Conventional Wisdom on Risk Communication and Evidence from a Field Experiment

A recent comprehensive review of the literature identified a number of facts and principles governing risk communication. This paper evaluates several of these propositions using recent evidence from a field experiment in communicating the risks from radon in homes. At this point in the research, data relates primarily to the response of risk perceptions to different information treatments and different personal characteristics. The effect of various causal factors is sensitive to the particular test of risk perception applied. No information treatment was clearly superior for all tasks. An important implication of these findings is that risk communicators must determine what specific task or tasks the information program should enable people to do.     

Sexual attitudes and contraception among females across five college samples.

The relationships among sexual attitudes, sexual and contraceptive behavior, and responses to statements about sexual topics are explored using data obtained in the Sexual Opinion Survey concerning 772 women attending four midwestern U.S. universities in the period 1977-1979. "Associations generally occurred between the expression of more positive sexual attitudes and the reporting of behaviors and attitudes supportive of effective contraceptive activity."     

Understanding the Adoption Process of National Security Technology: An Integration of Diffusion of Innovations and Volitional Behavior Theories

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government initiated several national security technology adoption programs. The American public, however, has been skeptical about these initiatives and adoption of national security technologies has been mandated, rather than voluntary. We propose and test a voluntary behavioral intention formation model for the adoption of one type of new security technology: portable radiation detectors. Portable radiation detectors are an efficient way of detecting radiological and nuclear threats and could potentially prevent loss of life and damage to individuals’ health. However, their functioning requires that a critical mass of individuals use them on a daily basis. We combine the explanatory advantages of diffusion of innovation with the predictive power of two volitional behavior frameworks: the theory of reasoned action and the health belief model. A large sample survey (N = 1,482) investigated the influence of factors identified in previous diffusion of innovation research on portable radiation detector adoption intention. Results indicated that nonfinancial incentives, as opposed to financial incentives, should be emphasized in persuasive communications aimed at fostering adoption. The research provides a new integration of diffusion of innovation elements with determinants of volitional behavior from persuasion literature, and offers recommendations on effective communication about new security technologies to motivate public adoption and enhance national safety.     

High School Retention Rates and Social Class

Sixth form retention rates were calculated for each State high school in the Wollongong urban area and correlated with two measures of social class (education and occupation) in each high school feeder area. The study found that retention rates in the Wollongong Urban Area ranged from 12.94% to 31.04%. The rates vary directly with the proportions of the feeder area populations in professional and managerial occupations (r = 0.94, p < 0.01) and with Leaving Certificate or higher education (r = 0.93, p < 0.01). The rates varied inversely with the proportions of feeder area populations employed in trade, unskilled and production process occupations (r = ?0.70, p < 0.05).     

A Multilevel Analysis of Interracial Relationship Characteristics Among Young Adults

Using retrospective data on relationship histories from Wave 3 (2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), I examined differences between interracial and same-race relationships within a multilevel framework (i.e., relationship histories nested within individuals). The results of this analysis generally supported patterns previously established in the literature through non-hierarchical regression analysis, and additionally provided estimates for the associations of interracial relationship involvement with sexual intercourse and partner age difference (two variables that have received little consideration in the past literature on interracial relationship characteristics). Results indicated that, while controlling for individual-level factors that have been shown to significantly impact interracial relationship formation, interracial relationships have significantly higher odds than do same-race relationships of also being same-sex relationships and of involving sexual intercourse. In addition, compared to same-race relationships, interracial relationship involvement is associated with a greater age difference between partners. Finally, interracial relationships have significantly lower odds than do their same-race counterparts of lasting 3 months or longer in duration, or of progressing to a marital or cohabiting status.     

An Evaluation of Conditional Manding Using a Four-Component Multiple Schedule

Most verbal behavior curricula for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focus on teaching multiple mands during the early stages of training (e.g., picture exchange communication system; Bondy & Frost, 1994). However, few, if any, of those curricula train children with ASD to differentially mand only for reinforcers that are reasonable for a caregiver to deliver in a given context (e.g., mands to cuddle at bedtime) and to refrain from manding for reinforcers that would be inappropriate to deliver in that context (e.g., mands to play outside at bedtime). In this study, we first taught a boy with ASD two initial mands. Immediately thereafter we brought those mands under the conditional discriminative control of a four-component multiple schedule with (a) S¹ correlated with one reinforcer available (i.e., edibles), (b) S² correlated with both reinforcers available (i.e., edibles or drink), (c) S³ correlated with another reinforcer available (i.e., drink), and (d) S^Δ correlated with no reinforcer available. Following treatment, the child displayed conditionally discriminated manding in accordance with each of the four components of the schedule. We discuss these findings relative to the potential benefits of bringing mands under both evocative and discriminative control.