The ‘michael’ Effect: Risk Perception and Behavioral Intentions Through Varying Lenses

This study sought to measure risk perception and behavior intention of residents in coastal counties in Alabama and Florida in areas affected by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. The aim was to examine individual responses to impending disasters in areas that were recently touched by Hurricane Michael. Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were employed in an experiment testing how visual cues and media messages surrounding an impending hypothetical hurricane were interpreted by residents, and their reported influence on an individual’s risk perception and decision-making in the situation. An analysis of 567 respondents determined that live video was most likely to motivate respondents to prepare activities for the storms.