Public perceptions of safety standards for human exposure to electromagnetic fields

There is continuing controversy about possible health risk to the public from exposure to electromagnetic fields associated with power reticulation, telecommunications and broadcasting. In this study the attitudes and expressed preferences of 510 engineering and psychology students were studied in the context of a model of 'acceptable risk' which regards the concept of risk as being socially constructed and understandable only by the study of the social and psychological factors that modulate individuals' judgments about risk. Their judgments were systematic rather than irrational and were significantly influenced by variables such as were, gender, personal risk, academic 'culture', and economic cost scenarios.