Perceived reality of visually mediated hazards and beliefs about risk

The aim of the present paper was to explore whether beliefs about risk are affected by media content authenticity as perceived by the viewers. A total of 69 participants were shown either a fictional or a reality‐based film on nuclear power. They rated risk perception prior to and after the film as well as ten days later, reactions to the film experience, and items of the scale for Need for Cognition. Results showed that individuals high in need for cognition were more accurate in their judgment of the authenticity of films, but were as influenced in their risk perception as their counterparts. Nuclear risk ratings showed a significant and large increase immediately upon the film session, but had resumed pre‐film level when measured ten days later. The potential influence of perceived content authenticity on risk perception is discussed in light of increasingly transformed patterns of media consumption. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.