Narrative-Based Disaster Learning Programmes Simultaneously Improve People’s Disaster Awareness Scores, Willingness to Pay and Settlement Preferences

Abstract

Few studies currently examine the effect of different disaster informational programmes because conducting such intervention studies is challenging. By providing two types of online disaster learning programmes, this intervention study measured changes made to three different perspectives: (1) disaster preventive awareness scores, (2) willingness to pay for disaster information (WTP), and (3) settlement preferences (preferences for post-disaster recovery goals). The participants engaged with one of two different types of 45-min learning programmes—one created as a narrative-based disaster learning programme (N = 218) and the other presented as a collective information disaster learning programme (N = 201). Consequently, both disaster preparedness scores and WTP increased statistically after both styles of disaster preparedness programmes. Furthermore, the increase generated by the narrative programme was greater (2.2 times higher for WTP value and 1.72 times higher in WTP value-increased probability). In their preprogramme answer, people who selected safety and nature conservation for post-disaster recovery goals improved their awareness scores. Despite both programmes having the same theme and length, only the narrative learning programme had a beneficial—improvement odds ratio for all three perspectives. Thus, the narrative-based disaster learning (vicarious) experience simultaneously improved people’s disaster awareness scores, willingness to pay for disaster information, and settlement preferences for disaster prevention.