The PSYCHOLOGICAL &

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION of
DISASTERS
Aurora Corpuz-Mendoza, Ph.D
Department of Psychology-UPD
CE10 29 Jan 2015

Disaster Risk Reduction

Ecological
Vulnerability Analysis
Technocratic
Civil Defense

Conceptual frameworks for

prevention and mitigating the
effects of hazards

People-Environment Framework
Disasters = events that are products of
transactions of people w their environments
Disasters have a personal & sociocultural
meaning:
personal interpretations (perceptions)
sociocultural values
Responses to disasters are personal &
cultural

The Spinning Dancer:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS (antiRIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
(clockswise)

clockswise)

uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
From: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/right-brain-v-left-brain/story-e6frf7jo-1111114603615
risk taking

The Spinning Dancer:

This image, originally

created by Nobuyuki
Kayahara, was first used as a
personality test.
Lack of visual cues for depth,
cause the illusion.
It is an example of something
called bistable perception. It
is in the same class of illusion
as the Necker cube and PeterPaul goblet.

Major Phases of DRRM

Mitigation and Prevention: risk assessment, land use
planning, structural measures, public awareness and education,
Adaptation: adjustment in natural or human systems in
response to extreme weather events to moderate harm or
exploit beneficial opportunities
Preparedness and Alertness: monitoring, prediction, early
warning, mapping vulnerable areas, organisation and
coordination, training, drills and public awareness,
Response: alarm, life and property rescue, reduction of impact
of disaster, logistical and psychosocial support
Recovery: reconstruction or retrofitting of infrastructure;
rehabilitation of communication and transport systems;
community rehabilitation; post-disaster psychosocial support,..

DRRM PHASES & COMPLIANCE

The response of individuals to each of the

DRRM Phases is affected by what a
particular disaster warning means for each
individual
Personality, gender, age + other
sociodemographic variables interact with
physical aspects of the environment

1. Reduction/ Mitigation

Common mitigation measures are

structural/ technological,
Or Non structural eg legislation, insurance;

Mitigation is often preceded by risk

assessment that is usually PHYSICAL

RISK ASSESSMENT

PHYSICAL RISK
Identifying &
Evaluating
objectively the
dangers posed by
the physical envt

PERCEIVED RISK
Identifying &
Evaluating
subjectively the
perceived dangers
in the envt

Are the walls of this house facing

outward, or inward?

RISK ASSESSMENT

The level of risk as determined by an

instrument is fixed (eg winds of 160kph)
But perceived risk is based on:
1. past experience,
2. personal diffs (gender, age) in risktaking,
3. soc context & cultural scripts (reality
as constructed by others)

PERCEIVED RISK

Involves judgements w/c influence our

individual conclusions about hazards
Likelihood
Severity

Concern

What

to do

Measuring Perceived Risk

Psychometric approaches have identified

consistencies in risk perception that may
explain responses of extreme aversion or
indifference (Slovic, 1987)
Dreadful

Unknown

PERCEIVED RISKINESS
DREADFUL RISK

Difficult to control
High catastrophic
potential

UNKNOWN RISK

Unobservable effects

Not fully understood

New

Delayed effects

Fatal consequences

Unequal risks &

benefits in society

PERCEIVED RISKINESS

(Kleinhesselink & Rosa,

1991)

JAPAN

Automobile transport
And Smoking

Low unknown risk

High dread risk

Planes

Low unknown risk

Low dread risk

Nuclear power

USA

High unknown risk

High dread risk

Automobile transport
And Smoking

Low unknown risk

Low dread risk

Nuclear power

High unknown risk

High dread risk

Planes

High unknown risk

Low dread risk

Perceived Risk is Personal

handiworkalazen.blogspot.com

RISK HOMEOSTASIS THEORY

Simonet & Wilde, 1997

Acceptable Risk
Comparison

Perceived Risk

Adjust Behavior
+ Outcome -

RISK ACCEPTANCE

INDIVIDUAL Differences
Perceived safer environments
e.g flood dikes, stone buildings

Afford more risks (Daring)

e.g delay evacuation responses

High value for family, shelter, livelihood

e.g wont leave house/family

Put own life at risk (Heroic)

RISK ACCEPTANCE
LOW

CULTURAL Beliefs & Values

Uncertainty avoidance
HIGH

(Germans)
Being on time

HIGH

Risk acceptance

Overspeeding
(Cvetkovich & Earle, 1994)

(Filipinos)
Bahala na

HIGH
Lack of action
plans

Theory of Planned Behavior

Azjen, 1993

Attitude toward
Behavior
Subjective Norm
Perceived Control

Behavioral
Intention

Risky
Behavior
Cautious

Communication:
Early Warning Systems

Science & Technology determine the

form of early warning systems (EWS)
that will initiate the implementation of
courses of action
e.g Typhoon signals
Flood warnings

EVACUATION CENTERS

As temporary housing, evacuation centers

must be perceived as low risk
Disaster victims (eg females) can resist
efforts to be evacuated even when their
perception of flood risk is high because
their perceived risk in evacuation centers
is also high (eg rape, lack of privacy)

Psychology plays a major role in disaster

mitigation, adaptation & preparedness

RISK PERCEPTION
COMPLIANCE with EVACUATION

Understanding and measuring Individual

differences, local knowledge & cultural
values & beliefs are critical factors
DRRM programs must recognize this role

MARAMING SALAMAT!