What's Fear Got to Do with It - It's Affect We Need to Worry About

My objective in this paper is to provide psychological perspective on the challenges to rational decision making in the face of terrorism and other risk crisis. I shall begin with an introduction to the psychology of risk, highlighting the role of affect and its contribution to what may be called “risk as feeling.” I shall then address the need to educate and inform citizens about risks from terrorism and some of the particular challenges this entails.