And,of course,if we wish to know more about the specificbehaviourof
different consumers, we also need to know more about the specific
psychologicalattitudes,beliefs and values of these consumers.In other words,
the outcomesof the risk predictions developedby microbiologists should be
communicated to the targetgroupof consumers in a way that fits the values and
motivationof that targetgroup.
These requirements can be met only when knowledge from different
disciplines is combined. To assess and predictthe specificfoodsafetyrisks,food
safetyexpertsand,in the caseof microbial hygiene food,microbiologists are
needed. To be able to predict consumerbehaviour basedon attitudes,values and
beliefsof specific groups,and to develop targeted information strategies,
consumerpsychologists playan importantrole.Subsequently,the impactof risk
communicationon consumerhealthmust be assessedby foodmicrobiologists.
Thisimpliesclosecooperationbetweenconsumer psychologists and micro-
biologists specifically,or social and natural scientistsmore generally.
Beforeillustratingtheseideasby a currentresearch initiative, we wouldlike
to mentionthat cooperationrequires effortfromall researchers involved and is
therefore not a simplethingto accomplish. A precondition for cooperationis
that researchersfrombothsocialsciencedisciplines and naturalsciences are
willing to cooperate witheachother.Thisimpliesa willingnessto acceptthe
research paradigmsand methodsusedin the different disciplines, and requires
effortto avoidjargonand communicate in a way that can be understoodby the
partners.
Ongoingresearch is currentlydeveloping theseideasfurther(Fischeret al.,
2005).The researchcombines contemporaryinsights frombothrisk perception
and communicationtheories directed towards reducingrisky behaviours.It is
arguedthat threeelementsshould be addressedfroma psychological pointof
viewif peopleare to adopthealthydomestic foodhygienepracticesfollowing
risk communication.Due account must be takenof the following psychological
factors:
∑ the resistance against attitudeschangeinvoked by optimisticbias;
∑ the limitationsin motivationand mental capacity of consumers in processing
information; and
∑ the observation that information processing by consumers follows an
experientialand affect-driven solvingstrategy ratherthan one of formallogic.
Taking these psychologicalfactors into account the nextquestion is: howdo
consumerperceptionsand attitudes relateto actualrisksresultingfrominappro-
priate consumerbehaviours? At this stage, it is important to analysethe
technical risksassociatedwithspecificdomestic foodhygienepracticesacross
different consumer groups. Therefore behavioural observations and micro-
biological research into finished mealswill be combined. The outcomeof this
study, analysed by adopting a microbiological approach developed from
HACCP mightprovide the necessary inputsto designa quantitative mathe-
maticalrisk assessment (QMRA) (see Nauta, 2002).ThisQMRAmight thenbe
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