Does Knowing More Relate to More Anxiety? Psychological Factors Associated With Anxiety About Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields and the Role of Information Provision in Risk Communication.

As radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) become increasingly embedded in everyday life, understanding public responses to RF-EMFs and developing effective risk communication strategies are essential. In this study, we examined the psychological factors associated with anxiety concerning the use of technologies that rely on RF-EMFs and the effects of information provision as a form of risk communication. In the baseline analysis, multilevel modeling of anxiety across six common RF-EMF sources revealed that both subjective exposure perceptions and confidence in those perceptions were independently associated with anxiety. While heightened awareness of RF-EMFs was associated with higher anxiety, more objective knowledge of RF-EMFs was associated with lower anxiety. In the intervention analysis, although information provision increased anxiety overall, it reduced anxiety among those with initially high levels of concern. It also affected a range of related cognitive factors, including subjective exposure perceptions, confidence in those perceptions, awareness, and knowledge. These findings demonstrate the complex psychological impact of information provision on anxiety about RF-EMFs and related cognitive factors and provide practical insights for designing more effective risk communication strategies.