Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA.
Health Psychol. 2012 Jan;31(1):106-13. doi: 10.1037/a0024787. Epub 2011 Aug 1.
Risk perception is important for motivating health behavior (e.g., Janz & Becker, 1984), but different measures of the construct may change how important that relationship appears. In two studies, we examined associations between four measures of risk perception, health behavior intentions and possible behavioral determinants.
Participants in these studies, who were due for colorectal cancer screening, read an online message about the importance of screening to reduce the chance of cancer. We examined bivariate and multivariate associations between risk perception measures, including absolute, comparative, and feelings-of-risk, and behavioral intentions to screen, general worry, and knowledge and attitudes related to screening.
Results across the two studies were consistent, with all risk perception measures being correlated with intentions and attitudes. Multivariate analyses revealed that feelings-of-risk was most predictive of all variables, with the exception of general worry, for which comparative measures were the most predictive.
Researchers interested in risk perception should assess feelings-of-risk along with more traditional measures. Those interested in influencing health behavior specifically should attempt to increase feelings of vulnerability rather than numerical risk.
风险感知对于激励健康行为（例如，Janz 和 Becker，1984）很重要，但该构念的不同测量方法可能会改变这种关系的重要程度。在两项研究中，我们研究了四种风险感知测量方法与健康行为意向和可能的行为决定因素之间的关联。
这些研究的参与者即将接受结直肠癌筛查，他们阅读了一条关于筛查重要性的在线信息，以降低患癌症的机会。我们研究了风险感知测量方法（包括绝对、比较和风险感受）与筛查意向、一般担忧以及与筛查相关的知识和态度之间的双变量和多变量关联。
两项研究的结果一致，所有风险感知测量方法都与意向和态度相关。多元分析显示，感觉风险最能预测所有变量，除了一般担忧，比较测量方法最能预测一般担忧。
对风险感知感兴趣的研究人员应该评估感觉风险以及更传统的测量方法。那些特别有兴趣影响健康行为的人应该试图增加脆弱感，而不是数值风险。
