Emotional Dimensions of Conducting Research in Disaster Settings: A Note on Social Psychological Considerations

Abstract

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, disaster research witnessed a convergence of researchers from the social sciences in disciplinary and multidisciplinary teams. National Science Foundation grants funded significant numbers of teams to address topics related to the event and the emotional responses of its impact. Research on disaster mental health is not a new field of study, and research has demonstrated the devastating psychological and mental health effects of disasters; however, the literature focuses predominantly on assisting victims and survivors, with substantially less literature related to the potential social psychological and emotional impacts related to research conducting intense field studies. This essay discusses the emotional dimensions of conducting disaster research by using classic and contemporary social psychological theories to explore how researchers deal with and/or negotiate the potential role conflict and the emotional dimensions of their fieldwork.