Perception of Environmental Risk Related to Gender, Community Socioeconomic Setting, Age, and Locus of Control

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how precollege students' perception of risk for 20 environmental hazards related to gender, community socioeconomic setting (CSES), age, and locus of control. The sample consisted of 231 participants, 10-17 years of age, drawn from 12 schools located in a large metropolitan area of the southeastern United States. Female students had significantly higher (p < .01) perception-of-risk scores than male students. Participants in the internal locus-of-control group posted higher perception-of-risk scores than those in either intermediate or external groups. There was a significant difference between scores of internals and intermediates (p < .05). Neither age nor CSES had a significant (α = .05) relationship with perception of risk. Interactions among variables, effects of sex-role stereotyping, and social amplification of risk through the media are discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sandra J. Peterson

Donald E. Riechard is an associate professor in the Division of Educational Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Sandra J. Peterson is a science teacher at Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA.