Explain the five factors that cause people to judge a technology or a product as being more or less risky than experts deem it to be.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1. Fear-research shows fear causes people to overestimate risks and to worry more about unusual risks than they do about common, everyday risks. For example, people tend to overestimate numbers of deaths caused by natural disasters and terrorist attacks, and to underestimate numbers of deaths from such things as influenza, diabetes, heart attacks, and automobile accidents.2. Degree of control-most people have a greater fear of things over which they do not have personal control. For example, some feel safer driving than flying, but the numbers show a much greater frequency of fatal car accidents than plane crashes.3. Whether a risk is catastrophic-people are usually more frightened by news of catastrophic accidents, such as plane crashes, than they are of deaths caused by such things as smoking, which actually causes more deaths over time.4. Optimism bias-some people tend to believe that risks that apply to other people do not apply to them. For example, some may think that others should not text and drive but they may do so themselves at times.5. Instant gratification-many of the things people do are highly pleasurable and the potential harm from such activities comes later. For example, smoking, tanning, and overeating.