A person's acceptance or outrage for a risk or outcome are affected by a number of factors associated with that person's psychological perceptions and preconceived notions. These "outrage" factors may be the determining reason for why a specific decision is made.
One factor that may affect the level of outrage expressed is the degree of suppressed fear (anxiety) and anger (depression).
|
Factor |
Acceptance |
Outrage |
|
choice |
high level |
none or little choice |
|
level of control |
high level |
none or little control |
|
expectedness |
expected |
totally unexpected ("out of blue") |
|
fairness |
fair |
unfair |
|
trust |
trust upheld |
trust violated |
|
morality |
in line with cultural norms |
immoral (violates cultural norms for morality) |
|
familiarity |
familiar and unquestioned |
unfamiliar or foreign |
|
memorability |
easily forgotten or overlooked |
highly memorable or shocking |
|
catastrophic |
few affected |
devastating, especially if a large number of people are affected |
|
dread associated with outcome |
none or little |
terrifying or dreadful |
|
perceived benefits |
great or indispensible |
none or few or little |
|
impact on vulnerable group (children, elderly, pregnant women, disabled, etc.) |
no increased risk |
takes advantage of the weak |
An interesting example is the attitude of people towards automobiles, which are associated with large numbers of deaths and maimings each year. This risk may be accepted since cars are considered indispensible, while an unproven or imaginary risk may be viewed with great alarm.
Another example is the view of motorcyclists to wearing helmets. Some would rather die instantly (perhaps not viewed as likely) than risk quadraplegia from a broken neck (a dreaded outcome).
