Abstract:

Today, we live in a risk society. We confront not only technological benefits but also several risks in proportion to advanced civilization. One of the dangerous risk represented by the 21st century is a nuclear power plant. After the Fukushima accident in Japan, the risk is illuminated again in particular.

In general, many risk studies are recognizing the risk characteristic itself and media effect as a key role for transmitting information. Through a variety of channels such as TV, radio, SNS, internet, people experience a social learning through interacting with human to human. The previous research results, however, there are no consistent results about channel effects related to attitude change toward nuclear risks.

This research is not focusing the type of channel, but information characteristic conveyed through the channels. We classified information characteristic on four types such as two criteria(positive-negative information / risk-safety information), and explore the attitude change according to each type of information characteristic.

Keywords:

Media, information characterstic, social learning, attitude change.