risk communication from awareness to action 1 thing.com
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Risk CommunicationFrom Awareness to Action
www.do1thing.com
Risk Communication
Public EducationWarning/Emergency Information
Public Response
52% of families don’t have an emergency plan
51% would not know what to do if told to “shelter in place”
36% say they have done nothing to prepare
Public Response
3 out of 5 say they would not follow emergency instructions in a smallpox incident
2 out of 5 would not follow instructions in a dirty bomb incident
Aware
Intend not to act
Intend to act
Action
Information/Warning given
The Process
The ProcessOfficials Public
Provide information
ReceiveUnderstandBelieve
Awareness
Reinforce w/ text, pictures, maps, sources
Personalize Confirm with othersWeigh credibilityAssess own ability
Intention
Clear directionsExpected consequences
Outcome expectancyCost/BenefitTrust
Action
Intention
43% have disaster supply kit31% intend to make a kit26% do not intend, or had not
considered making a kit
Factors
People who do not trust public officials are half as likely to obey emergency instructions
People who lack trust are often the same people who lack resources
Caring/Empathy
Honesty/ Openness
Commitment/ Dedication
Competence/ Expertise
Factors in Public Trust
Factors
The older someone is, the less likely they are to follow emergency instructions
It takes three messages (or a message and two confirming sources) to move most people to action“Believing a warning message increases the likelihood of responding
to it.” - Dennis Mileti
Effective Messages
Specific Frequent Certain Delivered by
multiple media Confirmed by other
sources
Knowledge/beliefs about
disaster, disease & behaviorsInformation sources
Perceptions of local ecology/ environment
Actions of local government
Individual’s Risk
Perception
Action
Socio-economic
status
Race
Education
Gender
Eve Gruntfest: Risky Business
“It isn’t what we don’t know that kills us, it’s what we
know that ain’t so.”Mark Twain
Intention + Resources = Action
Intend to act Intend not to act
Intend to act Intend not to act
Resources Resources
No resources No resources
WON’T
CA
N’T
Intend not to act Don’t believe they
will be personally affected by disaster (54%)
Preparedness won’t be effective (45%)
Haven’t thought about it (52%)
Intend not to act
Too expensive (37%)
Too time consuming (35%)
Don’t know how (44%)
Intend not to act
Perception Solution
CredibilityOutcome expectancy
Good public information principles
PersonalizationComplacency Trust
Participation Social justice Empowerment
Hazard anxietyHelplessnessCost/benefit
Pre-incident programs
For yourself, your family and your
community
Resources University of Colorado Natural Hazards Center. (2005). Quick
Response Research Report 178: Evacuation Behavior in Response to the Graniteville SC Chlorine Spill.
Mileti, Dennis and Elwood Beck. (1975). “Communication in Crisis: Explaining Evacuation Symbolically.” Communication Research, 2, 24-49.
Center for Advancement of Collaborative Strategies in Health. (2004). “Redefining Readiness.”
Hart Research Associates. (2005). “The Aftershock of Katrina: Public Not Moved to Prepare.”
Covello, Vincent. (2006) “Risk Communication and Message Mapping.” Journal of Emergency Management, 4 (3), 25-40
Green, Marc. The Psychology of Warning. Visual Expert Human Factors. <www.visualexpert.com/Resources/psychwarnings.html>
Gruntfest, Eve. (2002). Toward Improved Understanding of Warning (Abstract). US WRP Warm Season Precipitation Workshop.<box.mmm.ucar.edu/uswrp/warmseasonabstracts/gruntfest.htm>
Resources Paton, Douglas, Leigh Smith and David Johnston. “When Good
Intentions Turn Bad: Promoting Natural Hazard Preparedness.” Australian Journal of Emergency Management February 2005. <www.ema.gov.au>
Gordon, Rob. (2006). “Acute responses to emergencies: findings and observations of 20 years in the field.” Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 21 (1), 17-22.
Ripley, Amanda. (2006). “Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Wildfires, Earthquakes…Why We Don’t Prepare.” Time 20 Aug 2006. <www.time.com/time/magazine>
Perry, Ronald, Michael Lindell, and Marjorie Greene. (1982). “Crisis Communications: Ethnic Differentials in Interpreting and Acting on Disaster Warnings.” Social Behavior and Personality, 10 (1), 97-104.
Tarrant, Michael. (2006). “Risk and Emergency Management.” Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 21 (1), 9-14.
Gruntfest, Eve. (2005). “Risky Business: Innovations in Natural Hazards Public Education Based on Research and Practice.” <http://www.uccs.edu/~geogenvs/ecg/presentations.htm>
