Theoretical Model Construction and Empirical Verification of Protective Action Decision Making during Disaster: Structural Equation Modeling of the Social Survey on Landslide Disasters in Oita Prefecture

Abstract

Alerts and warnings studies have repeatedly reported their ineffectiveness in promoting protective actions. Given this problematic situation, this paper aims to demonstrate the effects of disaster information, environmental, social, and psychological factors, redefinition of situation and disaster schema on protective actions. The subjects consisted of those who were residing in the landslide prone and recently impacted areas of Hita, Nakatsu, and Tsukumi cities in Oita Prefecture (N=1,934)."Structural equation modeling was conducted to predict risk aversive behavior. As a result, disaster schema showed the strongest total effect on protective responses. Furthermore, disaster schema activated heuristic thinking and thus directly provoked protective actions.