Risk Perception: Are You Flying Low?
Suzanne Twelker
Geological Survey of Canada
ABSTRACT
How humans perceive risk establishes the means by which they will both identify hazards and respond to consequences.
Understanding risk perception is therefore fundamental to Emergency Response Planning and Preparedness. While museum and
research collections will face a variety of risks to their existence, we as their caretakers have in common that we perceive
the risks they face and this perception will provide the framework to guide our response. This paper will consider the human
perception of risk; the range of psychological tools we use to identify potential hazards, the effects of value systems and
beliefs in modifying these perceptions and the conditions they impose upon response planning.
By considering and understanding risk perception as the context in which we develop our Emergency Response and Planning
systems we are then better able to broaden the range of tools we utilize to identify and analyze risks, modify the impacts
of beliefs and values and as a result develop more effective Emergency response plans - so we don't get caught with our
pants down!
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