Cultural values, risk characteristics, and risk perceptions of controversial issues: How does cultural theory work?

Cultural theory and the psychometric paradigm are two frameworks proposed to explain risk perceptions, mostly used independently of each other. On the one hand, psychometric research identified key characteristics of hazards responsible for their level of perceived riskiness. On the other hand, cultural studies provided evidence that different worldviews lead to divergent perceptions of risk in a way supportive of individuals' cultural values.

Cultural Orientation and Risk Perception: Development of a Scale Operating in a French Context.

Cultural theory has often been invoked to explain risk preferences, yet empirical evidence for that influence has regularly been challenged. This research addresses this issue by reassessing the role of cultural orientation in understanding risk perception through the development of an alternative assessment tool of worldviews operating in a French context. Using data from two samples of French citizens (N = 192 and N = 631), study 1 conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses which provided support for a three-factor scale of worldviews: hierarchy-individualism, egalitarianism, and fatalism.