What Makes Homeowners Consider Protective Actions to Reduce Disaster Risk? An Application of the Precaution Adoption Process Model and Life Course Theory

Alexia Stock; Rachel A. Davidson; Joseph E. Trainor; Rachel Slotter; Linda K. Nozick; Jamie B. Kruse

doi:10.1007/s13753-021-00350-w

Volume 12 Issue 3

Dec. 2021

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Article Navigation > International Journal of Disaster Risk Science > 2021 > 12(3): 312-325

Alexia Stock, Rachel A. Davidson, Joseph E. Trainor, Rachel Slotter, Linda K. Nozick, Jamie B. Kruse. What Makes Homeowners Consider Protective Actions to Reduce Disaster Risk? An Application of the Precaution Adoption Process Model and Life Course Theory[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2021, 12(3): 312-325. doi: 10.1007/s13753-021-00350-w

Citation:

Alexia Stock, Rachel A. Davidson, Joseph E. Trainor, Rachel Slotter, Linda K. Nozick, Jamie B. Kruse. What Makes Homeowners Consider Protective Actions to Reduce Disaster Risk? An Application of the Precaution Adoption Process Model and Life Course Theory[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2021, 12(3): 312-325. doi: 10.1007/s13753-021-00350-w

Citation:

Alexia Stock, Rachel A. Davidson, Joseph E. Trainor, Rachel Slotter, Linda K. Nozick, Jamie B. Kruse. What Makes Homeowners Consider Protective Actions to Reduce Disaster Risk? An Application of the Precaution Adoption Process Model and Life Course Theory[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2021, 12(3): 312-325. doi: 10.1007/s13753-021-00350-w

PDF

What Makes Homeowners Consider Protective Actions to Reduce Disaster Risk? An Application of the Precaution Adoption Process Model and Life Course Theory

doi: 10.1007/s13753-021-00350-w

1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711, USA;
2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA;
3 School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA;
4 Disaster Science and Management, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA;
5 School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA;
6 Department of Economics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA

Funds:

and award #1830511. The statements, findings, and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under collaborative awards #1435298, 1433622, and 1434716

Available Online: 2021-12-25
Publish Date: 2021-12-25

Abstract

Abstract

We hypothesize that for disaster risk mitigation, many households, despite being aware of their risk and possible mitigation actions, never seriously consider doing anything about them. In mitigation-focused decisions, since there is no equivalent to warning messages, the decision process is likely to evolve over an extended time. We explore what activates hurricane mitigation protective action decisions through three research questions: (1) to what extent are homeowners unengaged in protective action decision making? (2) What homeowner characteristics are associated with lack of engagement? And (3) to what extent do different life events trigger engagement in the decision-making process? We use the Precaution Adoption Process Model to conceptualize engagement as distinct from decision making; the broader protective action decision-making literature to explore drivers of engagement; and Life Course Theory to examine potential transitions from unengaged to engaged. We use survey data of homeowners in North Carolina to examine these questions empirically. Findings suggest that one-third of respondents had never engaged in protective action decisions, that life experiences differ in their occurrence frequency and effect on households’ mitigation decisions, and that some events, such as renovating, reroofing, or purchasing a home may offer critical moments that could be leveraged to encourage greater engagement in mitigation decision making.
- Homeowners,
- Hurricane damage,
- Life course theory,
- Mitigation decisions,
- North Carolina,
- Protective action

FullText(HTML)

References(64)

References

AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion Research). 2019. Response rates—An overview. https://www.aapor.org/Education-Resources/For-Researchers/Poll-Survey-FAQ/Response-Rates-An-Overview.aspx. Accessed 20 May 2019.

Agresti, A. 2007. An introduction to categorical data analysis, 2nd edn. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.

Ajzen, I. 1991. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50(2): 179–211.

Asgary, A., and K.G. Willis. 1997. Household behavior in response to earthquake risk: An assessment of alternative theories. Disasters 21(4): 354–365.

Atreya, A., S. Ferreira, and E. Michel-Kerjan. 2015. What drives households to buy flood insurance? New evidence from Georgia. Ecological Economics 117: 153–161.

Becker, J.S., D. Paton, D.M. Johnston, and K.R. Ronan. 2013. Salient beliefs about earthquake hazards and household preparedness. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 33(9): 1710–1727.

Bengtson, V.L., and K.R. Allen. 1993. The life course perspective applied to families over time. In Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach, ed. P. Boss, W.J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W.R. Schumm, and S.K. Steinmetz, 469–504. Boston: Springer.

Benjamini, Y., and Y. Hochberg. 1995. Controlling the false discovery rate: A practical and powerful approach to multiple testing. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Methodological) 57(1): 289–300.

Blalock, S.J. 2007. Predictors of calcium intake patterns: A longitudinal analysis. Health Psychology 26(3): 251–258.

Borrelli, B., E.L. McQuaid, B. Becker, K. Hammond, G. Papandonatos, G. Fritz, and D. Abrams. 2002. Motivating parents of kids with asthma to quit smoking: The PAQS project. Health Education Research 17(5): 659–669.

Botzen, W.J.W., and J.C.J.M. van den Bergh. 2012. Monetary valuation of insurance against flood risk under climate change. International Economic Review 53(3): 1005–1026.

Botzen, W.J.W., J.C.J.H. Aerts, and J.C.J.M. van den Bergh. 2009. Willingness of homeowners to mitigate climate risk through insurance. Ecological Economics 68(8): 2265–2277.

Cohan, C.L., and S.W. Cole. 2002. Life course transitions and natural disaster: Marriage, birth, and divorce following Hurricane Hugo. Journal of Family Psychology 16(1): 14–25.

Costanza, M.E., R. Luckmann, A.M. Stoddard, M.J. White, J.R. Stark, L. Clemow, and M.C. Rosal. 2005. Applying a stage model of behavior change to colon cancer screening. Preventive Medicine 41(3–4): 707–719.

CSSC (California Seismic Safety Commission). 2009. The study of household preparedness: Preparing California for earthquakes. Final report to the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission and the California Emergency Management Agency. University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Demuth, J.L. 2015. Developing a valid scale of past tornado experiences. PhD dissertation. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

DeWaard, J. 2016. Disaster and life course processes. In Handbook of the life course. Vol. 2, Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research, ed. M.J. Shanahan, J.T. Mortimer, and M. Kirkpatrick Johnson, 321–338. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Dillman, D. 2007. Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method, 2nd edn. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.

Elder, G.H., M. Kirkpatrick Johnson, and R. Crosnoe. 2003. The emergence and development of life course theory. In Handbook of the life course. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research, ed. J.T. Mortimer and M.J. Shanahan, 3–19. Boston: Springer.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). 2014. Preparedness in America: Research insights to increase individual, organizational, and community action. https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/Preparedness_in_America_August_2014.pdf. Accessed 13 Dec 2019.

Fishburn, P.C. 1981. Subjective expected utility: A review of normative theories. Theory and Decision 13(2): 139–199.

Floyd, D.L., S. Prentice-Dunn, and R.W. Rogers. 2000. A meta-analysis of research on protection motivation theory. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 30(2): 407–429.

Garcia, E.M. 1989. Earthquake preparedness in California: A survey of Irvine residents. Urban Resources 5: 15–19.

Ge, Y., W.G. Peacock, and M.K. Lindell. 2011. Florida households’ expected responses to hurricane hazard mitigation incentives. Risk Analysis 31(10): 1676–1691.

George, L.K. 1993. Sociological perspectives on life transitions. Annual Review of Sociology 19(1): 353–373.

Giele, J.Z., and G.H. Elder Jr. 1998. Life course research: Development of a field. In Methods of life course research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches, ed. J.Z. Giele, and G.H. Elder, 5–27. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Glik, D.C., D.P. Eisenman, Q. Zhou, C. Tseng, and S.M. Asch. 2014. Using the precaution adoption process model to describe a disaster preparedness intervention among low-income Latinos. Health Education Research 29(2): 272–283.

Grothmann, T., and F. Reusswig. 2006. People at risk of flooding: Why some residents take precautionary action while others do not. Natural Hazards 38(1): 101–120.

Hale, J.L., B.J. Householder, and K.L. Greene. 2002. The theory of reasoned action. In The persuasion handbook: Developments in theory and practice, ed. J.P. Dillard, and M. Pfau, 259–286. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Jackson, E.L. 1977. Public response to earthquake hazard. California Geology 30(12): 278–280.

Jassempour, K., K.K. Shirazi, M. Fararooei, M. Shams, and A.R. Shirazi. 2014. The impact of educational intervention for providing disaster survival kit: Applying precaution adoption process model. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 10(A): 374–380.

Kousky, C. 2011. Understanding the demand for flood insurance. Natural Hazards 12(2): 96–110.

Kriesel, W., and C. Landry. 2004. Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program: An empirical analysis for coastal properties. The Journal of Risk and Insurance 71(3): 405–420.

Kunreuther, H., R. Ginsberg, L. Miller, P. Sagi, P. Slovic, B. Borkan, and N. Katz. 1978. Disaster insurance protection: Public policy lessons. New York: John Wiley.

Kunreuther, H., A. Onculer, and P. Slovic. 1998. Time insensitivity for protective investments. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 16(3): 279–299.

Langer, E.J. 1975. The illusion of control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 32(2): 311–328.

Lindell, M.K., and S.N. Hwang. 2008. Households’ perceived personal risk and responses in a multihazard environment. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 28(2): 539–556.

Lindell, M.K., and R.W. Perry. 2000. Household adjustment to earthquake hazard: A review of research. Environment and Behavior 32(4): 461–501.

Lindell, M.K., and R.W. Perry. 2012. The protective action decision model: Theoretical modifications and additional evidence. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 32(4): 616–632.

Lindell, M.K., and D.J. Whitney. 2000. Correlates of household seismic hazard adjustment adoption. Risk Analysis 20(1): 13–25.

Lindell, M.K., S. Arlikatti, and C.S. Prater. 2009. Why people do what they do to protect against earthquake risk: Perceptions of hazard adjustment attributes. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 29(8): 1072–1088.

Lo, A.Y. 2013. The role of social norms in climate adaption: Mediating risk perception and flood insurance purchase. Global Environmental Change 23(5): 1249–1257.

McClelland, G.H., W.D. Schulze, and D. Coursey. 1993. Insurance for low-probability hazards: A bimodal response to unlikely events. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 7(1): 95–116.

Mileti, D.S., and J.H. Sorensen. 1990. Communication of emergency public warnings: A social science perspective and state-of-the-art assessment. ORNL6609. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Mulligan, K., and K.R. Scherer. 2012. Toward a working definition of emotion. Emotion Review 4(4): 345–357.

NCSCO (North Carolina State Climate Office). 2019. Hurricanes: Statistics. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University, NCSCO. https://climate.ncsu.edu/climate/hurricanes/statistics. Accessed 20 Dec 2019.

Norman, G. 2010. Likert scales, levels of measurement and the “laws” of statistics. Advances in Health Sciences Education 15(5): 625–632.

Osberghaus, D. 2015. The determinants of private flood mitigation measures in Germany—Evidence from a nationwide survey. Ecological Economics 110: 36–50.

Paton, D., S. Sagala, N. Okada, L. Jang, P.T. Burgelt, and C.E. Gregg. 2010. Making sense of natural hazard mitigation: Personal, social and cultural influences. Environmental Hazards 9(2): 183–196.

Peacock, W.G. 2003. Hurricane mitigation status and factors influencing mitigation status among Florida’s single-family homeowners. Natural Hazards Review 4(3): 149–158.

Petrolia, D.R., C.E. Landry, and K.H. Coble. 2013. Risk preferences, risk perceptions, and flood insurance. Land Economics 89(2): 227–245.

R Core Team. 2016. A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.R-project.org/. Accessed 4 Feb 2020.

Ramirez, K. 2017. Here’s what today’s first-time homebuyer looks like. HousingWire, 14 November 2017. https://www.housingwire.com/articles/41813-heres-what-todays-first-time-homebuyer-looks-like. Accessed 15 Jun 2019.

Sandman, P.M., N.D. Weinstein, and M.L. Klotz. 1987. Public response to the risk from radon. Journal of Communication 37(3): 93–108.

Slovic, P., M.L. Finucane, E. Peters, and D.G. MacGregor. 2004. Risk as analysis and risk as feelings: Some thoughts about affect, reason, risk, and rationality. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 24(2): 311–322.

Terpstra, T. 2011. Emotions, trust, and perceived risk: Affective and cognitive routes to flood preparedness behavior. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 31(10): 1658–1675.

U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. Table S2502: Demographic characteristics for occupied housing units. 2019 community survey 1-year estimates, generated 05 Nov 2020. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/. Accessed 5 Nov 2020.

Warr, M. 1998. Life-course transitions and desistance from crime. Criminology 36(2): 183–216.

Weinstein, N.D. 1988. The precaution adoption process. Health Psychology 7(4): 355–386.

Weinstein, N.D. 1989. Effects of personal experience of self-protective behavior. Psychological Bulletin 105(1): 31–50.

Weinstein, N.D., P.M. Sandman, and S.J. Blalock. 2008. The precaution adoption process model. In Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, & practice, ed. K. Glanz, B. Rimer, and K. Viswanath, 123–147. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Whitney, D.J., M.K. Lindell, and H.-H.D. Nguyen. 2004. Earthquake beliefs and adoption of seismic hazard adjustments. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 24(1): 87–102.

Zaalberg, R., C. Midden, A. Meijnders, and T. McCalley. 2009. Prevention, adaptation, and threat denial: Flooding experiences in the Netherlands. Risk Analysis: An International Journal 29(12): 1759–1778.

Zahran, S., S. Weiler, S.D. Brody, M.K. Lindell, and W.E. Highfield. 2009. Modeling national flood insurance policy holding at the county scale in Florida, 1999–2005. Ecological Economics 68(10): 2627–2636.

Relative Articles

Supplements(0)

Cited By

Proportional views