Prof Nick Pidgeon - BA (Keele) PhD Bristol
I conduct interdisciplinary research on issues at the interface of society, public policy, technology, risk and the environment. Particular foci for my work are risk perceptions, risk communication, risk regulation/management and public engagement with science and technology. Current research projects are looking in particular at how public risk attitudes, and institutional responses to those attitudes, form a part of the social dynamics of a range of environmental and technological controversies, including those of nuclear power, GM agriculture and nanotechnologies. I am currently Director of a major project supported by the Leverhulme Trust (2007-2010) exploring risk attitudes and behaviour in relation to climate change and energy choices, as well as aspects of public deliberation about this critical environmental challenge. I take an eclectic stance on research methodology, and some of my work uses mixed-methods study designs where, for example, both quantitative and qualitative techniques are deployed to explore phenomena in greater depth than any one method would allow in isolation. I also conduct work into accident causation in high hazard industries, and in particular organisational safety cultures.
Selected Publications
Poortinga, W. and Pidgeon, N.F. (2005) Trust in risk regulation: cause or consequence of the acceptability of GM food? Risk Analysis, 25, 199-209.
Poortinga, W. and Pidgeon, N.F. (2003) Exploring the dimensionality of trust in risk regulation. Risk Analysis, 23, 961-972.
Cox, P., Niewöhner, J., Pidgeon, N., Gerrard, S., Fischhoff, B. and Riley, D. (2003) The use of mental models in chemical risk protection: developing a generic workplace methodology. Risk Analysis, 23, 311-324.
Lorenzoni, I. and Pidgeon, N.F (2006) Public views on climate change: European and USA perspectives. Climatic Change, 77, 73-95. (.pdf)
Jeffcott, M., Pidgeon, N.F., Weyman, A.K. and Walls, J. (2006) Risk, trust and safety culture in UK train operating companies. Risk Analysis, 26, 1105-1121. (.pdf)
Research Projects
Poortinga, W., Pidgeon, N.F. and Lannon, S. (2007-2010). Awareness and perceptions of the risks of exposure to radon in homes: a population based approach to examine the impacts of local radon policies, trust, and social capital. Funded by the Department of Health (£338,896).
Pidgeon, N.F., Poortinga, W., Lorenzoni, I., Eiser, J.R. and Hulme, M. (2007-2010). Understanding risk: climate change and energy choices. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust (£1,008,000).
Harthorn, B., Pidgeon, N.F., et al. (2006-2010). Centre for nanotechnology in society: theme 3, risk and societal responses (coord. Univ. California at Santa Barbara). Funded by the US National Science Foundation ($200,000).
Pidgeon, N.F., Henwood, K.L. and Irwin, A. (2006- 2007). Gender theories and risk perception: a secondary analysis. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council Science in Society Programme (£46,749).
Pidgeon, N.F., Simmons, P. and Henwood, K.L. (2003-2007). A narrative approach to risk, decisions and values. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council Priority Network ‘Social Contexts and Responses to Risk’ (£265,175)
Research Students
Sara Cartwright. Thesis Title The Impacts of Climate Change on Older Generations.
Stuart Capstick. Thesis Title “Climate Risk Discourses: Longitudinal analyses of public perspectives on climate change over two decades”.
Christina Demski. Thesis Title "Public perception of energy choices in the context of climate change and energy security"
Daniel Venables. Thesis Title ‘Environmental Risk Perception’