5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
[HDS09-P05] The influence of everyday life situations on people's decision-making of disaster safety behaviors
Keywords:earthquake, disaster safety behaviors, ecological momentary assessment, life situations
The failure to undertake adequate disaster safety behaviors when encountering a disaster is a major challenge in disaster prevention literacy. This study aims to examine the contextual factors that inhibit people's disaster safety behaviors by using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), which is measured in real-time during everyday life situations.
Research in psychology indicates that people's motivations are varied over time and across situations. This study examines how people's choice of disaster safety behaviors varies by the time and setting of their lives through real-time measurement using EMA.
A total of 149 respondents, nearly evenly recruited based on a gender × age segment, participated in this EMA study in August 2024. The measurements of EMA were taken randomly during different periods (morning, daytime, and evening) on two consecutive days, which were either weekdays or weekends, with six measurements in total. This study measured participants' choice of disaster safety behaviors in the event of an earthquake with a strong shaking intensity of 6.0, along with situational variables at the time of the EMA. A total of 692 observations (response rate: 77%) were obtained in this study.
Table 1 presents the descriptive statistics of the demographics. The main protective actions against earthquake disasters at the time of EMA were checking earthquake information and the surroundings (Figure 1). Specific safety actions were taken less frequently. Especially, individuals who were at home were more likely to engage in information-checking actions than those who were at other places (Figure 2). The likelihood of checking surroundings did not significantly differ by time of day or place (Figure 3). The likelihood of taking specific safety actions was higher among individuals who were at home, while it varied by time of day in other places.
The most common evacuation behavior after taking protective actions was staying in place (Figure 5). Few respondents chose specific evacuation actions, such as evacuating to a pre-designated outdoor location or indoor location. Moreover, the likelihood of selecting evacuation behaviors differed by place and time of day: Morning (Χ²(1) = 60.25, p < .01), daytime (Χ²(1) = 52.43, p < .01), and evening (Χ²(1) = 45.23, p = .03). Especially, the selection rate for staying in place was consistently high among individuals at home, whereas the selection rate among individuals at other places varied by time of day (Figure 6). The likelihood of evacuating to a pre-designated outdoor location varied by the respondents’ place but was lower in the evening (Figure 7). The likelihood of evacuating to a pre-designated indoor location was higher among individuals both inside and outside places in the evening (Figure 8).
Regarding protective actions immediately after an earthquake, most people undertook checking earthquake information and their surroundings rather than actions to ensure their own safety. These choices tended to be affected more by the place where individuals encountered a disaster, in addition to the time of day. People were more likely to prioritize assessing danger based on their surroundings rather than taking direct protective actions.
Regarding evacuation behaviors after an earthquake, staying in place was preferred over evacuating to another location. These behavioral choices also tended to be affected more by the place where individuals encountered a disaster, such as whether they were at home or elsewhere.
Psychological studies indicate that individuals' behavioral choices are not fixed but rather vary with time and situations. Our findings suggest that context plays a crucial role in shaping disaster-related behaviors. Further research is needed to develop disaster prevention literacy that accounts for behavioral contexts, given a day of time and place that significantly influences disaster prevention behaviors.
Research in psychology indicates that people's motivations are varied over time and across situations. This study examines how people's choice of disaster safety behaviors varies by the time and setting of their lives through real-time measurement using EMA.
A total of 149 respondents, nearly evenly recruited based on a gender × age segment, participated in this EMA study in August 2024. The measurements of EMA were taken randomly during different periods (morning, daytime, and evening) on two consecutive days, which were either weekdays or weekends, with six measurements in total. This study measured participants' choice of disaster safety behaviors in the event of an earthquake with a strong shaking intensity of 6.0, along with situational variables at the time of the EMA. A total of 692 observations (response rate: 77%) were obtained in this study.
Table 1 presents the descriptive statistics of the demographics. The main protective actions against earthquake disasters at the time of EMA were checking earthquake information and the surroundings (Figure 1). Specific safety actions were taken less frequently. Especially, individuals who were at home were more likely to engage in information-checking actions than those who were at other places (Figure 2). The likelihood of checking surroundings did not significantly differ by time of day or place (Figure 3). The likelihood of taking specific safety actions was higher among individuals who were at home, while it varied by time of day in other places.
The most common evacuation behavior after taking protective actions was staying in place (Figure 5). Few respondents chose specific evacuation actions, such as evacuating to a pre-designated outdoor location or indoor location. Moreover, the likelihood of selecting evacuation behaviors differed by place and time of day: Morning (Χ²(1) = 60.25, p < .01), daytime (Χ²(1) = 52.43, p < .01), and evening (Χ²(1) = 45.23, p = .03). Especially, the selection rate for staying in place was consistently high among individuals at home, whereas the selection rate among individuals at other places varied by time of day (Figure 6). The likelihood of evacuating to a pre-designated outdoor location varied by the respondents’ place but was lower in the evening (Figure 7). The likelihood of evacuating to a pre-designated indoor location was higher among individuals both inside and outside places in the evening (Figure 8).
Regarding protective actions immediately after an earthquake, most people undertook checking earthquake information and their surroundings rather than actions to ensure their own safety. These choices tended to be affected more by the place where individuals encountered a disaster, in addition to the time of day. People were more likely to prioritize assessing danger based on their surroundings rather than taking direct protective actions.
Regarding evacuation behaviors after an earthquake, staying in place was preferred over evacuating to another location. These behavioral choices also tended to be affected more by the place where individuals encountered a disaster, such as whether they were at home or elsewhere.
Psychological studies indicate that individuals' behavioral choices are not fixed but rather vary with time and situations. Our findings suggest that context plays a crucial role in shaping disaster-related behaviors. Further research is needed to develop disaster prevention literacy that accounts for behavioral contexts, given a day of time and place that significantly influences disaster prevention behaviors.