Q method can identify diverse perspectives on 'helpful' information on cancer clusters and inform risk communication generally

Branden B. Johnson and Lynn Waishwell

Journal of Risk Research, 2014, vol. 17, issue 9, 1125-1145

Abstract: Communication by state public health agencies about cancer clusters is complicated by divergent official and citizen beliefs about causation (e.g. chance versus environmental pollution). We use Q method, rarely applied in the risk field, to explore disparate perspectives on what people deem helpful and unhelpful in background (not site-specific) information about cancer clusters. Q method identified five unique perspectives, with low inter-factor correlations: Cancer Causation, Best Information, Cancer Frequency, Study Success, and Empathy/Competence. Besides discussing implications of these perspectives for improving communication about cancer clusters, we use this case to illustrate Q method's more general ability to represent variability in attitudes about risk and risk information and to improve risk communication.

Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/13669877.2013.879491 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:17:y:2014:i:9:p:1125-1145

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RJRR20

DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2013.879491

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Risk Research is currently edited by Bryan MacGregor

More articles in Journal of Risk Research from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().