Risk and the Acceptance of New technologies

Risk perception has been a focus of research and policy making for some decades. It is crucial for the understanding of involvement and opposition to new technologies. Questions that this stream of research aims at answering are: Why people perceive certain risks as they do? Which risks are people concerned about? How the perceptions of risks affect behaviours? These issues are of particular importance for the uptake and diffusion of new technologies that embed and impose some kinds of risks to the adopters. This research can be seen to develop a theoretical understanding of the ways a technology such as the Internet can gain acceptance by users when risks are at stake, and expand knowledge on the links between risk perception, worry and behaviours, making the case of the Internet. There is a general consensus that commercial uses of the Internet will have immense effects on businesses, consumers, governments, but opinions regarding the future of Internet applications vary widely, giving room for analyses to further understand the evolution of digital environments and be of support for policy implementations. This research should aid decision makers by improving risk communication. The outcome may be also in giving directions for prediction of responses to Internet technologies, for educational efforts, and for improving communication of Internet risks between experts and laypersons. The PhD project was defended 15 April 2002. (Stefano Perlusz)