RAPID Proposal: The Impact of the BP Oil Spill on Views towards Nuclear Energy

这项研究评估了英国石油公司漏油事件对美国人如何看待核能的影响程度。这项研究将对2010年3月下旬参加核能调查的500名受访者进行跟踪调查。虽然最初的调查并不打算包括第二波，但石油泄漏为自然实验创造了机会。一种可能性是，石油泄漏使核能似乎风险相对较低，并使参与核能的决策者似乎更负责任，从而增加了对非石油能源的支持。第二种可能性是，石油泄漏将减少对核能的支持，因为它增加了美国人与复杂技术系统（如涉及核能的技术系统）联系在一起的风险，并使整个能源行业的决策者似乎不那么负责。该研究探讨了这两种可能性，以及媒体使用的作用和调查问题的顺序问题。这项工作建立在这一独特的机会，通过接地本身在当代研究和理论有关的框架和公平的看法的影响，这项研究的更广泛的影响将通过其努力，以实现整合研究和推进发现在该地区的公众舆论动态的基本观点有关的能源替代品。研究结果将为与参与当前关于能源替代品辩论的其他组织的合作提供信息。

This research assesses the degree to which the British Petroleum oil spill has had an impact on how Americans view nuclear energy. The study will follow-up with 500 survey respondents who took part in a late March 2010 survey about nuclear energy. While the original survey was not intended to include a second wave, the oil spill has created the opportunity for a natural experiment. One possibility is that the oil spill has increased support for non-petroleum based sources of energy by making nuclear energy seem relatively less risky and by making decision makers involved in nuclear energy seem relatively more responsible. A second possibility is that the oil spill will has decreased support for nuclear energy by increasing the risk that Americans associate with complex technical systems such as those involved in nuclear energy and by making decision makers involved in the overall energy industry seem less responsible. The research explores both possibilities as well as questions about the role of media use and survey question order. The work builds on this unique opportunity by grounding itself in contemporary research and theory related to the impact of framing and fairness perceptions.The broader impact of this research will be realized through its efforts to integrate research and advance discovery in the area of the public opinion dynamics underlying views about energy alternatives. The findings will inform collaboration with other organizations involved in current debates about energy alternatives.