Risk surrounds us, it envelops us. It is our personal and societal preoccupation and our salvation. Without understanding it we risk everything, and without capitalising upon it we gain nothing. This book comprehensively explores the psychology of risk. This entails examining how individuals think, feel and act about risks but, as importantly, it includes analysis of institutional and societal assessments, rhetorics and reactions to risks.

The object of this book is to provide a detailed overview of the empirical research that has been conducted on the psychology of risk and to piece together the theoretical and practical implications of the data. It is not representing a single theoretical model or standpoint. It is designed to be critically inclusive – that is, to offer a review of the full variety of explanations that have been developed and to present their respective pros and cons. There is no theoretical monolith that can currently encompass all of the interesting questions concerning the psychology of risk. Perhaps there never will be since risk and its corollaries are so multi-faceted. However, there are many medium-range explanatory models and these are all considered here.