The affect heuristic in occupational safety

Med Lav. 2015 Jul 8;106(4):239-49.

Abstract

Background: The affect heuristic is a rule of thumb according to which, in the process of making a judgment or decision, people use affect as a cue. If a stimulus elicits positive affect then risks associated to that stimulus are viewed as low and benefits as high; conversely, if the stimulus elicits negative affect, then risks are perceived as high and benefits as low.

Objectives: The basic tenet of this study is that affect heuristic guides worker's judgment and decision making in a risk situation. The more the worker likes her/his organization the less she/he will perceive the risks as high.

Method: A sample of 115 employers and 65 employees working in small family agricultural businesses completed a questionnaire measuring perceived safety costs, psychological safety climate, affective commitment and safety compliance.

Results: A multi-sample structural analysis supported the thesis that safety compliance can be explained through an affect-based heuristic reasoning, but only for employers.

Conclusions: Positive affective commitment towards their family business reduced employers' compliance with safety procedures by increasing the perceived cost of implementing them.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Affect*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Agriculture
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Cues
  • Decision Making
  • Family Relations
  • Female
  • Guideline Adherence / economics
  • Harm Reduction
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Job Satisfaction*
  • Judgment
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Occupational Health*
  • Protective Devices / economics
  • Protective Devices / statistics & numerical data
  • Risk Assessment*
  • Safety Management* / economics
  • Safety Management* / standards
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult