ABSTRACT:
This paper uses data from two studies about people's perceptions of nitrate health risks and exposure before and after a well testing program to investigate whether people update their perceptions about risk when they get new information. Graphical analyses demonstrate that, on the whole, updating occurs when well test information is provided. Statistical analyses indicate that the way in which people update their perceptions is related to their prior perceptions and nitrate test levels. Evidence that people do change how they view these issues demonstrates that public information programs can be effective in modifying individual perceptions of risk, and offers a critical first step in assessing the cost effectiveness of such programs.
Footnotes
Gregory L. Poe is assistant professor, Department of Agricultural, Resource and Managerial Economics, Harold M. van Es is associate professor, Department of Soil, Crop and Atmospheric Sciences, and Timothy P. VandenBerg is a former research assistant, Department of Agricultural, Resource and Managerial Economics, Cornell University, N. Y.; and Richard C. Bishop is professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin (Madison), Madison, WI.
- Copyright 1998 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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