description Paul Slovic Overview
Paul Slovic is an American psychologist whose research examines risk perception, judgment, decision-making, and the role of emotion in evaluating hazards. He helped develop the psychometric approach to studying why experts and the public may assess risks differently. His work on the affect heuristic, psychic numbing, and the singularity effect explores how emotional responses influence concern for victims and large-scale suffering.
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Paul Slovic ranks #64 of 228 in the Psychologist ranking, behind Donald Winnicott, ahead of Robert Cialdini.
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What is Paul Slovic's psychometric approach to risk perception?
The psychometric approach asks people to rate hazards on qualities such as dread, familiarity, controllability, and catastrophic potential. Slovic's research showed that these perceptions help explain why public risk judgments can differ from expert estimates.
What does Paul Slovic mean by the affect heuristic?
The affect heuristic describes how positive or negative feelings can guide rapid judgments about risks and benefits. Slovic developed this line of research with colleagues including Melissa Finucane, Ellen Peters, and Donald MacGregor.
Why does Slovic say people respond differently to one victim and many victims?
Slovic's work on the identifiable-victim effect and psychic numbing suggests that one vivid person can evoke a stronger response than large, abstract casualty figures. He has examined this problem in contexts including genocide, humanitarian crises, and charitable giving.
Where has Paul Slovic conducted his risk research?
Slovic is closely associated with Decision Research, an institute based in Eugene, Oregon. He has also held an academic role at the University of Oregon and published extensively on judgment, decision-making, and risk.
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