Proto, Ruri;
Recchia, Gabriel;
Dryhurst, Sarah;
Freeman, Alexandra LJ;
(2023)
Do colored cells in risk matrices affect decision-making and risk perception? Insights from randomized controlled studies.
Risk Analysis
10.1111/risa.14091.
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Abstract
Risk matrices communicate the likelihood and potential impact of risks and are often used to inform decision-making around risk mitigations. The merits and demerits of risk matrices in general have been discussed extensively, yet little attention has been paid to the potential influence of color in risk matrices on their users. We draw from fuzzy-trace theory and hypothesize that when color is present, individuals are likely to place greater value on reducing risks that cross color boundaries (i.e., the boundary-crossing effect), leading to sub-optimal decision making. In two randomized controlled studies, employing forced-choice and willingness-to-pay measures to investigate the boundary-crossing effect in two different color formats for risk matrices, we find preliminary evidence to support our hypotheses that color can influence decision making. The evidence also suggests that the boundary-crossing effect is only present in, or is stronger for, higher numeracy individuals. We therefore recommend that designers should consider avoiding color in risk matrices, particularly in situations where these are likely to be used by highly numerate individuals, if the communication goal is to inform in an unbiased way.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Do colored cells in risk matrices affect decision-making and risk perception? Insights from randomized controlled studies |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/risa.14091 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.14091 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Keywords: | Science & Technology, Social Sciences, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Physical Sciences, Public, Environmental & Occupational Health, Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications, Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods, Mathematics, Mathematical Methods In Social Sciences, bias, color, decision making, fuzzy-trace theory, impact, likelihood, numeracy, risk communication, Risk matrix, NUMERACY INFLUENCES |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Inst for Risk and Disaster Reduction |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10164990 |
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