Thesis (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Theses (School of Communication) / Simon Fraser University. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 116 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-91).

Thesis (M.A. in in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2007. / Thesis Advisor(s): Stockton, Paul. "June 2004." Description based on title screen as viewed on February 28, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-94). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2008. / Adviser: Julia Pet-Armacost. Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-165).

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies(Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2010. / Thesis Advisor(s): Tucker, David ; Second Reader: Fernandez, Lauren. "June 2010." Description based on title screen as viewed on July 13, 2010. Author(s) subject terms: Homeland Security Advisory System, Risk Communication, Self Verification of Risk, Risk Reality, Risk Predictors, Hazard Characteristics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-45). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2005. / Thesis Advisor(s): Christopher Bellavita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 41-44). Also available online.

This study used computer-mediated focus groups to investigate how college students perceive risk messages about severe weather that are communicated through Facebook. The results of this study found that perceptions of risk were consistent with many factors outlined by the Risk Perception Model, developed by Covello, Peters, Wojtecki, & Hyde (2001). Despite this, communication using Facebook requires additional factors to be considered. The model should be amended to differentiate between the different levels of trust that influence perceptions on Facebook. The tone of the message becomes a factor separate from the previously established factors of risk perception. These findings stem from the perception among college students that Facebook is a platform meant for entertainment and socializing. These implications lead to many practical considerations that risk communicators can use to increase the perception of risk during severe-weather events in order to encourage individuals to take action to protect lives and property.

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The nature of how we make judgments has received a great deal of attention in the last few decades. Risk communication research has indicated that risk-related messages can elicit affective responses in audiences, which can then have a significant impact on how such audiences judge risk in general. Using a 2 x 2 between-subjects factorial design, this study found that, contrary to Johnson and Tversky's (1983) findings, presenting narratives about lethal risk does not influence readers' judgments about the frequency that risks occur, nor do such narratives influence participant worry levels about the lethal risks, more generally. Additionally, the inclusion of an image alongside both positively and negatively valenced narratives demonstrated no effect on frequency estimates or worry levels. These experimental conditions, although revealing no significant effects, did illuminate the relationship between judgments of risk frequency and corresponding worry levels. Implications for future research on affect and judgments of risk, as well as the relationship between judgments of control and risk assessments, are discussed.

With a primary focus on Health Canada (HC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), this thesis describes the state of microbial related public involvement and risk communication undertakings. The findings show that HC engages with experts to a far greater extent than with the lay public and that HC has not upheld its stated commitment to transparency. Furthermore, both HC’s and the CFIA´s approach to risk communication is overly general, has failed to provide opportunities for dialogue with vulnerable groups and is not rooted in foodborne surveillance data. Public involvement in food safety governance would be improved if HC provided the lay public with a seat on advisory committees and improved its reporting methods. HC and the CFIA could also make improvements by creating opportunities for dialogue between officials and the general public, and by exploring the potential use of alternative risk communication vehicles, such as food labels.