EMF Database abstract: PERCEPTION OF RISKS FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS: A PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF A RISK-COMMUNICATION APPROACH.

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PERCEPTION OF RISKS FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS: A PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF A RISK-COMMUNICATION APPROACH.
(Eng.) MacGregor, D. G.; Slovic, P.; Morgan, M. G. [Decision Res., 1201 Oak St., Eugene, OR 97401 (RR/D.G.M., P.S.); Dept. of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (M.G.M.)] Risk Anal 14(5):815-828; 1994
Funding: EPRI Contract No. RP2955-3; Natl. Science Foundation Grant SES-9122178

To evaluate the effects of informing the public about potential health risks of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, the authors compared responses to questionnaires evaluating attitudes toward EMF health risk and regulations before and after providing subjects with prepared information. In July 1990, a pretest questionnaire was administered to 60 volunteers, chosen from the Univ. of Oregon community. The volunteers then read a 16 page brochure produced at Carnegie Mellon Univ. that described physical characteristics of EMFs, the types of studies that have been done on EMF health effects, and discussion of the scientific uncertainty surrounding research results. A posttest questionnaire was administered immediately after the subjects finished reading the brochure in which subjects were specifically asked for their attitudes and opinions about 22 kinds of risks including 4 involving extremely low frequency EMF exposure (electric blankets, hair dryers, large power lines, and electric can openers), 1 associated with radiofrequency nonionizing radiation exposure (microwave ovens), and 17 non-EMF risks which included handguns, cigarette smoking, nuclear reactors, automobiles, and genetic engineering research. Each subject's attitudes and opinions were scored on 8 psychometric scales to quantify perceptions about the level of: (1) risk to those exposed, (2) benefit to society, (3) knowledge about the risk held by people who are exposed, (4) knowledge about the risk held by scientists, (5) dread, (6) severity of consequences (if a mishap occurs), (7) control over the risk, and (8) equity in the distribution of benefits and risks. A second study was conducted in April 1993 in which 70 persons (group A) were given the pretest questionnaire followed by the brochure and the posttest questionnaire as in the 1990 study, while a second group of 69 subjects (group B) received only the brochure, followed by the same posttest questionnaire given to group-A subjects. Overall, approximately 59% of participants claimed to have heard about the possible health risks of exposure to EMFs, mostly from articles in newspapers or magazines (80%) or by discussions with friends or relatives (62.9%). In the 1990 study, pretest questionnaire responses indicated that risks from electric can openers, hair dryers, and electric blankets were similarly perceived as extremely low with regard to severity of consequences, dread, and knowledge. They were regarded as extremely equitable in the risk/benefit distributions, low on benefits, and high on controllability of risk. By contrast, large power lines stood out among the 4 EMF items as being perceived higher in risk; better known to both science and the exposed; higher in severity of consequences, dread, and benefits; lower on control; and less equitable in the risk/benefit distributions. Microwave ovens were consistently rated as somewhat less risky and less beneficial than power lines, but more risky and beneficial than the other EMF items. After reading the brochure, the mean risk ratings tended to increase substantially, ranging from 56% of subjects increasing their risk rating for power lines to 76% for electric can openers. Some subjects also reported decreased risk ratings which varied from 28% (power lines) to 8% (electric blankets). The increases in mean perceived risk were large enough to move each item considerably higher in the ranking across the 22 items. Specifically, electric blankets moved up from 8 to 17 (where 1 = the lowest risk), hair dryers from 2 to 14, large power lines from 16 to 18, and electric can openers from 1 to 11. Results of the April 1993 study also indicated that perceived risks for all 4 EMF items were significantly increased after reading the brochure. The principle difference between the 1990 and 1993 results was seen in the control scale, where reading the brochure resulted in significantly increased perceptions of control in 1990, but not in 1993. The brochure had significant effects on perceived risk for all 4 EMF items. The pretest sensitized subjects in group A to material in the brochure, particularly for hair dryers and electric can openers, but overall the effect of the pretest on posttest ratings was not as great as the effect of the brochure. The authors concluded that reading a brochure designed to provide objective information about the present state of knowledge regarding health risks of EMFs significantly increased people's perceptions and concerns about these risks, especially perceived negative effects of EMFs on the nervous system, the immune system, cell growth and reproduction, chronic depression, and cancer.

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