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HIDING IN FLOODPLAIN SIGHT: HOW DOES FLOOD RISK INFORMATION AFFECT FLOOD RISK PERCEPTIONS AND MITIGATION BEHAVIORS?

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Date Issued:
2021
Abstract/Description:
Florida has 906,465 residential properties facing substantial flood risk, making it imperative to understand how the public may perceive and respond to this risk. Providing people with scientific information may not be enough to impact behavior and decrease losses from flood events. We show participants (n = 20) scientific flood risk graphics and ask behavioral questions to evaluate responses based on the rational actor paradigm (RAP), psychometric paradigm, and cultural theory. We find results consistent with the RAP in 48% of cases, primarily in low risk scenarios. Participants from high income households are more likely to make rational decisions (80%) than those from low income households (~37%). Feelings of dread potentially help explain 40% of deviations from the RAP, while trust in flood experts helps explain 85% of non-RAP cases. Future flood risk communication should incorporate dread and trust in experts into messaging considerations as rationality alone is insufficient.
Title: HIDING IN FLOODPLAIN SIGHT: HOW DOES FLOOD RISK INFORMATION AFFECT FLOOD RISK PERCEPTIONS AND MITIGATION BEHAVIORS?.
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Name(s): Amato, Ryan, author
Polsky, Colin, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Geosciences
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2021
Date Issued: 2021
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 244 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Florida has 906,465 residential properties facing substantial flood risk, making it imperative to understand how the public may perceive and respond to this risk. Providing people with scientific information may not be enough to impact behavior and decrease losses from flood events. We show participants (n = 20) scientific flood risk graphics and ask behavioral questions to evaluate responses based on the rational actor paradigm (RAP), psychometric paradigm, and cultural theory. We find results consistent with the RAP in 48% of cases, primarily in low risk scenarios. Participants from high income households are more likely to make rational decisions (80%) than those from low income households (~37%). Feelings of dread potentially help explain 40% of deviations from the RAP, while trust in flood experts helps explain 85% of non-RAP cases. Future flood risk communication should incorporate dread and trust in experts into messaging considerations as rationality alone is insufficient.
Identifier: FA00013765 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Floods
Decision making
Risk perception
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013765
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.