THE RISK OF COMMUNICATING RISK: SEVEN MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS THAT ARE ERROR-PRONE IN RISK COMMUNICATIONS

摘要

Risk is a very general term, and for risk assessment in many cases the support of scientific experts is requested. Communicating risk is also a difficult matter: On one hand side mathematical formulations used in risk assessments are prone to being misinterpreted or insufficiently understood by the general public, but on the other hand side there is no way around them if scientific results need to be formulated correctly, accurately and without ambiguity. This paper discusses seven common mathematical concepts that are often used in risk assessments but have particular pitfalls when used to communicate risk to the general public.