TY - JOUR
T1 - Are People Acting Irrationally? Understanding Public Concerns About Environmental Threats
AU - Wandersman, Abraham H.
AU - Hallman, William K.
PY - 1993/6
Y1 - 1993/6
N2 - News stories about environmental events illustrate public concerns about environmental policy and regulations. Increasingly, public perceptions of risk and fear of cancer are influencing the development of public policy regarding the environment. Policymakers have often regarded these public concerns as irrational. The purpose of this article is to describe how psychological research can be used to understand the public's concerns about environmental threats and to discuss the "irrationality" of these concerns. Examples are drawn from research on perceived risk and fear of cancer, and roles are suggested for psychology and psychologists in informing environmental policymaking.
AB - News stories about environmental events illustrate public concerns about environmental policy and regulations. Increasingly, public perceptions of risk and fear of cancer are influencing the development of public policy regarding the environment. Policymakers have often regarded these public concerns as irrational. The purpose of this article is to describe how psychological research can be used to understand the public's concerns about environmental threats and to discuss the "irrationality" of these concerns. Examples are drawn from research on perceived risk and fear of cancer, and roles are suggested for psychology and psychologists in informing environmental policymaking.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0001079160&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0001079160&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0003-066X.48.6.681
DO - 10.1037/0003-066X.48.6.681
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0001079160
VL - 48
SP - 681
EP - 686
JO - American Psychologist
JF - American Psychologist
SN - 0003-066X
IS - 6
ER -