Comparing the Impacts of Different Risk Communication Policy Designs on Public Risk Perceptions: An Experiment in a Nuclear Power Plant Siting Scenario

Policy design of risk communication is crucial for informing the public about potential hazards. This study compares the impacts of different risk communication policy designs on public perceptions regarding the siting of a new nuclear power plant in China. Using a 2 × 2 factorial survey experiment, the behavioural effects of two policy goals (reinforcing benefits and allaying threats) and two policy instruments (science popularization and public engagement) were investigated. The results showed that science popularization is more effective in allaying threats, while public engagement is better at reinforcing benefits. These insights help inform goal-instrument coherence in risk communication policy design.