Should I Judge Safety or Danger? Perceived Risk in Avalanche Terrain Depends on the Question Frame
The language used to formulate risk judgments and its influence on the cognitive processes of decision making has pragmatic implications for the effectiveness of avalanche safety strategies. Phrasing a risk judgment in terms of how safe the slope is (vs. how dangerous it is) resulted in lower judged safety values and a lower likelihood of skiing the slope. Our experimental findings highlight a promising direction for the strategic application of question framing for increased avalanche safety.