Psychological Risk Communication (2005)Clarke, Lee Abstract: Images of group panic and collective chaos are ubiquitous in Hollywood movies, mainstream media and the rhetoric of politicians. But, contrary to these popular portrayals, group panic is relatively rare. In disasters people are often models of civility and cooperation.
Fischhoff, Baruch Abstract: The human sciences must be utilized in communicating the risks of terrorism – specifically the public's psychology. Experts must understand the public, while the public has to understand experts if any type of communication is to be effective and trust established. It is senseless to communicate things that are already considered to be “common knowledge.” The public will lose respect for the government. Common knowledge can be gauged by structured interviews. There is a study on emotions and terror risk judgments with respect to gender. A model is shown that displays people's risk from a bio-related event. Such models are good for educating the public for what to expect in the long-term. There needs to be more discussion among the public so government knows what to present to them.
Glass, Thomas A. and Monica Schoch-Spana Abstract: The public needs to be informed and engaged as an equal partner if a community is to survive a major terrorist attack. New Yorkers acting out of compassion proved this is possible during the 9/11 airplane strikes on the Twin Towers. The mass media, specialists, and community programs will prevent panic. The reason why so many people left the surrounding area after the partial melt-down at TMI was a lack of solid communication from those in charge. One of the advantages in engaging the public is highlighted by the complex web of networks already established, “The general public is comprised of an interconnected matrix of networks and subnetworks organized around social institutions and relationships. Individuals are members of organizations and groups whose social ties, resources, communication links, and leadership structures might be used to facilitate a better and more coordinated response after a terrorist attack” (219). Informing the public in a timely manner will ensure the cooperation of such groups within the community.
Glenn, David Abstract: Social scientists say the government's preparation for bioterrorism attacks gives too little credit to the public. The original TOPOFF exercise, conducted in the carefree spring of 2000, revealed serious flaws in the public-health infrastructure. Various federal and state agencies failed to coordinate their responses. The emergency room at the Medical Center of Aurora, Colo., was overwhelmed by 800 "patients," and the governor was forced to declare a "state of emergency" in order to stanch civil unrest. In a companion East Coast scenario, National Guard troops "shot" desperate citizens in confrontations at antidote-distribution centers. In the intervening three years, of course, bioterrorism has become a reality, and the federal government has invested a great deal of effort in preparedness. Most observers expect this spring's exercises to run much more smoothly. That's in part because governments, both state and federal, have been working with academics to model scenarios, and, indeed, to create laws designed to guide agencies in the aftermath of a bioterrorist attack. "I've had to put my life on hold for a year," says Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of law at Georgetown University and of public health at the Johns Hopkins University , who was invited to lead an effort to revise state public-health laws. "But I wanted to make sure that this went forward in a way that respected individual rights."
Hall, Molly J., Ann E. Norwood, Robert J. Ursano, Carol S. Fullerton, and Catherine J. Levinson Abstract: The primary goal of terrorism is to disrupt society by provoking intense fear and shattering all sense of personal and community safety. The target is an entire nation, not only those who are killed, injured, or even directly affected. Terrorism is a special type of disaster, one caused by human malevolence, that produces higher rates of psychiatric casualties than do natural disasters or technological accidents. Terrorist attacks using weapons of mass destruction, particularly chemical and biological agents, are relatively new phenomena. The Aum Shinrikyo's 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway system brought this to the world's attention, and concern increased after it was learned that the group had tried to release anthrax and to obtain the Ebola virus. The destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001 was followed by a bioterrorist attack. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to media outlets and government officials. These attacks were circumscribed, but calculated to inflict maximal psychological casualties, social disruption, and economic downturn.
RAND Health Abstract: We assembled a team of researchers who designed and conducted a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. households three to five days after the attacks. The purpose of the survey was to determine the immediate reactions of adults to the events and their perceptions of their children's reactions. Our primary goal was to learn whether people around the country experienced symptoms of stress at rates anywhere near those of people who lived within close proximity. In addition, we hoped to learn something about how people coped with their reactions. |