Investigating the Impacts of Different Warning Modalities on Individual’s Risk Perception and Response Behaviors Through a Virtual Reality Experiment

Abstract

With the impacts of global climate change, natural hazards are growing in, number and intensity, affecting American communities. Effective risk, communications have been identified as one of the best ways to prepare, for and mitigate natural hazards. Current natural hazard warning systems, remain inadequate since they are generalized and abstract. To address, this issue, this study explores how different modalities—specifically, haptics, audio, and text affect individuals’ risk perceptions and their, subsequent protective behaviors. This study developed a virtual reality, system and conducted a human-subject experiment with 24 participants, related to tornado risk communication. Task performance was measured, based on the time in the shelter, level of trust, expectations, and, intention to shelter. Risk perception and cognitive load data were, collected using well-established questionnaires. The research results, found that haptic-enhanced warnings were more effective in prompting, risk perceptions and protective actions compared to audio and static text, messages.