Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
The role of risk perceptions in the risk mitigation process: the case of wildfire in high risk communities
Wade E Martin1, Ingrid M Martin, Brian Kent
1Department of Economics and Program in Environmental Science & Policy, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840-4607, USA. wmartin@csulb.edu
Abstract:
An important policy question receiving considerable attention concerns the risk perception-risk mitigation process that guides how individuals choose to address natural hazard risks. This question is considered in the context of wildfire. We analyze the factors that influence risk reduction behaviors by homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface. The factors considered are direct experience, knowledge of wildfire risk, locus of responsibility, fulltime/seasonal status, and self-efficacy. Survey data from three homeowner associations in the western U.S. are used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of this relationship. Our results indicate that the effects of knowledge and locus of responsibility are mediated by homeowners' risk perceptions. We also find that beliefs of self-efficacy and fulltime/seasonal status have a direct influence on risk reduction behaviors. Finally, we find, surprisingly, that direct experience with wildfire does not directly influence the risk perception-risk mitigation process.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment
Fundamental Attribution Error
Applications of GIS: Disaster Management and Emergency Response
The Availability Heuristic
Hazard Rate