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Papers by Vincent Covello

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Offi ce of Research and Development funded a... more The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Offi ce of Research and Development funded and collaborated in the research described herein under Contract Number 68-C-02-067 to Science Applications International Corporation. It has been subjected to the Agency's peer and administrative review and has been approved for publication as an EPA document. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

… risk communication: The …, 1987

7 Principles and Guidelines for Improving Risk Communication Vincent T. Covello, David B. McCallu... more 7 Principles and Guidelines for Improving Risk Communication Vincent T. Covello, David B. McCallum, and Maria Pavlova If we think [the people] are not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to ...

Risk Analysis, 1996

This paper reports results from a survey designed to: (1) evaluate changes in industrial pollutio... more This paper reports results from a survey designed to: (1) evaluate changes in industrial pollution prevention practices since the passage of the landmark environmental legislation, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, also known as SARA Title 111, and (2) identify those factors that may contribute to an industrial facility engaging in pollution prevention and risk communication activities. The survey was conducted under a Cooperative Agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Columbia University Center for Risk Communication. Evidence from the survey indicates that a wide variety of waste and pollution reduction activities have been undertaken since passage of the Act. Virtually all facilities surveyed in the pulp and paper, chemical, and petroleum and refining industries reported that they had reduced pollutants or wastes on at least one of ten measures, including reducing toxic air emissions. Most facilities indicated paying more attention to pollution prevention activities as a result of SARA Title 111 and half reported that their communication activities have also increased.

SIDALC - Sistema de Informacion y Documentacion Agropecuaria de las Americas.

Biotechnology Risk Assessment: Issues and Methods …, 1985

Uncertainty in risk …, 1987

Risk communication takes place in a variety of forms, ranging from product warning labels on ciga... more Risk communication takes place in a variety of forms, ranging from product warning labels on cigarette packages and saccharin bottles to interactions between officials and members of the public on such highly charged issues as Love Canal, AIDS, and the accident at Three Mile Island. Recent experience has shown that communicating scientific information about health and environmental risks can be exceedingly difficult and is often frustrating to those involved. Government officials, industry executives, and scientific experts often complain that laypeople do not understand technical risk information and that individual and media biases and limitations lead to distorted and inaccurate perceptions of many risk problems. Individual citizens and representatives of public groups are often equally frustrated, perceiving government and industry officials to be uninterested in their concerns, unwilling to take immediate and direct actions to solve seemingly simple and obvious health and environmental problems, and reluctant or unwilling to allow them to participate in decisions that intimately affect their lives. In this context, the media often play the role of transmitter and translator of information about health and environmental risks, but have been criticized for exaggerating risks and emphasizing drama over scientific facts. These difficulties and frustrations pOint to the problems and complexities of communicating health and environmental information in a pluralistic, democratic society. A review of the literature (Covello, Slovic, and von Winterfeldt, 1986) on recent efforts to communicate information about health or environmental risks-such as the controversies over the risks of saccharin, the pesticide EDB, dioxin, AIDS, toxic wastes, smoking, driving without seat belts, and nuclear power plant accidents-suggests that communication problems arise from (1) message charact~ristics and problems (e.g., limitations of scientific risk assessments)i (2) source characteristics and problems (e.g., limitations *The views and conclusions expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and conclusions of the National Science Foundation.

Expert judgment and expert systems, 1987

... ISBN:0-387-17986-0. Authors, Joseph Fiksel, Teknowledge Inc., Palo Alto, CA. Vincent T. Covel... more ... ISBN:0-387-17986-0. Authors, Joseph Fiksel, Teknowledge Inc., Palo Alto, CA. Vincent T. Covello, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. ... General Terms: Human Factors, Management. Collaborative Colleagues: Joseph Fiksel: colleagues. Vincent T. Covello: colleagues ...

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 713851971, Dec 15, 2010

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 10810730802487463, Dec 2, 2008

It is important to systematically assess the vaccine information needs of parents in order to mai... more It is important to systematically assess the vaccine information needs of parents in order to maintain or improve childhood immunization coverage. Our objectives were to obtain suggestions for the optimal presentation of vaccine-related information and to determine if an educational intervention affected mothers' vaccine safety attitudes. Focus groups were used to develop messages that then were tested through a randomized, pre- and post-test mail survey of non-Hispanic White mothers who reported vaccine safety concerns (n = 927). Focus groups were analyzed using text analysis software. Increases in attitude scores between the pre- and post-test surveys were calculated, and logistic regression was used to compare intervention groups with a control group. Of survey participants who recalled the test messages, 50% (85/171) who received a "consequences of reduced coverage" message reported an improved opinion of vaccines. A greater proportion of participants receiving one or more intervention messages reported an improved attitude score from pre-to post-test compared with the control group for four of the five variables measured; however, differences were small and none were statistically significant. A mixed method approach was used to develop and test vaccine messages. The message describing potential consequences of reduced vaccination coverage had the greatest impact on improving concerned mothers' opinions of childhood vaccines.

Risk Assessment and Management, 1987

Risk/Benefit Analysis in Water Resources Planning and Management, 1981

Risk …, 1988

This paper compares approaches to environmental risk management in Japan and the United States. T... more This paper compares approaches to environmental risk management in Japan and the United States. The paper includes an historical examination of two case studies of environmental risk management: synthetic detergents and lead in gasoline. In addition, the paper discusses several important differences between Japan and the United States, including (a) different attitudes toward separating environmental risk management from environmental risk assessment, and @) different approaches toward environmental risk management. Specifically, the Japanese approach is based largely on a cooperative model of risk management, with a strong emphasis on negotiation and consensus-building, while the U.S. approach is based largely on a confrontational model of risk management, with a strong emphasis on rigorous scientific analysis and open adverserial processes.

Risk Assessment Methods, 1993

Contemporary Sociology, 1982

SIDALC - Sistema de Informacion y Documentacion Agropecuaria de las Americas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Offi ce of Research and Development funded a... more The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Offi ce of Research and Development funded and collaborated in the research described herein under Contract Number 68-C-02-067 to Science Applications International Corporation. It has been subjected to the Agency's peer and administrative review and has been approved for publication as an EPA document. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

… risk communication: The …, 1987

7 Principles and Guidelines for Improving Risk Communication Vincent T. Covello, David B. McCallu... more 7 Principles and Guidelines for Improving Risk Communication Vincent T. Covello, David B. McCallum, and Maria Pavlova If we think [the people] are not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to ...

Risk Analysis, 1996

This paper reports results from a survey designed to: (1) evaluate changes in industrial pollutio... more This paper reports results from a survey designed to: (1) evaluate changes in industrial pollution prevention practices since the passage of the landmark environmental legislation, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, also known as SARA Title 111, and (2) identify those factors that may contribute to an industrial facility engaging in pollution prevention and risk communication activities. The survey was conducted under a Cooperative Agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Columbia University Center for Risk Communication. Evidence from the survey indicates that a wide variety of waste and pollution reduction activities have been undertaken since passage of the Act. Virtually all facilities surveyed in the pulp and paper, chemical, and petroleum and refining industries reported that they had reduced pollutants or wastes on at least one of ten measures, including reducing toxic air emissions. Most facilities indicated paying more attention to pollution prevention activities as a result of SARA Title 111 and half reported that their communication activities have also increased.

SIDALC - Sistema de Informacion y Documentacion Agropecuaria de las Americas.

Biotechnology Risk Assessment: Issues and Methods …, 1985

Uncertainty in risk …, 1987

Risk communication takes place in a variety of forms, ranging from product warning labels on ciga... more Risk communication takes place in a variety of forms, ranging from product warning labels on cigarette packages and saccharin bottles to interactions between officials and members of the public on such highly charged issues as Love Canal, AIDS, and the accident at Three Mile Island. Recent experience has shown that communicating scientific information about health and environmental risks can be exceedingly difficult and is often frustrating to those involved. Government officials, industry executives, and scientific experts often complain that laypeople do not understand technical risk information and that individual and media biases and limitations lead to distorted and inaccurate perceptions of many risk problems. Individual citizens and representatives of public groups are often equally frustrated, perceiving government and industry officials to be uninterested in their concerns, unwilling to take immediate and direct actions to solve seemingly simple and obvious health and environmental problems, and reluctant or unwilling to allow them to participate in decisions that intimately affect their lives. In this context, the media often play the role of transmitter and translator of information about health and environmental risks, but have been criticized for exaggerating risks and emphasizing drama over scientific facts. These difficulties and frustrations pOint to the problems and complexities of communicating health and environmental information in a pluralistic, democratic society. A review of the literature (Covello, Slovic, and von Winterfeldt, 1986) on recent efforts to communicate information about health or environmental risks-such as the controversies over the risks of saccharin, the pesticide EDB, dioxin, AIDS, toxic wastes, smoking, driving without seat belts, and nuclear power plant accidents-suggests that communication problems arise from (1) message charact~ristics and problems (e.g., limitations of scientific risk assessments)i (2) source characteristics and problems (e.g., limitations *The views and conclusions expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and conclusions of the National Science Foundation.

Expert judgment and expert systems, 1987

... ISBN:0-387-17986-0. Authors, Joseph Fiksel, Teknowledge Inc., Palo Alto, CA. Vincent T. Covel... more ... ISBN:0-387-17986-0. Authors, Joseph Fiksel, Teknowledge Inc., Palo Alto, CA. Vincent T. Covello, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. ... General Terms: Human Factors, Management. Collaborative Colleagues: Joseph Fiksel: colleagues. Vincent T. Covello: colleagues ...

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 713851971, Dec 15, 2010

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 10810730802487463, Dec 2, 2008

It is important to systematically assess the vaccine information needs of parents in order to mai... more It is important to systematically assess the vaccine information needs of parents in order to maintain or improve childhood immunization coverage. Our objectives were to obtain suggestions for the optimal presentation of vaccine-related information and to determine if an educational intervention affected mothers' vaccine safety attitudes. Focus groups were used to develop messages that then were tested through a randomized, pre- and post-test mail survey of non-Hispanic White mothers who reported vaccine safety concerns (n = 927). Focus groups were analyzed using text analysis software. Increases in attitude scores between the pre- and post-test surveys were calculated, and logistic regression was used to compare intervention groups with a control group. Of survey participants who recalled the test messages, 50% (85/171) who received a "consequences of reduced coverage" message reported an improved opinion of vaccines. A greater proportion of participants receiving one or more intervention messages reported an improved attitude score from pre-to post-test compared with the control group for four of the five variables measured; however, differences were small and none were statistically significant. A mixed method approach was used to develop and test vaccine messages. The message describing potential consequences of reduced vaccination coverage had the greatest impact on improving concerned mothers' opinions of childhood vaccines.

Risk Assessment and Management, 1987

Risk/Benefit Analysis in Water Resources Planning and Management, 1981

Risk …, 1988

This paper compares approaches to environmental risk management in Japan and the United States. T... more This paper compares approaches to environmental risk management in Japan and the United States. The paper includes an historical examination of two case studies of environmental risk management: synthetic detergents and lead in gasoline. In addition, the paper discusses several important differences between Japan and the United States, including (a) different attitudes toward separating environmental risk management from environmental risk assessment, and @) different approaches toward environmental risk management. Specifically, the Japanese approach is based largely on a cooperative model of risk management, with a strong emphasis on negotiation and consensus-building, while the U.S. approach is based largely on a confrontational model of risk management, with a strong emphasis on rigorous scientific analysis and open adverserial processes.

Risk Assessment Methods, 1993

Contemporary Sociology, 1982

SIDALC - Sistema de Informacion y Documentacion Agropecuaria de las Americas.