314 / 2024-02-29 15:04:23

Understanding Psychological Mechanisms in Drought Protection

Drought,Protection,Psychological Mechanisms,EPPM

This study aims to understand the formation of intentions for drought protection by integrating the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) with the emotional component of fear. Droughts, exacerbated by climate change, pose a significant threat to global environmental sustainability. Using South Korea as a case study, we conducted a nationwide survey involving 1000 participants to explore the factors influencing individuals' intentions to engage in drought protection behaviors. Our analysis revealed that perceived threat level, perceived efficacy, fear arousal, and fear control significantly affect drought protection intentions. Specifically, higher perceived threat levels and efficacy lead to increased intentions to adopt protective measures against droughts. Conversely, high levels of fear arousal and fear control negatively impact individuals' intentions to engage in drought protection behaviors. Furthermore, the discriminative value between perceived efficacy and threat level significantly influences fear arousal and fear control, which in turn affects drought protection intentions. These findings highlight the importance of considering both cognitive and emotional factors in understanding and promoting drought protection intentions. The study contributes to the literature by providing insights into the complex interplay between cognitive and emotional processes in shaping individuals' responses to environmental threats. By integrating the EPPM with emotional components such as fear, this research offers a more comprehensive understanding of how individuals perceive and respond to drought risks, thereby informing the development of effective interventions and policies to mitigate the impact of droughts on society and the environment.