Development of a Scale for Disaster-Prevention Consciousness – Structure of Disaster-Prevention Consciousness of Those Who Lack Expertise in Disaster Prevention

• Published in: Journal of disaster research Vol. 17; no. 6; pp. 1023 - 1036
• Main Authors: Shimazaki, Kan, Ozeki, Miki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.2022
• ISSN: 1881-2473; 1883-8030
• DOI: 10.20965/jdr.2022.p1023

Despite the necessity of improving disaster-prevention consciousness, there are no studies on the definition of disaster-prevention consciousness. Several scales have been developed for the measurement of disaster-prevention consciousness, but some problems are recognized. For example, such scale measures do not consider disaster-prevention consciousness but the knowledge and behavior related to disaster prevention. For this problem, Ozeki et al. specify the operational definition of disaster-prevention consciousness and propose the model of disaster-prevention consciousness based on an interview survey of experts [1]. In this study, the question items are formulated from the concepts extracted based on the results of Ozeki et al., and factor analysis is conducted not by targeting the particular region and attribute, but by using the answers from the monitors of an internet survey company. As a result, 5 factors are extracted, namely “imagination of damage situation,” “sense of crisis to current measures against disaster,” “other-directedness,” “anxiety,” and “indifference to disaster prevention.” These factors are correlated with each scaled score in the previous studies. There remain some problems; however, the first step has been taken for the development of a new scale for disaster-prevention consciousness which ordinary citizens could use regardless of the kind of disaster.