Public reactions to the confrontation with an industrial hazard

In this study differences in feelings of insecurity and ways of coping were assessed between 225 residents of an industrial area near a chemical complex and a control group at a distance of at least 15 kilometers from that complex. The results show that the residents of the industrial area judge the hazards as less threatening and less unacceptable than the control group and report less feelings of insecurity. No differences were found between the residents of the industrial area and the control group with regard to another hazard, namely living nearby an area for the storage of radioactive waste. When the residents of the industrial area are divided into subgroups no differences exist with respect to judgment, feelings of insecurity or ways of coping with both hazards. The results are mainly explained by the interaction-effect between direct behavioral experience with the risk-object and the effect of mass media.