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A Social Network Contagion Theory of Risk Perception

Bibliographic Data

ID19600580
AuthorsClifford W Scherer (Cornell University, corresponding author), Hichang Cho (0000-0003-1715-4797)
Year2003
Volume23
Issue2
Pages261-267
Publication date2003-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRisk Analysis (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0272-4332 • E-ISSN: 1539-6924
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1539-6924.00306
PMID12731811
OpenAlexW2009790751
LanguageEN
Citations received90
References cited9

Risk perceptions have, to a great extent, been studied exclusively as individual cognitive mechanisms in which individuals collect, process, and form perceptions as atomized units unconnected to a social system. These individual-level theories do not, however, help explain how perception of risk may vary between communities or within a single community. One alternative approach is based on a network theory of contagion. This approach, emerging largely from organizational and community social network studies, suggests that it is the relational aspects of individuals and the resulting networks and self-organizing systems that influence individual perceptions and build "groups or communities of like-minded" individuals. These social units, it is argued, behave as attitude, knowledge, or behavioral structures. The study reported in this article tests one aspect of this theoretical perspective. The central hypothesis proposes the existence of risk perception networks--relational groupings of individuals who share, and perhaps create, similar risk perceptions. To test this idea, data were collected from individuals involved in a community environmental conflict over a hazardous waste site cleanup. The statistical analysis used a matrix of relational social linkages to compare with a matrix of individual risk perceptions The analysis confirmed the hypothesis suggesting that social linkages in communities may play an important role in focusing risk perceptions

Cognition · Perception · Risk perception · Social media · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Computer Science · Disaster Management and Resilience · Psychology · Risk Perception and Management · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works90
Citations per year4,09
Citation span2004 - 2026 (23)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 87
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