Welcome to the Harding Center for Risk Literacy

What are the risks associated with electronic patient records, medical diagnosis by artificial intelligence and the use of health apps? To what extent can participation in cancer screening programmes prevent dying from cancer? These and similar questions are addressed by the Harding Center for Risk Literacy. We research, develop, and publish methods and tools that enable informed, risk literate, and efficient decisions in an increasingly digitalized world. We support experts and organizations to communicate facts accurately, transparently, and comprehensibly and contribute towards the ideal of a democratic society that knows how to calculate risks and live with uncertainty.

» read more

Foto by Javier Allegue Barros

Decision-making under Uncertainty

smart phone

 

We develop empowerment strategies for critical interaction with and control of algorithmic decision environments

» more information

Risk and Evidence Communication

icon array

 

The research group Risk and Evidence Communication develops strategies to communicate about and better understand scientific evidence.

» more information

Risk Literate?

Are you risk literate? Check your knowledge about risks and uncertainties of everyday life here!

» to the risk quiz

Quick Risk Test

This test is targeted at medical students and medical professionals:

Quick Risk Test

Bad Statistic of the Month

The Bad Statistic of the Month (“Unstatistik des Monats”, only available in German) has been published monthly since 2012. Every month, the authors question recently published statistics and their interpretations. The underlying aim is to help the public deal with data and facts more rationally, interpret numerical representations of reality correctly, and describe an increasingly complex world more adequately. 

TED Talk: Risk Literacy 

TEDx talk Gerd Gigerenzer

 

» watch the video

Call for a Study for Health Educators

You inform about health-related topics (e.g. vaccinations) and want to contribute to a more target group-oriented care? We are studying the knowledge and behaviour of citizens with different cultural, linguistic and social backgrounds about COVID-19 and influenza vaccination.

» Please support the study!

Latest News

TED-Ed Talk: "Why do people fear the wrong things?"

A new drug reduces the risk of heart attacks by 40%. Shark attacks are up by a factor of two. Drinking a liter of soda per day doubles your chance of developing cancer. These are all examples of a common way risk is presented in news articles, and can often be misleading. So how can we better evaluate risk? Gerd Gigerenzer explores the difference between relative and absolute risk. [Directed by Visorama, narrated by Addison Anderson].

» video

Screenshot TED-Ed-Talk

Vaccination Fact Boxes

Read our Harding Center guest post on Health News Review about our vaccine fact boxes that provide transparent information to make informed and independent decisions: Fact boxes - A tool to immunize the public against vaccine misinformation.

» read more on Health News Review

girl getting vaccine
© CDC on Unsplash