Risk perception and characteristics of Japanese public (2)

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire study in which risk perception of Japanese Public focused on their cognitive structure. The results showed that; 1) the risk perception of Japanese Public correlated with their judgment whether the risk could happen to someone close to them; 2) based on the results of the Factor analysis, risk perception of Huge earthquake, Nuclear waste, Motor vehicle accidents, Cigarette smoking, Nuclear power plants and, Coal burning and oil burning power plants were provided by two factors labeled 'personal risk' and 'countermeasures against risks'. However, AIDs and Street Drugs were provided by three factors labeled 'personal risk' and 'personal countermeasures against risks' and 'social countermeasures against risks'; 3) personal principles of risks had nothing to do with their risk perception. (author)