Trust perceptions among residents surrounding nuclear power plants: A descriptive and explanatory study

Abstract

Trust is an important factor in the management of risk and uncertainty. This research focuses on public trust in the safety of nuclear power plants in populations living near a nuclear facility. We examine the differences in the levels of local trust among residents in five communities as well as the role of sociodemographic and attitudinal factors in predicting trust. Results from a survey reveal first that the majority of respondents are ambivalent regarding their level of trust in the safety of nuclear power plants, and a significant minority of residents expresses a strong mistrust. Second, the analysis shows that levels of local trust vary significantly between the five communities. Results from the bivariate analysis indicate that individuals’ level of trust is associated with sex, knowledge, familiarity, prior attitude towards nuclear energy and risk perception. Results from the multivariate analysis indicate that prior attitude towards nuclear and risk perception are the main predictors of trust. Implications of the results are discussed.