Measuring Risk Perception

Perceived risk is a complex and important concept. There exists a particular challenge in terms of quantifying perceived risk across different products, and regarding risk to the individual (or the user) in general. Current approaches to measuring risk perceptions are typically limited in terms of instrument content, type, and comparability. Furthermore, many existing instruments have not been constructed with recourse to the latest developments in psychometrics. This chapter briefly outlines the key concepts related to risk perception, highlights existing research, and reviews current instruments developed for tobacco products. The authors then go onto describe core elements of instrument development and the fundamentals of the three main psychometric paradigms: Classical Test Theory, Rasch Measurement Theory, and Item Response Theory. It is concluded that there is a need for new self-report instruments to measure risk perceptions of tobacco products. In addition, whereas all psychometric theories provide useful insights, the framework of Rasch Measurement Theory appears to be the most promising to enable the delivery of an instrument fit for purpose for high stakes decision-making.