Communicating particulate matter risk: the effects of empoweredness and trust in government information on protective behaviour

Abstract

In response to increasing concerns about the health risks associated with air pollution, air quality information and behavioural recommendations are more available to the public through risk communication. However, not all people are willing to change their behaviours; even when they do, the level of action varies. This study investigated how empoweredness (self-efficacy, individual response efficacy, collective response efficacy, hope, and values) and trust in government information affect the protective actions citizens take against particulate matter (PM) risk, by expanding on the extended parallel process model (EPPM). We analyzed the case of Seoul, South Korea, where nationwide environmental concern in regard to PM pollution recently led to intense policy measures and public communication efforts. To test our conceptual model, we conducted an online survey with 513 Seoul citizens on their perception of PM risk and their behaviour during high PM episodes. Our regression results revealed two key findings. First, perceived risk, self-efficacy, individual response efficacy, and trust in government information were positively associated with protective behaviours, supporting our hypotheses. Second and more importantly, trust in government information was found to be moderate the effects of self-efficacy, individual response efficacy, collective response efficacy, and hope on protective behaviour against PM pollution. This suggests trust can be a boundary condition that allows an individual's empoweredness to be fully extended to behavioural change. Our study demonstrates the possibility of expanding EPPM applications in pro-environmental behaviour studies by adding new variables that can be factored into future risk communication.HIGHLIGHTSWe explore the effects of empoweredness and trust in government information on protective behaviour against particulate matter in Korea.Empoweredness is measured by three types of efficacies, hope, and values.Survey responses are statistically analyzed to capture the associations between variables.Self-efficacy, values, and trust are positively associated with protective behaviour.Trust in government moderates some associations between empoweredness and protective action.