Abstract: Abstract
To investigate Chinese peoples’ risk perception of SARS and the socio-psychological predictive model, this research surveyed 4231 people from 17 cities in China by the method of stratified sampling. The results indicated that: 1. Information of infection and personal interest had negative impact on people’s risk perception, recovery information with SARS and measures government took to prevent the spread of SARS can decrease the level of risk perception, and helplessness was found to moderate the relation between information and risk perception.2. The level of general risk was located in the area between familiarity and controllability. In the middle of May, people felt highest level of risk on the SARS pathogens, the second is the physical health and contagion after recovering from SARS. 3. The SEM result primarily supported our hypothesis of socio-psychological predictive model, and lay the foundation for Socio-Psychological Presentiment System of crisis and risky events

Key words: SARS, risk perception, risk communication, coping behavior, mental health