title: Exposure Knowledge and Perception of Wireless Communication Technologies.
abstract: The presented survey investigates risk and exposure perceptions of radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) associated with base stations, mobile phones and other sources, the key issue being the interaction between both sets of perceptions. The study is based on a cross-sectional design, and conducted with an online sample of 838 citizens from Portugal. The results indicate that respondents' intuitive exposure perception differs from the actual exposure levels. Furthermore, exposure and risk perceptions are found to be highly correlated. Respondents' beliefs about exposure factors, which might influence possible health risks, is appropriate. A regression analysis between exposure characteristics, as predictor variables, and RF EMF risk perception, as the response variable, indicates that people seem to use simple heuristics to form their perceptions. What is bigger, more frequent and longer lasting is seen as riskier. Moreover, the quality of exposure knowledge is not an indicator for amplified EMF risk perception. These findings show that exposure perception is key to future risk communication.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Berlin 10178, Germany. frederik.freudenstein@wf-emf.org.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Freudenstein
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior Técnico/INOV-INESC, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal. luis.correia@inov.pt.
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior Técnico/INOV-INESC, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal. carla.oliveira@inov.pt.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior Técnico/INOV-INESC, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal. daniel.sebastiao@inov.pt.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sebastião
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, New South Wales, Australia. peter_wiedemann@uow.edu.au.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Wiedemann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D011174:Portugal; D000069079:Radiation Exposure; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D059015:Wireless Technology
keywords: RF EMF; base stations; electromagnetic field; exposure perception; mobile phones; radio frequency; risk assessment; risk communication; risk perception