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Public Perception, Understanding,
and Values
By: M. Granger Morgan
Summary
by: Hai Nguyen
Critique
by: Thach Du
Key points
Why do public perceptions matter?
Difficulty in measuring public perception,
understanding and values
Improved methods for studying public
understanding, perceptions, and values
Developing risks communication materials
Some hypothesis about public perceptions
and values as they relate to Industrial
Ecology
Why do public perceptions matter?
If an organization wants to make changes
that causes less loading on the environment
and the changes require modifying public
policy or behavior
 Ex
 The government wants to increase
certain taxes that would help decrease
pollution to the environment
 Public needs to be polled
Difficulty in measuring public
understanding, perception, and values
Problems with standard method of
surveying

How much do respondents know about the
particular subject
 Determines response (Example)

How the question is framed
 Care must be taken about how questions are
asked (Example)
Improved methods for studying public
perception, understanding, and values
Traditional approach
 Organization wants to put together a risk
communication brochure
 Radiation health expert, public relations or
communications firm, lay audience
 Problems with traditional approach
 How much does the public(lay people) know
about the subject that the brochure explains
 Public needs to know certain minimum amount
of information to make decisions
Improved methods for studying public
perception, understanding, and values
contd
New National Science Foundation Approach



Open minded elicitation about peoples beliefs
about risk that could bring out correct and
incorrect beliefs
Design and use a survey based on information
uncovered by the interviews
Use information gathered from interviews and
surveys to make a appropriate risk communication
brochure
Developing risk communication
materials
When decisions that could cost billions
of dollars to solve a environmental
problem are considered, society needs
to be informed about the subject to
make accurate decision
Developing risk
communication materials
cont
Brochure by author and colleagues at
Carnegie Mellon University


Brief overview of the subject and a list of
corrections of common misunderstandings
Describe the environmental hazard
 What could happen
 What could be done

Discussion of environmental hazard in
detail
Developing risk
communication materials
cont
When the brochure from the author and
colleagues distributed to a test group,
people admitted they were lost after the
second part
Hypotheses about public perception and
values as they pertain to Industrial
Ecology
Public supports improving the environment
but sees the issue in moral terms

Good vs. Bad
Public sees energy conservation as morally
correct, a way to save money, and requires
sacrifice

Public sees protection of environment as a
sacrifice and does not see alternate methods
Hypotheses about public perception and
values as they pertain to Industrial
Ecology contd
Public does not see taxes as a solution for
solving environmental problems
“Public Perception, Understanding, and
Values”
by Granger Morgan
Critique: Ty Du
• Paper’s weakness
• Paper’s strength
• Conclusion
Paper’s Weakness
Difficult to measure public perception

Sample population of the survey
Paper’s Strength
Public needs to be educated before
polling

People with education are not educated
Conclusion
Public perception is vital before
introducing any change to public policy.
To understand public perception, we
must educate the public first.
Thank goodness, seminar is over
Questions?
?