Communication and representation of risk in health crisesthe influence of framing and group identity

  1. Idoiaga Mondragón, Nahia
  2. Gil de Montes Etxaide, Lorena
  3. Valencia Garate, José Francisco
Journal:
International Journal of Social Psychology, Revista de Psicología Social

ISSN: 0213-4748,  1579-3680

Year of publication: 2016

Volume: 31

Issue: 1

Pages: 59-74

Type: Article

DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR

More publications in: International Journal of Social Psychology, Revista de Psicología Social

Abstract

Based on the Social Representations Theory (SRT) applied to the social construction of risk and the role played by group identities, this study examines the construction of risk created by the mass media in health epidemics. An experimental design with split-ballot questionnaire and 319 participants was used in which message framing (human interest vs. attribution of responsibility) and proximity (high vs. low) were manipulated for a high invulnerability identity (youth) vs. a low invulnerability identity (elderly) population. Results showed that the human interest framing increased the perception of risk, especially when the proximity of the epidemic was high; this effect was explained by people�s emotional response. Furthermore, youth projected the risk towards �the other� in order to protect their invulnerability identity. Finally, we stress the importance of the SRT on a theoretical and applied level for risk communication in health crises

€ View funding

Funding information

This study was performed with aid for the training of pre-doctoral researchers [Pre_2013_2_541] granted by the Basque government and to the consolidated research group from the UPV/EHU (GIC07/113-IT-255-07) and from the UFI Psychology and Society in the twenty-first Century (UFIPSXXI).

Funders

Bibliographic References

  • Delor, F., & Hubert, M. (2000). Revisiting the concept of vulnerability. Social Science & Medicine, 50, 1557–1570. doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00465-7
  • Farré I Coma, J. (2005). Comunicación de riesgo y espirales del miedo. Comunicación y Sociedad, 3, 95–119.
  • Ghang, P., Faridah, I., & Normah, M. (2010). Framing a pandemic: Analysis of malaysian mainstream newspapers in the H1NI coverage. Journal of Media and Information Warfare, 3, 105–122.
  • Idoyaga, N., Valencia, J., Gil De Montes, L., & Ortiz, G. (2012). Framing effects and social representations of health epidemics: The case of influenza A. Escritos de Psicología, 3, 31–42. doi:10.5231/psy.writ.2012.0211
  • Joffe, H. (1999). Risk and ‘the other’. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
  • Joffe, H. (2003). Risk: From perception to social representation. British Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 55–73. doi:10.1348/014466603763276126
  • Rossetto, T., Joffe, H., & Solberg, C. (2011). A different view on human vulnerability to earthquakes: Lessons from risk perception studies. In R. J. Spence, E. So, & C.
  • Scawthorn (Eds.), Human casualties in earthquakes: Progress in modelling and mitigation (pp. 291–304). Dordrecht: Springer.
  • Smith, N., & Joffe, H. (2013). How the public engages with global warming: A social representations approach. Public Understanding of Science, 22, 16–32. doi:10.1177/0963662512440913
  • Túñez, M., & Guevara, M. (2009). Framing por proximidad como criterio de noticiabilidad: la curva de las ausencias. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 64, 1030– 1044. doi:10.4185/RLCS-64-2009-878-1.030-1.044
  • Wagner, W., & Hayes, N. (2005). Everyday discourse and common sense. The theory of social representation. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Washer, P. (2006). Representations of mad cow disease. Social Science and Medicine, 62, 457–466. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.06.001
Data source: Dialnet