Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context

Although many risk studies investigate perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, the causal relationships among them have not yet been verified. Thus, further investigations of these relationships are necessary. This study analyzes three causal models consisting of three components: perceptions (i.e.,...

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Autores principales: Kim, Byoung Joon, Kim, Seoyong, Kim, Sunhee
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600510/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33053664
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207403
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author Kim, Byoung Joon
Kim, Seoyong
Kim, Sunhee
author_facet Kim, Byoung Joon
Kim, Seoyong
Kim, Sunhee
author_sort Kim, Byoung Joon
collection PubMed
description Although many risk studies investigate perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, the causal relationships among them have not yet been verified. Thus, further investigations of these relationships are necessary. This study analyzes three causal models consisting of three components: perceptions (i.e., perceived risk in this study), attitudes (i.e., satisfaction), and behavior (i.e., support for policy). This study checks these relationships in the context of nuclear energy policy. Using a hierarchical regression model, this study tests three different models between the three components: (1) Model 1 (a high-involvement model), (2) Model 2 (a low-involvement model), and (3) Model 3 (a hedonic model). First, in the high-involvement model, behavior is affected by perceptions and attitudes. In particular, attitudes mediate the relationship between risk perceptions and satisfaction. Second, in the low-involvement model, attitudes indirectly affect perceptions through behaviors. Third, in the hedonic model, behaviors affect attitudes, and risk perceptions do not mediate that relationship. This causal model does not depend on perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of nuclear power. Our analysis shows that Model 1 is fully significant, and Model 2 and 3 are only partially significant.
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spelling pubmed-76005102020-11-01 Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context Kim, Byoung Joon Kim, Seoyong Kim, Sunhee Int J Environ Res Public Health Article Although many risk studies investigate perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, the causal relationships among them have not yet been verified. Thus, further investigations of these relationships are necessary. This study analyzes three causal models consisting of three components: perceptions (i.e., perceived risk in this study), attitudes (i.e., satisfaction), and behavior (i.e., support for policy). This study checks these relationships in the context of nuclear energy policy. Using a hierarchical regression model, this study tests three different models between the three components: (1) Model 1 (a high-involvement model), (2) Model 2 (a low-involvement model), and (3) Model 3 (a hedonic model). First, in the high-involvement model, behavior is affected by perceptions and attitudes. In particular, attitudes mediate the relationship between risk perceptions and satisfaction. Second, in the low-involvement model, attitudes indirectly affect perceptions through behaviors. Third, in the hedonic model, behaviors affect attitudes, and risk perceptions do not mediate that relationship. This causal model does not depend on perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of nuclear power. Our analysis shows that Model 1 is fully significant, and Model 2 and 3 are only partially significant. MDPI 2020-10-12 2020-10 /pmc/articles/PMC7600510/ /pubmed/33053664 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207403 Text en © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Kim, Byoung Joon
Kim, Seoyong
Kim, Sunhee
Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context
title Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context
title_full Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context
title_fullStr Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context
title_full_unstemmed Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context
title_short Searching for New Directions for Energy Policy: Testing Three Causal Models of Risk Perception, Attitude, and Behavior in Nuclear Energy Context
title_sort searching for new directions for energy policy: testing three causal models of risk perception, attitude, and behavior in nuclear energy context
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600510/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33053664
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207403
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