Risk Communication Across Cultures: A Study of the Impact of Social Context, Warning Components, and Receiver Characteristics on the Protective Action of African Americans

This exploratory study examined the situational influences in the Protection Action Decision Model (PAMD) on the proactive action of African Americans in New Orleans. Seven research questions guided the project: (1) How does the level of family involvement and community involvement relate to the protective action of African Americans? (2) Which sources of information are more likely to impact protective action of African Americans? (3) What channels of information are more utilized among African Americans during a hurricane? (4) What warning message components are more important to African Americans during a hurricane? (5) How does the level of fatalism among African Americans relate to protective action response? (6) How does the level of place attachment among African Americans relate to protective action response? (7) What is the role of social networks on the protective action decisions of African Americans?;Surveys were distributed to 100 respondents, and two focus groups with 21 participants were conducted to examine the research questions. Multiple regression, correlations, frequencies, chi square tests, and thematic analysis were done to explore the proposed research questions.;Results indicate that family and community involvement were not found to be predictors of willingness to evacuate. Police, firefighters, family and friends, and faith leaders, Emergency Management Technicians, National Weather Service, local and state government officials were sources positively correlated with evacuation decisions. National broadcast news, radio, cable news, Internet, local newspaper, and face to face were channels most utilized by respondents. Participants rated all eight warning message components as "Very Important". Fatalism was not found to have a relationship with evacuation decisions. Two items comprising the Place Attachment Scale indicated inverse relationships with willingness to evacuate.;Thematic analysis revealed that social networks serve three main functions during a natural disaster: Sources of Information and Resources, Confirmation of Warning and Information, and as a catalyst to Incite Action .;Results have considerable implications for risk communicators utilizing the PAMD as a framework to aid in devising educational and outreach campaigns with regard to identifying sources, channels, composing messages, and psychocultural factors.