Event Summary
Organization: Middle East Technical University
Session Leads
- Nuray Karanci, METU
- Sibel Kalaycıoğlu, METU
- B. Burçak Başbuğ Erkan, METU
- Canay Doğulu, METU
Description
Risk perception is influential in how people respond to hazards, thereby, determining whether hazards turn into disasters with devastating effects on communities. Understanding how people perceive risk in the context of natural hazards is central to improve risk communication activities and preparedness. However, despite efforts of public hazard education to increase risk perception, levels of disaster preparedness remain at low levels.
Based on research informed by psychosocial theories developed to account for the link between risk perception and preparedness, a number of hindering emotional and sociocultural factors have been identified. These include societal trust, attributions of responsibility, efficacy beliefs (self, collective, outcome), social capital, coping style, optimism, and disaster experience. Also social inequalities and diversities among social groups as well as rational decision making can influence risk perception.
This session will bring together stakeholders from academia, civil society, and policy-making to reflect on the psychological and sociological aspects of risk perception and how they facilitate and/or hinder hazard preparedness. The session will further discuss their implications for risk communication activities and how they can be integrated into disaster risk management efforts to build resilient communities to disasters.
