THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED KNOWLEDGE, CONTROL AND RISK ASSOCIATED WITH A RANGE OF FOOD-RELATED HAZARDS TARGETED AT THE INDIVIDUAL, OTHER PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

The relationship between perceived risk perceived control and perceive d knowledge was investigated for a range of food related hazards. One hundred and eighty six questionnaires were completed; these were desig ned to assess perceived risk for a range of food related hazards at th ree levels of risk ''target'' - personal risk, risk for other people, and risk for society. Additional questions about perceived control and perceived knowledge for the potential hazards were also asked. Result s indicated that individuals perceived personal risk to be lower than for either other people or society, independent of the hazard characte ristics, in line with the theory of optimistic bias. Personal control tended to be seen as greater for the self than for other people, for t hose hazards where personal control was conceptually feasible. Perceiv ed control for societal hazards was conferred onto society. Individual s thought that personal knowledge for a given hazard was greater than for other people. No direct relationship between perceived control and perceived risk was found, although there was a direct relationship be tween perceived knowledge and perceived control. The results are discu ssed within the framework of optimistic bias and illusion of control. It is concluded that the mechanism for such effects is dependent on th e perceived characteristics of the potential hazard itself. Optimistic bias and greater perceived knowledge about potential hazards may expl ain the failure of public information campaigns; individuals will assu me that they are invulnerable to hazards, and that information is dire cted at individuals less knowledgeable than themselves.