How People Behave in Anticipation of and During Earthquakes: A Review of Social Science Literature on What Drives This Behaviour

Abstract eng:
The paper reviews social science research on what motivates people’s behaviours in anticipation of and during earthquakes. Seismic risk perceptions vary according to psychological, social and environmental factors, but do not directly determine seismic adjustment. Risk perception motivates people to assess their subjective sense of control over earthquake risk. Levels of control are further moderated by sociocultural norms regarding who is responsible for seismic adjustments. Without trust in one’s own and others’ competence and willingness to reduce earthquake exposure, adjustment intentions are weak. Acting on credible warnings is conditional on a sense of subjective control, feeling responsible for one’s own and others’ safety, and trusting the community and its leaders to take appropriate action throughout the entire disaster cycle. Behaviour during earthquakes is, contrary to popular myths, not dominated by panic and irrationality. Besides the overarching goal of survival, people strive to maintain altruistic and rational social relations, even among groups of strangers. Explanations for these behaviours centre on the universal need to belong to groups, which allows people to engage in collective problem-solving while maintaining a sense of safety and normality. We note that many studies employ questionable methods. Theoretically, most of them rely on the intention-causes-behaviour model, which only accounts for under a third of the variance in behaviour (Sheeran, 2002). Decisions on how to prepare for emergencies are also shaped by cultural values, social representations of risk and emotionally-driven judgments. An integration of these would facilitate a more valid psychological framework for interdisciplinary earthquake research.

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