Discussion of Average versus Extreme Case Severity in Pandemic Risk Communications.
To investigate determinants of the public's perceptions of disease threat, in 2015 we conducted a randomized survey experiment in the Netherlands. Adults who read a mock news article describing average +or extreme outcomes from a hypothetical influenza pandemic were more influenced by average than by extreme case information. Presenting both types of information simultaneously appeared counterproductive.
Brian J
BJ
Zikmund-Fisher
Aaron M
AM
Scherer
Megan
M
Knaus
Enny
E
Das
Angela
A
Fagerlin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D003625:Data Collection; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D058873:Pandemics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012306:Risk; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
health education; influenza; pandemic; risk communication; surveys; the Netherlands; viruses