We are at risk, and so what? Place attachment, environmental risk perceptions and preventive coping behaviours

TY - JOUR

T1 - We are at risk, and so what? Place attachment, environmental risk perceptions and preventive coping behaviours

AU - De Dominicis, Stefano

AU - Fornara, Ferdinando

AU - Ganucci Cancellieri, Uberta

AU - Twigger-Ross, Clare

AU - Bonaiuto, Marino

PY - 2015/9/1

Y1 - 2015/9/1

N2 - Place attachment regulates people-environment transactions across various relevant environmental-psychological processes. However, there is no consensus about its role in the relationship between environmental risk perception and coping behaviours. Since place attachment is strongly related to place-specific dimensions of one's own identity and may be linked to spatial-biases, it is hypothesized that place attachment negatively moderates the relation between environmental risk perception and prevention behaviours enacted to cope with environmental risks. Two studies were conducted in two Italian cities exposed to low and high flood risk. Results show that, even though higher levels of risk perception may exert a positive effect in improving people's willingness to cope with an environmental risk, this effect is weaker when it is associated with strong place attachment. Findings suggest that affect-based cues, such as place attachment, diminish environmental risk coping intentions and actions when associated with high risk perception. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

AB - Place attachment regulates people-environment transactions across various relevant environmental-psychological processes. However, there is no consensus about its role in the relationship between environmental risk perception and coping behaviours. Since place attachment is strongly related to place-specific dimensions of one's own identity and may be linked to spatial-biases, it is hypothesized that place attachment negatively moderates the relation between environmental risk perception and prevention behaviours enacted to cope with environmental risks. Two studies were conducted in two Italian cities exposed to low and high flood risk. Results show that, even though higher levels of risk perception may exert a positive effect in improving people's willingness to cope with an environmental risk, this effect is weaker when it is associated with strong place attachment. Findings suggest that affect-based cues, such as place attachment, diminish environmental risk coping intentions and actions when associated with high risk perception. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

KW - Environmental risk

KW - Flood

KW - Neighbourhood attachment

KW - Place attachment

KW - Place identity

KW - Prevention behaviours

KW - Risk perception

KW - Spatial bias

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84934875539&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.05.010

DO - 10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.05.010

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84934875539

SN - 0272-4944

VL - 43

SP - 66

EP - 78

JO - Journal of Environmental Psychology

JF - Journal of Environmental Psychology

ER -