10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
[HDS07-P01] Differences in neural processes of tsunami evacuation decision-making by information type: an fMRI study
Keywords:disaster evacuation, decision making, brain
In order to build awareness of disaster evacuation for disaster risk reduction, it would be beneficial to understand the psychological process of how disaster-related information leads to evacuation decisions. For example, information processed during tsunami evacuation after an earthquake can be divided into two major types: quantitative information obtained from the media, such as seismic intensity and epicenter area (Figure 1A), and qualitative information obtained from the senses through personal experience (Figure 1B).
In order to clarify how the psychological process of evacuation decision making differs between these two types of information, this study compared brain activity during an evacuation decision-making task between quantitative and qualitative scenarios.
METHODS: Fifty-eight university students (31 males and 27 females; 21.5 ± 1.3 (SD) years old) participated in a brain activity measurement experiment using functional MRI. Participants performed 40 trials of a tsunami evacuation decision-making task (20 quantitative and 20 qualitative scenarios; two choices: to evacuate or not to evacuate) during MRI scanning.
RESULTS: Brain activity during the tsunami evacuation decision task was compared between the two scenario types. Higher brain activity in the quantitative scenario was found in the cortical regions in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) primarily in the right hemisphere (Figure 2A), while higher brain activity in the qualitative scenario was found in the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) of both hemispheres (vlPFC) (Figure 2B).
DISCUSSION: In thinking process, the IPS is known to be involved in formal thinking and processing of verifiable propositions, while the TPJ and vlPFC are involved in concrete thinking and processing of unverifiable propositions. It is reasonable to assume that quantitative and qualitative scenarios are characterized by these different thought processes, and that evacuation decision-making processes based on them, as well as educational intervention processes to interfere with them, may also benefit from differentiating strategies.
In order to clarify how the psychological process of evacuation decision making differs between these two types of information, this study compared brain activity during an evacuation decision-making task between quantitative and qualitative scenarios.
METHODS: Fifty-eight university students (31 males and 27 females; 21.5 ± 1.3 (SD) years old) participated in a brain activity measurement experiment using functional MRI. Participants performed 40 trials of a tsunami evacuation decision-making task (20 quantitative and 20 qualitative scenarios; two choices: to evacuate or not to evacuate) during MRI scanning.
RESULTS: Brain activity during the tsunami evacuation decision task was compared between the two scenario types. Higher brain activity in the quantitative scenario was found in the cortical regions in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) primarily in the right hemisphere (Figure 2A), while higher brain activity in the qualitative scenario was found in the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) of both hemispheres (vlPFC) (Figure 2B).
DISCUSSION: In thinking process, the IPS is known to be involved in formal thinking and processing of verifiable propositions, while the TPJ and vlPFC are involved in concrete thinking and processing of unverifiable propositions. It is reasonable to assume that quantitative and qualitative scenarios are characterized by these different thought processes, and that evacuation decision-making processes based on them, as well as educational intervention processes to interfere with them, may also benefit from differentiating strategies.