Title: Risk experience, information, and chance discovery: focusing on earthquakes in China

Authors: Yumiko Nara

Addresses: The Open University of Japan, 2-11 Wakaba, Mihama-ku Chiba City 261-8586, Japan

Abstract: This paper aims to examine the status quo of people|s perception for coping with earthquakes, and the effects of risk experience and risk information to promote risk management in China. Questionnaire surveys were carried out before and after the Sichuan earthquake in China, and the same surveys were also conducted in Japan and the USA. The survey results clarified that the respondents in China showed lower levels of anxiety and higher self-evaluation of risk coping than did the Japanese respondents. The effect of risk experience was observed as the awareness and counter-measures with respect to earthquakes improved, especially among Chengdu|s residents after the Sichuan earthquake. Significant effect from obtaining information on actual risk management action was also observed.

Keywords: risk experience; risk information; uncertainty; Sichuan earthquake; relative deprivation; disaster prevention education; China; risk management; Japan; USA; United States; earthquake awareness; earthquakes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAIP.2010.030533

International Journal of Advanced Intelligence Paradigms, 2010 Vol.2 No.2/3, pp.159 - 179

Published online: 21 Dec 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article