Introduction
People’s perception of various levels of global risk is an imperative topic for understanding the processes that occur in society. Emergencies can manifest their impact in different aspects of people’s lives, from general ones, such as the healthcare sector, to individual, more targeted consequences. At the same time, people’s reactions to global disasters or changes in their usual pastime can be formed under the influence of certain factors, including individual, social, or media coverage of the situation (Joffe & O’Connor, 2013). The interaction of individual emotions and deliberation can provide insight into how people respond to risks.
Theoretical Basis
Social Representations Theory (SRT) is a basic framework that can help understand people’s emotions and thoughts that can create shared meanings. To understand the social psychology of risk and how relationships within people’s minds shape their reactions, it is necessary to consider the concept of the perception field, which focuses on certain biases, pre-specified dimensions, and demographic trends (Joffe, n. d. b). With the help of this concept, people can perceive any global catastrophic events and formulate their reactions in response.
This can be called common sense, which appears when the origin of people’s mental perception begins to take shape and certain functions are manifested by an emotional or compelling reaction (Caillaud et al., 2019). In this way, gradual steps transform the initially unclear formats of thoughts into one common idea through constant interaction in society. Understanding this process can provide a more detailed disclosure and understanding of the symbiosis of deliberations that occur in response to specific events.
Shaping a Response
The response to global problems arising from a threat to the entire society can be formed under the influence of certain elements such as the media or local communities. This effect can be considered using the example of the recent global threat of the coronavirus pandemic. The formation of responses to such global risks can be based on each person’s personal experience. However, in a broader sense, awareness of the danger posed by an unknown disease can cause concern among the general public (Ruggeri et al., 2022).
An example of such a reaction could be observed during the beginning of news spread about COVID-19 and lockdowns across the planet. Active exposure to alarming news in the media contributed to people’s perception of the disease as a mortal threat. Availability and accuracy of data also have a substantial impact, as public concern may increase when accurate and verified information is limited (Joffe, n. d. c). This marks a thought process that results in an awareness of danger, sometimes even more significant than it is, which leads to public panic.
Public Perception of Global Risks
Realizing the threat posed by any situation is accompanied by the information and awareness people have, which can increase or decrease over time. For example, climate change-related problems are relevant and constantly in the spotlight of public attention.This may happen because they can have catastrophic consequences, seen in hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, and many other manifestations (Joffe, n.d.a).
The media plays a crucial role in the public perception of this phenomenon, as they actively highlight news and data about global warming or natural disasters. In addition, international meetings are held regularly to consider measures that can be taken to address the threat of climate change (Bradley et al., 2020). In this context, people’s perceptions of risk are influenced by the wide availability of information and constant, up-to-date updates. This allows us to form a confident attitude towards these factors by forming a moral duty to preserve nature (Maiella et al., 2020; Shrum et al., 2020). The scale and long-term impact of changes also facilitate this.
Emotional Thinking
Risk perception in the initial stages involves the emotional aspect as the first response to any dangerous or unclear situation. However, people may overemphasize the significance of an event due to first impressions and incomplete understanding (Møller, 2021). Cognitive assessment is a more advanced aspect that allows risks to be viewed in a pragmatic context. Systematic data collection and analysis of past events can add to the concerned response or, conversely, reduce it depending on the actual threat level (Slovic, 1988). To better understand the situation and investigate what happened, the public can unite by mobilizing resources in such a way as to come to a common opinion (Brosch, 2021). By considering a complex picture of risk, people can capture an emotional and rational understanding of it to provide a specific response subsequently.
Conclusion
Studying the interactions of thoughts and deliberation in combination with the emotional component allows us to understand how people’s perceptions of global risks are created. The media, social networks, and the general availability of information regarding a particular issue play a significant role in this context. Together, these aspects allow people to fully perceive all the elements of a critical situation that can develop without a reaction. Thus, the formation of public perception of risk contributes to the fact that people begin to take specific actions, such as wearing masks during quarantine or sorting garbage to prevent climate change. These steps represent the deep concern that could arise from the intersection of several influence factors considered.
References
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