This document summarizes a literature study on human behavior in disasters. It finds that: 1) There is little empirical research on human behavior in disasters, especially in Switzerland. Traditional approaches viewed the public as passive, while new approaches emphasize individual coping behaviors. 2) Panic, looting, and violence are rare; most people react calmly and help each other. Prosocial behavior occurs across cultures. 3) Many factors influence coping behavior, including risk perception, trust, knowledge, culture, age, resources, and disaster characteristics. Strengthening individual coping skills and tailored communication can promote appropriate responses.

1. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Human Behavior in
Disaster
Literature Study
Commissioned by the Federal Office for Civil Protection (BABS)
Anna-Lena Köng, Matthias Holenstein
Risk Dialogue Foundation, August 26th 2014
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2. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Introduction
Background and goals
• Few empirical findings
– Especially in Switzerland relative low risk perception of Swiss public
due to lack of major incidents
• Traditional approaches
– General public as a passive element that needs to be informed and
guided
• New approaches
– Significance of the individual coping behavior und its enhancement
 Summarizing of the current state of scientific knowledge
 Identification of essential factors influencing appropriate coping behavior
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3. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Often discussed behavioral patterns
Panic, looting, altruism
• Panic and looting are rare and overestimated
• The majority reacts calm, rational and prosocial
• Difference between looting as a consequence of hunger and looting as a
consequence of violence and egoism
• Satisfaction of basic needs and appropriate disaster communication are
important factors to avoid violence and looting
• Prosocial behavior can be found between cultures, it is also described
explicitly in later phases, during reconstruction
 Adaptation oft expectations of how human will behave in order to
guarantee appropriate measures
 These findings are replicated many times - it seems reasonable to transfer
these findings to Switzerland
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4. Preconditions Action frame
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Factors on coping behavior
Schematic overview
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Measures
• Disaster precautions
• Disaster communication
Target
variable
Appropriate
coping behavior
Mechanisms
• Information processing
• Stress resistance
• Self-efficacy
Variable factors
• Risk perception
• Trust in relevant
institutions
• Knowledge
Social dispositions
• Culture
• Sex
• Age/experience
• Domicile
• Economical resources
• Social resources
Event specific factors
• Region and time
• Manmade vs. natural

5. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Measures
Requirements for appropriate disaster precautions
• Involvement of the general public
– Increase knowledge and trust preventive
CH: High trust in public authorities
– Provide clear information
– Enhancing social networks as neighborhood help
– Informing public about possibilities of social media tools
• Target group specific precautions
– women, young people, persons living in urban areas, people with few
social and economic resources show less appropriate coping
behavior
• Consideration of emotional aspects
– booklets and flyers mainly contain technical information but miss
emotional aspects, e.g. how to deal with uncertainty
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6. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Measures
Requirements for appropriate disaster
communication (1)
• Warnings
– Framing, presentation and channel of information
– Target group
• Foster appropriate risk perception
– Consider gap between lay persons and experts
• Foster readiness to act
– Convey appropriate target group specific behavior
• Credibility of information
– Local persons are more trusted
– The more involvement the higher the confidence in public authorities
– Transparency is an essential requirement
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7. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Measures
Requirements for appropriate disaster
communication (2)
• Consideration of media use of affected people
– Social and cultural environment needs to be
considered
• Consideration of chances and risks of new media
– Chances: independent, fast, interactive,
satisfaction of various needs, social networks,
possibility of feedback, etc.
– Risks: Difficulties of verification, social fragmentation, etc.
• Influence of emotions on perception
– «Risk as a feeling» vs. «risk as analysis»: Risks that are transmitted
emotionally sometime have a higher impact on risk decisions than risk
that are transmitted rationally
– The use of fear appeal should be checked depending on the initial
situation
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8. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Mechanisms
• Information processing
– The increase of knowledge and fostering of
appropriate risk perceptions supports an
appropriate information processing and coping
behavior
– If the risk perception is not appropriate trust is
even more important
• Stress resistance
– The stress theory points to the relevance of appropriate self-efficacy
expectations, which is a predictor for the choice of appropriate coping
strategies
• The strengthening of the self-efficacy expectations leads to appropriate
coping behavior
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9. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Conclusion
1. Little empirical information about human behavior in disaster
2. Panic, looting and violence is far less often than conventional wisdom
insinuates, prosocial behavior instead is underestimated
3. Behavior is difficult to predict and control
 goal should be the strengthening of the individual coping behavior
 taking into account social and event specific dispositions and target
group specific communication supports appropriate coping behavior
4. Researches comparing different countries point out that many findings
can be transferred - public authorities can profit from one-another
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10. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Thank you!
Risk Dialogue Foundation
Technoparkstrasse 2
CH-8406 Winterthur
Switzerland
Tel. +41 52 551 10 04
www.risiko-dialog.ch
anna-lena.koeng@risiko-dialog.ch
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11. Added value for the Post 2015 Framework for
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Disaster Risk Reduction
• How did your work support the implementation of the Hyogo Framework
for Action:
– Consolidation of scientific state of knowledge
– Schematic overview of factors affecting appropriate coping behavior
– Relevance of target group specific communication
• From your perspective what are the main gaps, needs and further steps to
be addressed in the Post 2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in
– Research: Empirical data, use of social media tools, target group specific
communication (social and cultural milieus)
– Education & Training: Adaptation of expectations regarding panic, looting,
violence and altruism; knowledge about when and how the public can be
involved during disaster
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