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Heat protection behaviors and positive affect about heat during the 2013 heat wave in the United Kingdom

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  • Lefevre, Carmen E.
  • Bruine de Bruin, Wändi
  • Taylor, Andrea L.
  • Dessai, Suraje
  • Kovats, Sari
  • Fischhoff, Baruch

Abstract

Heat waves pose serious health risks, and are expected to become more frequent, longer lasting, and more intense in the future under a changing climate. Yet, people in the UK seem to feel positive when thinking about hot weather. According to research on the affect heuristic, any positive or negative emotions evoked by potentially risky experiences may be used as cues to inform concerns about risk protection. If so, then their positive feelings toward hot weather might lead UK residents to lower intentions to adopt heat protection behaviors. Here, we examine the relationships between heat protection behaviors during the July 2013 UK heat wave and self-reports of having heard heat protection recommendations, feeling positive affect about heat, seeing heat protection measures as effective, and trusting the organizations making those recommendations. Responses to a national survey revealed that 55.1% of participants had heard heat protection recommendations during the 2013 UK heat wave. Those who reported having heard recommendations also indicated having implemented more heat protection behaviors, perceiving heat protection behaviors as more effective, feeling more positive about heat, and intending to implement more protection behaviors in future hot summers. Mediation analyses suggested that heat protection recommendations may motivate heat protection behaviors by increasing their perceived effectiveness, but undermine their implementation by evoking positive affect about hot weather. We discuss our findings in the context of the affect heuristic and its implications for heat protection communications.

Suggested Citation

  • Lefevre, Carmen E. & Bruine de Bruin, Wändi & Taylor, Andrea L. & Dessai, Suraje & Kovats, Sari & Fischhoff, Baruch, 2015. "Heat protection behaviors and positive affect about heat during the 2013 heat wave in the United Kingdom," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 282-289.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:128:y:2015:i:c:p:282-289
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.01.029
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    1. Paul Slovic & Melissa L. Finucane & Ellen Peters & Donald G. MacGregor, 2004. "Risk as Analysis and Risk as Feelings: Some Thoughts about Affect, Reason, Risk, and Rationality," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(2), pages 311-322, April.
    2. Michael Siegrist & George Cvetkovich, 2000. "Perception of Hazards: The Role of Social Trust and Knowledge," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(5), pages 713-720, October.
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    2. Candice Howarth & Katya Brooks, 2017. "Decision-Making and Building Resilience to Nexus Shocks Locally: Exploring Flooding and Heatwaves in the UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Johnston, David W. & Knott, Rachel & Mendolia, Silvia, 2022. "Climate Change Salience, Economic Insecurity, and Support for Mitigation Policies," IZA Discussion Papers 15562, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Matteo Paganini & Nikolaos Markou-Pappas & Francesco Della Corte & Paolo Rosi & Giulio Trillò & Marialuisa Ferramosca & Andrea Paoli & Federico Politi & Adriano Valerio & Andrea Favaro & Ives Hubloue , 2024. "Heatwaves Impact on Prehospital Emergency Medicine: A Qualitative Study to Improve Sustainability and Disaster Preparedness in Veneto Region, Northern Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-13, August.
    5. Hee Jin Yang & Heeyeun Yoon, 2021. "Revealing an Integrative Mechanism of Cognition, Emotion, and Heat-Protective Action of Older Adults," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-12, March.
    6. Kathryn Glass & Peter W. Tait & Elizabeth G. Hanna & Keith Dear, 2015. "Estimating Risks of Heat Strain by Age and Sex: A Population-Level Simulation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Holly Ching Yu Lam & Zhe Huang & Sida Liu & Chunlan Guo & William Bernard Goggins & Emily Ying Yang Chan, 2020. "Personal Cold Protection Behaviour and Its Associated Factors in 2016/17 Cold Days in Hong Kong: A Two-Year Cohort Telephone Survey Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-16, March.
    8. John B. Nezlek & Marzena Cypryańska, 2023. "Prosociality and Personality: Perceived Efficacy of Behaviors Mediates Relationships between Personality and Self-Reported Climate Change Mitigation Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    9. Kussel, Gerhard, 2018. "Adaptation to Climate Variability: Evidence for German Households," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 1-9.
    10. Christina Demski & Stuart Capstick & Nick Pidgeon & Robert Gennaro Sposato & Alexa Spence, 2017. "Experience of extreme weather affects climate change mitigation and adaptation responses," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 140(2), pages 149-164, January.
    11. Tjaša Pogačar & Zala Žnidaršič & Lučka Kajfež Bogataj & Zalika Črepinšek, 2020. "Steps Towards Comprehensive Heat Communication in the Frame of a Heat Health Warning System in Slovenia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-16, August.

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