When our minds perceive direct threats our ability to think clearly is reduced so that we are more likely to respond with 'pro survival' behavioral shortcuts.

1. After a high stress trigger
• Most people will be experiencing:
– Hyper-vigilance
– Searching for patterns
– Tightening of ‘in group’/Linear hierarchy
– Inclined to take shortcuts
– Willing to suspend disbelief (magical thinking)
– Open to doing rash things
– Post event spike in feeling of vulnerability

2. Hyper-vigilance:
– Information Vacuum
• The higher the stakes, the more likely the official
sources will grow very silent for the initial period to
coordinate the message.
• The higher the stakes the more information the public
needs to have
• The information vacuum will be filled, but not by whom
you want.

3. Searching for Patterns
• Provide Context!
– There is a good
chance some in the
media and the
general public are
making jumps in
logic that are wrong
& don’t help

4. Decision makers may feel
• Sharing can be dangerous
• Showing weakness dangerous
• This can lead to a push to withhold
information, it is important to push back.

5. Communication shouldn’t be a loyalty test
– “Trust us, the situation is
under control and
everything is safe.”
• In extended situation,
assume public are adults
looking for enough
information to decide for
self: provide context with
guidance

6. (The ‘voice’ of your organization may
not be who does all the training)
• If a situation is really large, chances are someone
higher up in social rank may be pushed in front of
the cameras
– Prepare Just-in-Time messaging training:
• Live saving information first
• Set a positive narrative early
• Be honest, don’t hide information: if can’t share everything,
say so and say why.
• Be very careful not to repeat rumors
• Remind people that we are all in this together
• Show compassion.

7. Willing to suspend disbelief
• Expect the population and public assumptions
to go in very strange directions
– Be ready to be able to counter situations like
extreme folk medicine to be treated as valid.
– Have a list of solid information sources that will
provide people with quality information.

8. Open to doing rash things
• Provide clear, concise and specific guidance to
the population about ways they can help or
stay safe.

9. Changing/Tightening of ‘in
group’/Inclined to take shortcuts
• Remember whom you need to communicate
with: not just people who communicate the
way you do.

10. Post event spike in feeling of
vulnerability
• Warning people to expect a spike in emotions can
help reduce the impacts from the spike
• Authority figures are a natural target for people
to vent frustration-expect it, counter with
examples of the positive steps that have been
taken, be compassionate
• Previous disasters show that this is a dangerous
time for ‘out groups’—remind everyone that we
are all in this together: the entire community.

11. Some studies & articles on topic
– Hyper-vigilance:
• Perceived threat narrows the focus of attention http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933078/
– Searching for patterns
• Lacking Control Increases Illusory Pattern Perception http://www.sciencemag.org/content/322/5898/115
– Tightening of ‘in group’
• The role of oxytocin in giving preferential treatment to own group:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/328/5984/1408.abstract
– Inclined to take shortcuts
• Learning: Stressed people use different strategies and brain regions
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120808081336.htm
– Willing to suspend disbelief (magical thinking)
• Feeling powerless, Do I Have a Conspiracy Theory for You http://www.newsweek.com/feeling-powerless-do-i-have-
conspiracy-theory-you-221650
– Open to doing rash things
• Threat interferes with response inhibition http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22494999
– Post event spike in feeling of vulnerability
• Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Resource Toolkit http://media.samhsa.gov/DTAC-CCPToolkit/
phases.htm

12. • Questions? Comments?
• Carol Dunn
• carol@tvorun.com
• @caroldn