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Listening to reporters or engineers? How instance-based messages about building design affect earthquake fatalism

McClure, John L., Sutton, Robbie M., Sibley, Chris G. (2007) Listening to reporters or engineers? How instance-based messages about building design affect earthquake fatalism. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37 (9). pp. 1956-1973. ISSN 0021-9029. (doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00245.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:2599)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00245.x

Abstract

Attributions are shaped by information about the causal mechanisms that produce outcomes. Two studies examined the effect of mechanism information on attributions for earthquake damage and judgments that the damage could be prevented. Scenarios based on actual reports of earthquakes compared 2 messages about the building design of damaged buildings. Accurate rate-based messages stated that well-designed buildings were resilient, whereas fatalistic, instance-based messages stated that well-designed buildings were damaged. In Study 2, to vary source credibility, the message source was either an engineer or a reporter. Participants made less fatalistic inferences and attributions with rate-based messages than with instance-based messages, regardless of the source. These findings show that rate-based messages are likely to reduce fatalism about earthquakes and other risks.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00245.x
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Suzanne Duffy
Date Deposited: 31 Mar 2008 18:12 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:41 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/2599 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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