bLOCK 4: Risk Communication and Applications Flashcards
What is risk?
Probability or threat of damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities
- may be avoided by preemptive action
What is the equation for risk?
Threat x vulnerabilities / capacity
T or F: Increasing capacity can decrease risk
True
How can risk be reduced?
- Increase capacity
- Decrease threat
- Decrease vulnerabilities
Risk = hazard + _________
Outrage (emotional component, how upset its likely to make people)
What is risk perception?
Combo of thought and emotion
Plato states that human behavior flows from 3 main sources:
Desire, emotion, and knowledge
From frequently to rarely, how do people react to risk?
Acceptance, fear, denial, and then panic
Which of the following is less common, denial or fear?
Denial is less common
What are the factors involved in fear?
- Automatic
- Comes early
- Temporary
- Small over reaction
- May need guidance
- Slow to extinguish
- Easily re-established
- Contagious
True or False: Fear is contagious
True
How do we reduce negative feelings?
- Legitimize fear
- Take actions to address fear
- Make decisions to act from a given range of options
What is true about trust?
- Slowly acquired
- Readily extinguished
- Difficult to re-establish
What is an example of a potential site-specific crisis?
- Explosion / fire
- Bomb threat
- Lab incidents with release of material into community
- Death of employee
What is risk communication in public health?
Two way exchange of info and opinions to gain a better understanding and management of risks
Within risk communication, who is responsible for ID of risks and harms?
Risk assessment team
Within risk communication, who is responsible for discussing options to manage risks and harms?
Risk management team
What harmful human behaviors can occur during a crisis?
- Demands for unneeded tx
- Disorganized group behavior (looting/stealing/hoarding)
- Fraud
- Increased alcohol and tobacco use
- MUPS (ppl getting sick bc of fear)
Why is risk communication IMPT?
- Empowers audiences to make informed decisions
- Counter/corrects rumors (Ex: ppl w COVID scared to give it to their pets)
- Decrease illness/injury/death
- Discourage neg behavior
- Execute response plans
What are the 4 tasks of risk communication?
- Outrage management
- Sweet spot
- Crisis communication
- Pre-caution advocacy
What is precaution advocacy?
When the hazard is high but the outrage is low
we have to communicate to people who aren’t upset/concerned about a serious problem
“watch out”
What is outrage management?
When the hazard is low but the outrage is high
have to tell ppl to calm down
- reassuring very upset ppl about small risks
What is crisis communication?
When the hazard and outrage is high
-ppl are appropriately upset about a serious risk
Have to acknowledge and explain that we will get through this together
What is the sweet spot for risk communication
When hazard and outrage are both intermediate
Talking to interested ppl about significant but not urgent risks**
