Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP)
The model was originally proposed to pinpoint the cognitive and sociopsychological variables that
account for individuals’ information seeking and processing related to a specific environmental or
health hazard, such as eating contaminated fish from the Great Lakes or participating in a cancer
clinical trial
Later the RISP model was expanded to examine its applicability in explaining general health
information seeking with results indicating that the model could account for up to 64% of the
variance in information seeking intentions
The RISP model offers a framework to depict the key factors that predispose individuals to seek and
process relevant risk information in a more systematic or thoughtful manner. More thoughtful
information processing, as proposed, would engender greater compliance with the
recommendations communicated in risk messages, regardless of message format. The RISP model
suggests that active seeking and systematic processing of risk information are primarily motivated by
one’s psychological need for information sufficiency (termed as information insufficiency hereafter).
the RISP model forms effective links between the questions of where people get information about a
particular topic and how they deal with this information.
To conceptualize information processing, the RISP model adopts the HSM’s notion of heuristic and
systematic processing. In particular, heuristic processing is termed as a more superficial processing
mode that relies less on cognitive resources and mental effort. Systematic processing, by
comparison, is a more analytical and in-depth mode of information processing. These two concepts
resemble the central route and peripheral route as proposed in the Elaboration Likelihood Model
(ELM)
however, the HSM asserts that even persuasion through heuristic processing is based on simple
decision rules or cues that are associated with message validity. The ELM, on the other hand,
specifies motives that could produce attitude change without generating active elaboration about
the specific issue
the RISP model’s focus on how information is integrated to affect beliefs and attitudes renders it
applicable not only to persuasion settings but also to other situations in which people ‘‘gain new
information about attitude objects or ruminate about information they already possess’’
defense and impression motivation also likely trigger information seeking and processing. Defense
motivation is one’s desire to form and hold beliefs that are consistent with his or her material
interests and fundamental values. Defense motivation is distinct from accuracy motivation, which is
reserved to measure the validity of one’s beliefs in relation to existing facts. Impression motivation
refers to one’s desire to express attitudes that help an individual meet his or her immediate social
goals, such as getting along with others
Both defense and impression motivation can lead to either heuristic or systematic processing.
The model was originally proposed to pinpoint the cognitive and sociopsychological variables that
account for individuals’ information seeking and processing related to a specific environmental or
health hazard, such as eating contaminated fish from the Great Lakes or participating in a cancer
clinical trial
Later the RISP model was expanded to examine its applicability in explaining general health
information seeking with results indicating that the model could account for up to 64% of the
variance in information seeking intentions
The RISP model offers a framework to depict the key factors that predispose individuals to seek and
process relevant risk information in a more systematic or thoughtful manner. More thoughtful
information processing, as proposed, would engender greater compliance with the
recommendations communicated in risk messages, regardless of message format. The RISP model
suggests that active seeking and systematic processing of risk information are primarily motivated by
one’s psychological need for information sufficiency (termed as information insufficiency hereafter).
the RISP model forms effective links between the questions of where people get information about a
particular topic and how they deal with this information.
To conceptualize information processing, the RISP model adopts the HSM’s notion of heuristic and
systematic processing. In particular, heuristic processing is termed as a more superficial processing
mode that relies less on cognitive resources and mental effort. Systematic processing, by
comparison, is a more analytical and in-depth mode of information processing. These two concepts
resemble the central route and peripheral route as proposed in the Elaboration Likelihood Model
(ELM)
however, the HSM asserts that even persuasion through heuristic processing is based on simple
decision rules or cues that are associated with message validity. The ELM, on the other hand,
specifies motives that could produce attitude change without generating active elaboration about
the specific issue
the RISP model’s focus on how information is integrated to affect beliefs and attitudes renders it
applicable not only to persuasion settings but also to other situations in which people ‘‘gain new
information about attitude objects or ruminate about information they already possess’’
defense and impression motivation also likely trigger information seeking and processing. Defense
motivation is one’s desire to form and hold beliefs that are consistent with his or her material
interests and fundamental values. Defense motivation is distinct from accuracy motivation, which is
reserved to measure the validity of one’s beliefs in relation to existing facts. Impression motivation
refers to one’s desire to express attitudes that help an individual meet his or her immediate social
goals, such as getting along with others
Both defense and impression motivation can lead to either heuristic or systematic processing.
