Associations Between Prior Life Experiences and Perceptions of Risk of Future Terrorism, Crime, and Disaster in a National Longitudinal Study

Résumé du livre

The present research investigated associations between experiencing violent or life threatening, traumatic events (e.g., being physically attacked, experiencing the homicide of someone close) and risk perceptions. Prior research has reported that people use multiple factors to assess risk, many of which are not related to the risk directly (e.g., gender, ethnicity). I hypothesized that people who have experienced violent, traumatic events would report greater perceptions of all types of risk compared to those who have not (and compared to other types of life events). In addition, I hypothesized that experiencing more accumulated lifetime traumas of all types would be associated with greater perception of risk, and that suicide and homicide, due to the human intent involved and the graphic and often psychologically painful nature of these events, would be most strongly associated with elevated risk perception. A nationally representative sample participated in surveys annually via the Internet for three years (N = 1613). As part of a larger research project studying societal change, turbulence, and reactions to public policy issues, participants were asked about whether or not they experienced a variety of life experiences. Perceptions of risk of four types of hazards were considered: terrorism, natural disaster, technological disaster, and violent crime. Multiple regression and multi-level models were used to examine the associations between categories of life events and perceptions of risk, while controlling for relevant demographic variables. Results indicated that a history of experience with violent life events was associated with increases in perceptions of risk, regardless of the type of risk being considered. In addition, experiencing multiple violent events was a stronger predictor of increases in risk perception than experiencing one violent event. Finally, previously experiencing the homicide or suicide of someone close was associated with increased risk perceptions, even after controlling for the experience of other negative events. Results are discussed in terms of possible cognitive changes that may result after experiencing certain highly emotional, negative life events that may influence how much risk individuals perceive in their environment, regardless of the type of hazard being considered.