Doctoral Dissertation Research in DRMS: Linking Theories of Attribution, Risk Perception, and Communication to Investigate Risk Management and Safety in an Applied Context

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Psychological studies linking attributions of responsibility for accident causation, risk perception, and safety have largely considered occupational settings, such as factories, and everyday routines, such as driving cars. A second body of scholarship situates attribution of responsibility in the larger context of risk management and seeks to explain how individuals attribute responsibility for preventing accidents (i.e., for ensuring safety) in cultural, moral, and ethical terms. While these two literatures share an attention to risk perceptions, risk management, and risk-taking behavior, no apparent research has attempted their integration. This research links these two approaches to attribution theory with theories of risk perception and communication to explore risk management and safety promotion in three U.S. national parks. With a mandate to conserve natural resources while attracting a diverse visiting public, the National Park Service relies on a variety of risk management techniques to promote visitor safety. In these settings, who (or what) is perceived as responsible for causing injuries, as well as ensuring that such incidents do not occur? To date, limited research has considered these questions. Employing a survey and in-depth interviews, this study will examine the perspectives of park visitors and NPS employees. Awareness of both groups? attributional beliefs, in turn, can help inform future risk communication strategies in parks, especially in locations where engineering or law enforcement strategies are inappropriate or impossible, and given diverse visitor populations.