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Published on: September 12, 2014
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Rethinking Risk Perception and its Importance for Explaining Natural Hazard Preparedness Behavior
Mitchell Scovell1, Connar McShane1, Anne Swinbourne1
1College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Summary
Understanding risk perception is key to promoting protective behaviors during natural hazards. This study found that higher risk perception and negative emotional responses to potential damage significantly increase preparedness intentions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Environmental Science
- Disaster Management
Background:
- Psychological theory posits a positive link between risk perception and protective behavior.
- Empirical evidence for this link is inconsistent, potentially due to how risk perception is measured and the neglect of hazard severity and emotional appraisal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between risk perception and protective behavior, considering hazard severity and emotional appraisal.
- To address inconsistencies in prior research by examining these factors in the context of natural hazards.
Main Methods:
- 337 individuals in a cyclone-prone area participated in an online study.
- Respondents were exposed to hypothetical cyclone scenarios of varying severity.
- Surveys assessed risk perception, coping appraisal, and intentions for short-term protective behaviors.
Main Results:
- Risk perception significantly predicted preparedness intentions, even when controlling for hazard severity, probability, and coping appraisal.
- Negative emotional associations with predicted damage were also a strong predictor of preparedness intentions.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the theoretical association between risk perception and protective behavior.
- The study introduces a novel method for assessing risk perception in cross-sectional research.
- Increasing risk perception is recommended to enhance protective actions against natural hazards.
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