision making
- bounded rationality
- heuristics and biases
- the psychometric paradigm of risk perception
- personal characteristics that affect risk perception
- social and cultural factors in risk perception
- risk perception models
- risk communication models
- nudge approach to risk communication
- effective communication of risks
- crisis communication
- dealing with the media
This course contributes to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda:
Goal no. 3 Health and well-being
Ensuring health and well-being for all and for all ages
Goal no. 11 Sustainable cities and communities
Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, durable and sustainable
Goal no. 13 Combating climate change
Take urgent measures to combat climate change and its consequences
- slides on aulaweb
- Pamela (Ferrante) Walaski (2011). Risk and Crisis Communications: Methods and Messages, New York, Wiley.
- David Ropeik (2010). How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don't Always Match the Facts. McGraw-Hill
Office hours: Appointments to be confirmed by email, write at fabrizio.bracco@unige.it
All class schedules are posted on the EasyAcademy portal.
Students with learning disorders ("disturbi specifici di apprendimento", DSA) will be allowed to use specific modalities and supports that will be determined on a case-by-case basis in agreement with the delegate of the Engineering courses in the Committee for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.
Exam for students attending the course
The exam is structured in two steps:
1. presentation of a research paper chosen among those posted on the Aulaweb page of the course. The assignment is a powerpoint presentation where you provide a detailed description of the paper. After each presentation, all the other students must ask at least one question to the presenter.
2. Oral exam discussing the issues raised by the research paper and the topics of the whole program (slides and handbooks).
Exam for students not attending the course
- Oral exam discussing the topics of the whole program (slides and handbooks).
For students attending the course, the assessment will concern:
- capacity to synthetise the main topics of the chosen paper
- capacity to express the contents with clarity and precision of terminology
- capacity to link the presentation to the topics discussed in the program
For students not attending the course, the assessment will concern:
- capacity to express the program contents with clarity and precision of terminology
- capacity to link the topics discussed in the program with real cases
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