Joffe, Helene and Rosetto, Tiziana and Solberg, Christian and O'Connor, Cliodhna (2013) Social Representations of Earthquakes: A Study of People Living in Three Highly Seismic Areas. Earthquake Spectra, 29 (2). pp. 367-397. ISSN 8755-2930

Preview

Download (463kB) | Preview

Abstract

Much research on people’s seismic adjustment activity in highly seismic areas has assumed that low levels of adjustment are attributable to insufficient awareness of seismic risk. Empirical evidence for this assumption is weak, and there is growing appreciation of the role played by sociocultural and emotional variables in risk perception and behavior. This study explored these sociocultural and emotional dimensions via 144 interviews and questionnaires, with matched samples of locals in Seattle (United States), Osaka (Japan), and Izmir (Turkey). The data showed that high awareness of possible seismic adjustment measures was not translated into behavior, with all sites demonstrating low adjustment uptake, though the North Americans adopted significantly more adjustments than the other cultures. Thematic analysis of the interview data suggested that adjustment behavior was undermined by anxiety, distrust, distancing self from earthquake risk and fatalistic beliefs. The paper concludes by recommending how culture-specific disaster mitigation plans may be developed to address these factors.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Helene Joffe, Tiziana Rossetto, Christian Solberg, and Cliodhna O'Connor (2013) Social Representations of Earthquakes: A Study of People Living in Three Highly Seismic Areas. Earthquake Spectra: May 2013, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 367-397. Copyright (2013) Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
Keywords:	social representations; earthquakes; highly seismic areas; risk perception; seismic adjustment activity; awareness; Seattle; Osaka; Izmir;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	6783
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1193/1.4000138
Depositing User:	Cliodhna O'Connor
Date Deposited:	13 Jan 2016 12:23
Journal or Publication Title:	Earthquake Spectra
Publisher:	Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Refereed:	Yes
URI:
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

Repository Staff Only(login required)

Item control page

Downloads

Origin of downloads