The PrE Model of Coping and Tornado Preparedness: Moderating Effects of Responsibility

The person‐relative‐to‐event (PrE) model of coping with threat was used to investigate the impact of fear arousing or negative threat appeals on tornado preparedness behavior. It was predicted that negative threat appeals using combinations of levels of factors that cause a person to appraise their resources as sufficient in quantity and quality to obviate or minimize the negative consequences of the threatening event would increase levels of preparedness behavior to a greater extent than communications that do not. Furthermore, this prediction would only hold true for those individuals who felt personally responsible for preparing for tornadoes. Results indicated a significant pattern of behavior change that fit predictions generated by the model.