Response to Earthquake Hazard

Based on the findings and hypotheses of natural hazard research, a survey of earthquake hazard perception and the adoption of adjustments was carried out among 302 residents of 3 seismic risk zones of the west coast of North America. The study provided 3 lines of evidence for the concept of bounded rationality, namely, a preference for crisis response, a limited range of adjustments perceived and adopted, and variations in the perception of risk and uncertainty. Perception and response were found to be associated with the nature of previous experience, perceived salience of the hazard, emotional response, and perceived responsibility, but not with socioeconomic status. The findings are discussed in terms of the rationality of behavior, the role of expectations of future occurrence, differences between earthquakes and other hazards, the true function of adjustments, and the impact of information programs.