Risky Business:Risky Business:Involving the Public in Involving the Public in

Environmental Decision MakingEnvironmental Decision Making

Kirk Riley

Great Lakes & Mid-Atlantic Center for Hazardous Substance Research

Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan

TOSC ProgramTOSC Program

• Technical Outreach Services for Communities

• Provides assistance at high-profile contaminated sites

• Builds public capacity for participating in site cleanup decisions

Tonight’s TopicsTonight’s Topics

• Public involvement in environmental decision making

• Understanding risk perception• Communicating with non-expert audiences• Informing, educating and empowering• And not panicking• Practitioners’ perspective--government,

consultant, etc.

Risk CommunicationRisk Communication

A science-based approach for communicating effectively in

• High-concern

• Sensitive or

• Controversial situations

What is What is RiskRisk??

R = H x P x O

Risk equals Hazard x Probability x Outrage

The Essential Ingredient:The Essential Ingredient:TrustTrust

Nothing kills trust like lack of caring

Except LOOKING like you don’t care, which kills it exactly the same way

The Competence/Empathy ParadoxThe Competence/Empathy Paradox

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Empathy

Com

pet

ence

The Essential Ingredient:The Essential Ingredient:TrustTrust

• Trust—without it, no communication happens• Trust—without it, small mistakes get magnified• Trust—without it, all your hard work may be rejected• Trust—without it, knowledge and expertise don’t

matter• Trust—with it, mistakes may be overlooked or

minimized• Trust—with it, community acceptance becomes more

likely

Why Involve The Public?Why Involve The Public?

• The public has more power than you (or I) realize

• Public involvement is essential to project success

• It may be required by law!

Steps to Community InvolvementSteps to Community Involvement

• Understand your community

• Understand human nature

• Communicate!

Understand Your Community: Understand Your Community: What are the Hot Issues?What are the Hot Issues?

• Technical issues/concerns

• Non-technical issues/concerns

• Community goals, attitudes, history, leadership

Risk PerceptionRisk Perception

• Public’s views of risk may differ from experts’ views

• Public perception of risk affected by factors outside of traditional risk analysis

Factors Affecting Public Factors Affecting Public Perception of RiskPerception of Risk

• Voluntary or involuntary risk (smoking vs. air pollution)

• Immediate effects or delayed effects (benzene combustion vs. benzene inhalation; smoking)

• Natural or artificial (naturally occurring carcinogens vs. artificial carcinogens)

• Controlled by individual or controlled by someone else (driving vs. flying)

Factors Affecting Public Factors Affecting Public Perception of Risk (cont’d)Perception of Risk (cont’d)

• Familiar or unfamiliar (farmer vs. non-farmer with ag chemicals)

• The “dread’ factor; usually associated with very complex technologies (e.g., nuclear power)

• Risk provides visible benefits or does not provide visible benefits (polluter who provides jobs for community)

The Risk ParadoxThe Risk Paradox

• Technical experts focus on hazard and misperceive (ignore) outrage

• Public focuses on outrage and misperceives hazard

When To Use Risk CommunicationWhen To Use Risk Communication

High Concern

High Trust

(essential)

Low Concern

Low Trust

(recommended)

High Concern

Low Trust

(essential)

Low Concern

High Trust

(optional)

When To Use Risk When To Use Risk Communication (cont’d)Communication (cont’d)

• When public input is needed

• When the public has the ability to stop a project

• When public concern is high

• When public trust is low

How Do We Know?How Do We Know?

• Surveys

• Case Studies

• Experimental field testing of messages/ messenger characteristics

• Practitioner experience

Three Key Risk Three Key Risk Communication Messages Communication Messages

P = R

Perception = Reality

G = T + K

Goal = Trust + Knowledge

C = C2

Communication = Credibility x Competence

Four Main Theories In Four Main Theories In Risk Communication Risk Communication

• Mental Noise Theory

• Risk Perception Theory

• Trust Determination Theory

• Negative Dominance Theory

Four Main Four Main Theories Theories

Mental Noise Theory

People who are upset have difficulty hearing and processing information

Communication: Processing Communication: Processing Effectiveness Effectiveness

00 100100

Mental noise can reduce the ability to process Mental noise can reduce the ability to process communication (i.e., understanding) up to communication (i.e., understanding) up to

80%80%

20%20%

Limited Information Attention/ Limited Information Attention/ Retention In High Concern Situations Retention In High Concern Situations

Reasons For 20% Efficiency

• Denial of issue

• Trauma from issue

• Competing agenda

• Emotional arousal

Implications of Limited Attention/ Implications of Limited Attention/ Retention In High Concern SituationsRetention In High Concern Situations

• Limited number of messages are accepted

• Time limitations on communications

• Message repetition is important

Active Listening SkillsActive Listening Skills

• Paraphrasing

• Feedback

• Control of non-verbals

Non-Verbal CommunicationNon-Verbal CommunicationLow Trust and/or High Concern Low Trust and/or High Concern

• Provides up to 50-75% of message content

• Noticed Intensely by audience

• Interpreted negatively

• Overrides verbal communication

Non-Verbal CommunicationNon-Verbal CommunicationBody Language Examples Body Language Examples

• Eyes

• Hands

• Posture

Four Main TheoriesFour Main Theories

Risk Perception TheoryPerception equals reality

What is perceived as real is real in its consequences

Perception Of RiskPerception Of Risk

Weighting Factors

Factor Weight Trust………………………..….. 2000 Benefit……………………..….. 1000

Control (Voluntary)…….……. 1000 Fairness (Share)…………….… 500

Four Main TheoriesFour Main Theories

Trust Determination Theory

The goal of risk communication is to earn trust and gain credibility

Trust and Credibility FactorsTrust and Credibility Factors

• Empathy/Caring

• Competence/Expertise

• Honesty/Openness

• Dedication/Commitment

Trust Determination Factors In Trust Determination Factors In High Concern Situations High Concern Situations

Trust Determination Factors

Caring/Empathy

50%

Honesty/Openness

15%Dedication/

Commitment15%

Competence/Expertise

20%

Trust Determination Factors In Low Trust Determination Factors In Low Concern SituationsConcern Situations

Trust Determination Factors

All Others20%

Competence/Expertise

80%

Trust/Credibility Trust/Credibility Credibility TransferenceCredibility Transference

“A lower credibility source takes on the credibility of the highest credibility source that agrees with its position on an issue”

Trust/CredibilityTrust/Credibility Credibility ReversalCredibility Reversal

“When a lower credibility source disagrees with a higher credibility source, the lower credibility

source loses further credibility”

Trust /CredibilityTrust /Credibility Credibility Reversal (cont’d)Credibility Reversal (cont’d)

“The only information source that can effectively attack the credibility of another source is one of equal or higher credibility.”

Negative Dominance Theory

People who are upset tend to think negatively

Four Main TheoriesFour Main Theories

Negative Communication Boosts Negative Communication Boosts Negative PerceptionNegative Perception

N = 3P

One negative = three positives

NegativesNegatives

Repetition of a negative

A negative repeated (e.g., allegation or accusation), even when refuted, results in reinforcement and

affirmation of the negative

Negative Words to AvoidNegative Words to Avoid

• No

• Shouldn’t/Don’t/Can’t/Won’t

• Never

• Nothing

• None

Consensus-Building LanguageConsensus-Building Language

• Positive

• Questioning

• Conditional

• Appreciative

Effective CommunicationEffective Communication

• Sincere

• Clear

• Admit constraints & uncertainty

• Perceived to be all those things

• Wanted

How Do We Build Trust?How Do We Build Trust?

• Accept the public as a legitimate partner

• Plan carefully and evaluate your efforts

• Listen to the public’s specific concerns

• Listen again

• Be honest, frank and open

• Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources

How Do We Build Trust?How Do We Build Trust?CommitmentCommitment

• Promise only what you can do

• Be helpful and go the distance

• Be accessible

• Speak clearly and with compassion

• Develop a thick skin

How Do We Build Trust?How Do We Build Trust?Demonstrating KnowledgeDemonstrating Knowledge

• Let people know your experience

• Let people know your background

• Let people know what you don’t know

How Do We Build Trust?How Do We Build Trust?Demonstrating OpennessDemonstrating Openness

• Know what people may want from you

• Think about what you can give

• Get agreement internally

How Do We Build Trust?How Do We Build Trust?Demonstrating EmpathyDemonstrating Empathy

• Put yourself in their surroundings

• Listen and acknowledge what people are feeling

• Express your reactions or feelings

Principles of Risk Communication: Principles of Risk Communication: the Old Viewthe Old View

• Decide, announce, defend

• All we have to do is get the numbers right

• All we have to do is tell them the numbers

• All we have to do is explain what we mean by the numbers

Principles of Risk Communication: Principles of Risk Communication: the Old View (cont’d)the Old View (cont’d)

• All we have to do is show them that they’ve accepted similar risks in the past

• All we have to do is treat them nice

• All we have to do is make them partners

Risk Communication: Risk Communication: a Revised Viewa Revised View

• Citizens want to be partners• Participants in risk communication need to

represent diverse interests• Those individuals most at risk may be

underrepresented: those of differing ethnicities, races, and incomes

• Informal communication methods are as important as formal methods

Community Involvement PlanCommunity Involvement Plan

• Know your community• Know your community leaders• Define and organize stakeholder groups• Design communication based on

knowledge of the community

Community InvolvementCommunity Involvement

• What role should the public have?

• How can public participation be best organized and facilitated?

• What is the best way to communicate with the public?