Assessing the sensitivity and validity of the Berlin emotional responses to risk scale

Abstract

Affect has been shown to influence our perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors, sometimes serving as a beneficial or harmful guide during risky decision making. Currently, there is no standardized instrument validated for the evaluation of affective reactions to risk-relevant information. This study sought to expand on the assessment of the psychometric sensitivity and predictive validity of a recently developed instrument, The Berlin Emotional Responses to Risk Scale (BERRS), a broad 6-item self-report of positive and negative affect that serves to provide an overall affective reaction to risk in one minute. We wanted to demonstrate that the scale would be sensitive to manipulations of risk severity and probability. Results from our online panel survey (N = 515) demonstrated that the BERRS was sensitive to subtle changes in risk severity and probability across diverse risk contexts (e.g., health, environmental, technological, etc.) and could predict behavioral intentions (i.e., willingness to engage in a risky behavior) in a variety of risk contexts and conditions