| Abstract: | Four hundred and fifty-five adolescents estimated the subjective probability risk for lightning and tornado deaths. Based on observations by Slovic, Fischhoff, and Lichtenstein (1982), we predicted that teenagers would underestimate the risks for lightning fatalities relative to tornado deaths. This prediction was confirmed for the sample as a whole. However, personal experience with both lightning and tornado events contributed to more realistic risk perceptions. Attention to news reports, thrill seeking, and gender did not contribute to perception. The findings are discussed in the context of the availability heuristic. |
