1. Motivation and Emotion in Risk Perception and Decision Making

2. System I vs System 2 Emotion versus deliberation Forecasting errors
Mad cow in France
Forecasting errors
Inside versus outside view
Multiple selves
Smokers, dieters

3. Risk as feelings Infer risk directly from emotions
(Loewenstein et al, 2001)
Terrorism insurance versus general insurance
Kisses and shocks versus cash
(Rottenstreich & Hsee, 2001)
Not necessarily related to knowledge (as shown in mad cow study)

4. Exploring public perceptions of risk
Ideas may spread as a function of emotional impact
Mad Cow vs. BSE
SARS vs. atypical pneumonia
*how might this be determined?
Note that gov’t responded more to scientific labels
Extension of affect heuristic
*not always simple issue of positive vs. negative emotion
Why and when might emotional labels be useful?

5. How to deal with emotions?
Identifying emotions and sources
This often results in attenuated effects
Increase accountability
Reduce availability of emotionally salient information
So what about Ebola?

6. Consider the perspectives?
Layperson
vs.
Policymakers

7. Layperson Who does it affect? How does it spread? Cured? symptoms?
Severity? In whom?
Urgency?
Degree of certainty/probability?
Who is the source?
What do I do?
Location?

8. Layperson Who is affected? Where does it come from?
Who do I interact with (how many)?
What is risk to human health? To who?
What steps need to be taken?
How severe? Death? Compared to benchmark.
Who cares? WHO, large organizations.
Symptoms? When should I be alarmed?
How should this impact my normal life?

9. Policymakers Magnitude/scope? How much time to prepare?
How many people likely to affect?
Cost of action/inaction?
How to inform people?
How much to tell people?
Action plans?

10. Policymakers Containment Prevention/what do people know?
How much medication do we have/need?
Dealing with media/information spreading
Who has access to medical care? Policy synchronizing.