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Household Behaviour in Response to Earthquake Risk: An Assessment of Alternative Theories
Author(s) -
Asgary Ali,
Willis K.G.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7717.00067
Subject(s) - poison control , human factors and ergonomics , cognition , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , injury prevention , psychology , forensic engineering , engineering , environmental health , medicine , psychiatry , pathology
Households respond to earthquake risk in different ways. The main theories explaining human behaviour under threat of earthquakes are reviewed. A survey of households’ responses in Tehran and Rasht in Iran to earthquake risks is used to assess the validity of psychological, ‘need’, socio‐cultural and economic theories in explaining behaviour. More support of cognitive and cultural theories is found rather than economic and ‘need’ theories of earthquake safety measures; this suggests that positive adoption of mitigation measures can be encouraged in terms of cognitive processes through information and education.