Lay people's perception of food hazards: comparing aggregated data and individual data.

The psychometric paradigm has been used to explain the perception of food hazard risks. In past studies, only aggregated data were analyzed, and individual differences were neglected. In the present study, both aggregated data and non-aggregated data are analyzed. Data stem from a mail survey conducted in Switzerland (N=448). Analyzing aggregated data, results of past studies were successfully replicated. The PCA analysis revealed the two factors "unknown risk" and "dread risk." Results of a three-way component analysis (3MPCA) suggest, that two components explain individual differences in the perception of food hazards. The two components were labeled "unobservable hazards," and "familiar hazards." Individual differences in the cognitive representation of hazards were correlated with attitudes toward natural foods. Results suggest that people who prefer natural foods differ in perceived risks from people who do not prefer natural foods. Results show that methods permitting individual differences are crucial for a better understanding of the cognitive representation of food hazards.