Cancer risk elicitation and communication: Lessons from the psychology of risk perception

William M.P. Klein, Michael E. Stefanek

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

144 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cancer risk perceptions are a key predictor of risk-reduction practices, health behaviors, and processing of cancer information. Nevertheless, patients and the general public (as well as health care providers) exhibit a number of errors and biases in the way they think about risk, such that their risk perceptions and decisions deviate greatly from those prescribed by normative decision models and by experts in risk assessment. For example, people are more likely to engage in screening behaviors such as mammography when faced with loss-based messages than gain-framed messages, and they often ignore the base rate of a given disease when assessing their own risk of obtaining this disease. In this article, we review many of the psychological processes that underlie risk perception and discuss how these processes lead to such deviations. Among these processes are difficulties with use of numerical information (innumeracy), cognitive processes (eg, use of time-saving heuristics), motivational factors (eg, loss and regret aversion), and emotion. We conclude with suggestions for future research in the area, as well as implications for improving the elicitation and communication of personal cancer risk.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)147-167
Number of pages21
JournalCA Cancer Journal for Clinicians
Volume57
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2007
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Hematology
  • Oncology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cancer risk elicitation and communication: Lessons from the psychology of risk perception'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this