Challenging dominant radiological and nuclear risk communication narratives in a post-trust and post-truth environment

虽然气候变化使核能作为一种碳中性能源获得了新的生命，但它几乎是唯一的公众恐惧的主题。这对任何核复兴都构成了一个重大的障碍，尽管在地理上是不平衡的。本研究的目的是了解公众对核电的看法的决定因素，以及在公众普遍不信任的“后真相”时代，科学风险沟通干预措施改变公众看法的潜力。该项目将：1。探讨公众对核电和辐射风险认知的历史演变。解释这些看法是否、如何以及为什么会变化和改变。研究理由：二战后，人类与辐射的关系发生了巨大变化，围绕放射性尘降物和核能的争论成为关键的政治战场。对核能环境中辐射的独特恐惧使其成为紧张的学术工作的焦点。心理测量学研究强调了风险感知的三个关键因素：对风险的理解，恐惧感和暴露的人数（Slovic et al，1982）。核电是70年代和80年代风险研究的关键经验案例之一。在一项具有里程碑意义的研究中，Fischoff等人（1978年）指出，与任何其他风险相比，核能具有独特的可怕特征。然而，人们也发现，对辐射的恐惧远非统一，核能辐射是一个主要关注的来源，而自然或医疗来源则不是。尽管对核电的可接受性/公众支持进行了数十年的广泛研究，但核能仍然存在很大争议。风险的社会放大框架（SARF）是用于创建风险沟通策略的合适理论框架，因为它解释了辐射和核能不可避免地受到的复杂的社会文化，社会政治和历史框架（Kasperson，2012）。此外，它还提供了一个框架，如何减少感知风险，这是这个项目的核心。然而，公众对监管机构和行业的信任下降并转向利益集团，这给风险沟通带来了一系列问题（Lofstedt，2005年）。这严重影响了核能，特别是与其秘密的武器背景（Weart，2012年）及其"制造"的性质有关，因为它的特点是人为的，这可能会助长不信任（Beck，1992年）。事实上，Kasperson（2012）呼吁研究SARF和信任之间的关系，以及对核能和辐射放大过程的密切研究。此外，随着公共话语日益两极化，后真相和真相衰变的概念最近引起了人们的兴趣。社交媒体在这方面发挥着重要作用，特别是在创造“信息泡沫”方面。反过来，社交媒体算法为SARF的有趣应用和某些观点的放大创造了可能性。这些发展也看到了“客观事实”的作用已经减弱，因为竞争性的“事实”被用来支持某种观点（Kavanagh & Rich，2018）。这一点在核讨论中尤为重要，因为在核事故后的人员伤亡和健康影响等方面存在很大差异，这反过来又会显著影响公众的看法。正如Slovic（2012）指出的那样，福岛强调指出，核电风险沟通战略是不够的，需要在下一次核事故之前设计有效的战略。因此，这项研究将能够做出重大的学术贡献，不仅在核电和辐射的风险沟通方面，而且在SARF和后真相/信任研究方面做出更广泛的贡献。

While climate change has given nuclear power a new lease on life as a carbon neutral source of energy, it is the subject of almost unique public dread. This poses a significant, if geographically uneven, obstacle to any nuclear renaissance. The aim of this research is to understand the determinants of public perceptions of nuclear power and the potential for scientific risk communication interventions to change them in a 'post-truth' era of pervasive public distrust. This project will:1. Explore the historical evolution of public risk perceptions around nuclear power and radiation.2. Explain whether, how, and why those perceptions vary and change.3. Develop and test communication interventions to shift public perceptions.RATIONALE FOR STUDY:After WWII humankind's relationship with radiation dramatically changed, with the debates around fallout and nuclear power becoming key political battlegrounds. The unique fear that radiation in the context of nuclear power elicits became the focus of intense academic work. Psychometric research highlighted three key factors to risk perceptions: understanding of risk, feelings of dread and the number of people exposed (Slovic et al, 1982). Nuclear power was one of the key empirical cases for risk research during the 70s and 80s. In a landmark study Fischoff et al. (1978) noted nuclear power's uniquely dreaded profile in comparison to any other risks. However, it was also found that radiation fears were far from unified, with radiation from nuclear power a source of major concern, whilst natural or medical sources were not. Despite decades of extensive research on nuclear power acceptability/public support, nuclear remains highly controversial.The Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) is a suitable theoretical framework to use for the creation of risk communications strategies as it accounts for the complex socio-cultural, socio-political and historical framing that radiation and nuclear inevitably is subject to (Kasperson, 2012). Additionally, it also provides a framework for how to attenuate perceived risks, something that is central to this project. However, the decline and shift of public trust in regulators and industry towards interest groups has created a range of issues for risk communication (Lofstedt, 2005). This has severely impacted nuclear power, especially in relations to its secretive weapons background (Weart, 2012) and its 'manufactured' nature whereby it is marked by human agency, which can aid distrust (Beck, 1992). Indeed, Kasperson (2012) calls for work into the relationship between SARF and trust, as well as a close examination of the amplification process regarding nuclear power and radiation.Furthermore, the concepts of post-truth and truth decay have gained interest recently as public discourse is increasingly polarised. Social media plays an important role in this, especially regarding the creation of 'info bubbles'. In turn, social media algorithms create the possibility for an interesting application of SARF and the amplification of certain viewpoints. These developments have also seen the role of 'objective facts' has become diminished with competing sets of 'facts' being deployed to support a certain viewpoint (Kavanagh & Rich, 2018). This is especially pertinent in nuclear discourse, where there are large discrepancies on e.g. casualties and health effects after nuclear accidents which, in turn, affect public perceptions significantly.As Slovic (2012) notes, Fukushima highlighted that risk communication strategies for nuclear power are inadequate and the need for effective strategies to be designed prior to the next nuclear accident. This research will therefore be able to make significant academic contributions, not only in regards to risk communication around nuclear power and radiation, but wider contributions in regards to SARF and post truth/trust research.