Cross-National Validation of an Eight-Factor Model of Societal Risk Perception

ABSTRACT

This study cross-nationally tested an eight-factor model of societal risk perception. The factors in the model were: Common individual hazards, Pollutants, Energy production and public transportation, Outdoor activities, Sex, deviance and addictions, Medical care, Weapons, and Psychotropic drugs. Using confirmatory factor analyses, the model was tested on a sample of Greek students and on a sample of French students, and was shown to satisfactorily account for the data in both samples. This model may be considered as a potentially useful tool for studying cross-national as well as individual differences (e.g., age, gender, worldviews or personality) in risk perception. Future studies are needed to determine: (a) whether this model applies to samples composed of persons of different ages or composed of persons from non-Western countries and (b) whether this model could be usefully expanded with one or more factors.

Key Words:

• risk perception
• Greece
• France

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the Laboratoire Ethics & Works (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes), the SAFE European Network of Excellence, and by the UMR Travail & Cognition (Mirail University). Thanks are extended to Sheila Rivière Shafighi and Félix Neto for their many helpful suggestions.