文化对个体风险感知的影响:文化认知理论的解释

Cultural influences on individual risk perception: Cultural cognition theory's explanation

文化认知理论旨在从个体层面研究与文化因素相关的个体风险感知差异。它以"格-群"维度划分文化世界观,"格"维度衡量社会的制度化程度,"群"维度衡量社会群体对个体的影响程度,由此编制文化认知量表以测量个体文化理念差异。目前已验证认同保护认知、偏见同化与群体极化、文化易得性、文化可信性、文化认同确认五种作用机制,并在情感启发式研究的基础上引入文化冲突模因作为中介变量建立理论模型。后续研究可推进文化认知测量工具的跨文化检验与本土化修订,并在具体风险主题研究的基础上探索切实可行的公共风险管理对策。

Cultural cognition theory aims to study risk perception differences related to culture factors at individual level. With this theoretical perspective, individual cultural worldview can be categorized into a two-dimensional matrix reflecting ‘group’ and ‘grid’. The ‘group’ dimension measures an individual preference for the social structures that encourage social bonds and cooperation versus those that encourage individual differences and competition. The ‘grid’ dimension reflects preferences for the structures that ensure role-based social stratification versus those that encourage equal opportunity. Along with this theoretical framework, cultural cognition scales has been developed to measure individual exact location in this two-dimensional matrix. Five mechanisms, which are identity protective cognition, biased assimilation, group polarization, cultural availability, cultural credibility and cultural identity affirmation, have been verified as supports to cultural cognition theory. Besides, in light of the affect heuristic theory, researchers also introduced cultural conflict meme as a mediating variable to develop the concrete model of cultural cognition theory. Further research will focus on the cross-cultural validation and indigenization of cultural cognitive scales, and try to explore effective public risk management strategies, based on the empirical research on specific risk factors.