2.3. The Present Research
We designed three studies to examine the psychological mechanism through which government trust affects the public’s perception of risk in the context of flood threats in China. Study 1 examines whether the relationship between trust and risk perception exists. Study 2 examines the mechanism of the effects of trust and risk perception. In Study 3, we designed an experiment to re-examine whether government trust has an impact on information processing methods and affects subsequent risk perception.
The present research expands on previous studies in three important ways. First, it examines the relationships of government trust and risk perception in China, broadening the scope of risk perception research beyond Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic samples (Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010). Second, the relationship between trust and risk perception is elucidated with flood risk as a backdrop, using correlational and experimental methods, which will ensure robust results. Third, we examined the mechanism of trust and risk perception.
STUDY 1
Study 1 was designed to examine whether government trust is negatively associated with the public’s perception of flood risk. We collected data using the questionnaire method and observed the relationships between variables.