Affect and behavior in response to a large-scale biological terrorist attack: a scenario simulation experiment

2011-11-17Decision making research has studied the effect of uncertainty on behavior in very specific situations. Occasionally, the situation of interest is impossible to recreate for respondents in any conventional manner, such as in disaster research. Utilizing construal theory, this project simulates a large-scale biological terrorist attack on the cities of Seattle and San Francisco. Specific interest is given to affective and behavioral responses throughout the developing crisis, which is presented in the form of local video news updates, created specially for this study. Systematic manipulation of government policy towards economic recovery of the region and towards ongoing health concerns occur at three levels each, resulting in nine unique conditions. The effects of these manipulations on behavior and affective responses contribute to understanding how external influences alter citizens‟ responses to a developing emergency situation. Results show that above all, the circumstances of the terrorist attack itself determines affect levels and behavior. Government policies and communications do have a significant effect as well, improving public opinion when money is delivered toward the recovery of the region, and discouraging people from returning to the area when over-protective health policies send message of ongoing risk. Overall, affect and policy manipulations contribute to a broad range of behavior and public response throughout a terrorist attack and its aftermath