Numeracy and the Perceptionand Communication of Risk

摘要

In the present paper, I focus on a small but important piece of the risk communication/perceptionpuzzle, namely how individuals who differ in number ability comprehend and use numeric in-formation about risks differently. Highly numerate individuals appear to pay more attention tonumbers, better comprehend them, translate them into meaningful information, and ultimatelyuse them in decisions. Decisions of the less numerate are informed less by numbers and moreby other non-numeric sources of information, such as their emotions, mood states, and trust ordistrust in science, the government, and experts. Careful attention to information presentation,however, allows the less numerate to understand and use numbers more effectively in decisions.As a result, the challenge is not merely to communicate accurate information to the public but tounderstand how to present that information so that it is used in risky decisions.