Revisiting the Experience–Behavior Hypothesis: The Effects of Hurricane Hugo on Hazard Preparedness and Other Self-Protective Acts

Abstract

We interviewed residents of 4 southeastern cities that differed in the nature of their exposure to Hurricane Hugo 2 years following the hurricane about their current precautionary behaviors and attitudes in the domains of hazard preparedness, crime prevention, vehicular safety, and health maintenance. Earlier interviews provided data on individual differences in severity of exposure. Both individual- and community-level measures of exposure predicted hazard preparedness. The effects of exposure on behavior were largely mediated by exposure's effects on the perceived usefulness of those behaviors. Although smaller in magnitude, effects of exposure generalized to self-protective acts other than hazard preparedness. The findings contradict earlier conclusions in the literature that the effects of personal experience on self-protective behavior are modest, transient, and specific.