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Numerous scholarly studies have been conducted regarding risks and perceptions. A survey conducted by the Oregon Research Institute became the standard on public perceptions and bias. Participants were asked to consider pairs of causes of death. For each pair, the more frequent cause and estimation ratio were indicated. These results were then compared to current actual health statistics. A sample of the findings include:
Strokes cause almost twice as many deaths as all accidents combined, but 80 percent of participants judged accidental deaths to be more likely.
Tornados were judged to be more frequent killers than Asthma. In fact Asthma kills 20 times more people that tornados.
Deaths from disease were judged about equal with accidental death, when in fact disease kills 18 times as many people as accidents.
These results are just samples to illustrate that causes of death are warped by media coverage. The media shapes what the public is interested in, and therefore the public’s perception is not a precise replica of reality.
(Source: Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, 2013)
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