Ms Susan Cooper

Research project: Individual differences and representational effects in perceptions of risk

Abstract

Increasingly, individuals are exposed to probability and risk information (e.g., health risk information), and often expected to make informed, sometimes critical, decisions based upon it. However, such risks can be presented in various forms (e.g., verbally, numerically, graphically), which can influence perception. Where a numerical format is used, numeracy skills can also be pivotal to comprehension and govern subsequent decisions. My research investigates the effects of these factors on decisions involving risk: how different external representations affect perception, and how best to present risk information in order to aid comprehension and facilitate good decision-making.