Warnings during disaster: normalizing communicated risk

The theory of risk communication was tested with data on public perception of risk and response to aftershock warnings during the post-impact Loma Prieta earthquake emergency. Findings from samples of households in Santa Cruz and San Francisco Counties were consistent, confirm established propositions, and suggest theoretical refinement. It was concluded that the social psychological process which explains post-impact public warning response is not identical to the one which explains public response to pre-impact warnings. The lack of mainshock damage created a “normalization bias” for non-victims. This bias constrained perception of risk to damaging aftershocks and protective response to warnings.

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