The Oklahoma Warning Awareness Scale: A Psychometric Analysis of a Brief Self-Report Survey Instrument

Abstract

Natural hazards (e.g., earthquakes, tornadoes, floods) pose many risk communication challenges for emergency managers and policy makers. Critical obstacles to risk readiness are often attributed to differences in (a) warning awareness, (b) risk understanding, and (c) behavioral responses. Although a considerable body of research has focused on risk understanding (see www.RiskLiteracy.org) there is relatively less research mapping individual differences in warning awareness and related vulnerabilities. Here, we present a psychometric study (n=254) with cross-validation, testing a two parameter polytomous logistic model of subjective warning awareness (i.e., people’s assessment of how likely they are to receive risk and hazard warnings from trusted sources). The final instrument included four items and one criterion that may be related to other important natural hazard response behaviors, providing a foundation for continuing exploration of warning awareness. Discussion focuses on potential applications of the Oklahoma Warning Awareness Scale as it pertains to natural hazards and other risks more broadly.