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 class will address these issues, in order to provide the tools to promote resilience and safety of a community.
The module aims at exploring how individuals perceive, assess, and communicate risks in various contexts concerning environmental hazards. Through interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, sociology, communication studies, and risk analysis, students delve into the cognitive, emotional, and social factors influencing risk perception. The module also examines strategies for effective risk communication, including message framing, visual aids, and the role of media and technology. By critically analyzing case studies and current research, students develop a nuanced understanding of how risk perception shapes public attitudes, policies, and behaviors.
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 teaching unit, 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
Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), disabilities or other educational needs are invited to contact the teacher and the School's contact person for disability at the beginning of teaching to agree on possible teaching arrangements that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning patterns. Contacts of the teacher and the School's disability contact person can be found at the following link Comitato di Ateneo per l’inclusione delle studentesse e degli studenti con disabilità o con DSA | UniGe | Università di Genova
- introduction to the teaching unit
- 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 teaching unit 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
The following reading material is compulsory for the preparation for the exam. The slides alone are not enough for a proper preparation.
- 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
Ricevimento: Appointments to be confirmed by email, write at fabrizio.bracco@unige.it
https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/11921/students-timetable
Exam for students attending the class
The exam is structured in two steps:
1. presentation of a research paper chosen among those posted on the Aulaweb page of the class. 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. written exam with open-ended questions about the main topics of the teaching unit
Exam for students not attending the class
Written exam with open-ended questions about the main topics of the course
For students attending the teaching unit, 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
- correcteness and completeness of answers in the written test
For students not attending the teaching unit, the assessment will concern:
Ask the professor for other information not included in the teaching schedule.
