Bob Leik 4/13/00
Family Response to Natural Hazard Warnings


Leik, Robert K., Sheila A. Leik, Knut Ekker, and Greg Gifford. 1982. "Under the Threat of Mt.
St. Helens: A Study of Chronic Family Stress." National Technical Information Service
ADA 111206. Washington, D.C.: NTIS.

Ekker, Knut, Greg Gifford, Sheila A. Leik, and Robert K. Leik. 1988. "Using Microcomputer
Game-Simulation Experiments to Study Family Response to the Mt. St. Helens
Eruptions." Social Science Computer Review 6(1):90-105.


Theory. This study grew out of a long-term project concerning the way in which people respond to warnings of natural disasters. Specifically, it looked at family stress and relocation decisions in the areas affected by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. The study is grounded in theoretical materials that have to do with family relations in general, and family stress, coping, and decision-making in particular.

Design. The study had thee design components: telephone surveys, family interviews, and game simulation experiments. Respondents were drawn from four communities. Three of the communities were directly affected by the eruption; the fourth was not affected, and served as a control.

Measurement. Because the researchers were primarily concerned with family stress and dynamics, the latter two components were limited to three-person families; i.e., mother, father, and teenager.

Data Analysis. Data collected in the experimental component were evaluated to determine the relevance of age and gender in the family-decision process. Respondents were queried individually to assess the extent to which an impending eruption affected the game simulation. Discussions involving the entire family were monitored in an effort to understand family dynamics and the decision-making process. The initial telephone surveys were analyzed in terms of descriptive statistics.

Interpretation. The researchers found a lack of majority rule in families responding to natural disasters. That is, the decision to relocate can be hampered by one reluctant individual. They also found that the way in which individuals respond to disasters depends upon the predictability and the quality of information available. The likelihood of a rapid response decreases when better information is at hand.

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