Drivers and dimensions of flood risk perceptions: Revealing an implicit selection bias and lessons for communication policies

• We test a variety of drivers flood risk perceptions, such as communication. Risk perceptions are shaped in several dimensions by intuitive and rational thinking. Mixed evidence for is explained an implicit selection bias. People who do not know how to answer triggered socio-demographic drivers. Recommendations provided improving communication policies. Flood damages have increased many regions around the world, they expected continue rise future due climate change. To reverse this trend, awareness among population required support management policies improve preparedness. However, empirical studies on conducted thus far reported mixed contradictory results. The aim study provide insights into factors that influence various draw lessons guide strategies. hypotheses possible motivated theoretical concepts previous studies, whilst also controlling variables. A representative sample 2,976 residents answered our survey assessing role past experiences play shaping perceptions. Besides exploring more robustly, large facilitates systematic ‘don’t know’ answers, which often dismissed missing data studies. Rather we analyze what answers reflect terms knowledge about particular risk. finds older people, well those higher levels income education, significantly likely express their respondents unable questions face lower risk, report been living neighbourhood shorter period time less first-hand experience. Previous might be biased effect. Finally, show findings highly dependent other explicit choices made researchers, including apparently self-fulfilling impact selecting one explanatory framework over another. New emerge from information campaigns social vulnerability ability questions. Based findings, offer recommendations policies, specifically increasing frequency communication, ensuring focused content subgroups target.