Effects of Describing Long-Term Risks as Cumulative or Noncumulative

It is not known whether carcinogens act cumulatively or are noncumulative risks for which any single exposure may cause a tumor. Subjects in an experimental study w m assigned to take either cumulative or noncumulative risks. Subjects assigned to take cumulative risks took significantly more risks than subjects assigned to take noncumulative risks. Subjects described cumulative risks as roughly normally distributed, with low levels of exposure relatively safe. Noncumulative risks were perceived to he distributed differently, with higher levels of hazard resulting from low levels of exposure. The results imply that if people believe that carcinogens have cumulative effects, they will allow themselves more exposure than if they believe a "one-cell" noncumulative model.