Personal relevance moderates the effect of conflicting information on risk perception and behavioral outcomes

Conflicting information that arises from scientific disagreement poses challenges to effective risk communication. This study explores the impact of conflicting information on risk perception and downstream risk-mitigation behavioral intention and policy support. The research context is PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination. We conducted an online experiment featuring a 2 (information type: conflicting vs. consistent) × 2 (personal relevance: high vs. low) between-subjects factorial design with 1232 American adult participants. Results indicated that exposure to conflicting information dampened risk perception, which subsequently reduced risk-mitigation behavioral intention and policy support, but only when participants perceived the risk from PFAS as less personally relevant. These findings underscore the importance of providing consistent information to the public on emerging environmental risks that bear uncertain health impacts.