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

Bibliographic Data

ID4597828
AuthorsCarmen E Lefevre (0000-0003-1640-7262, University of Leeds), W Bruine De Bruin (0000-0002-1601-789X, Carnegie Mellon University), Andrea Taylor (0000-0002-8949-1234, University of Leeds), Andrea L Taylor, Dessai (0000-0002-7879-9364, University of Leeds), Suraje Dessai, Stephen Kovat (0000-0002-4823-8099, University of London), Sari Kovat, Sari Kovats, Baruch Fischhoff (0000-0002-3030-6874, Carnegie Mellon University)
Year2015
Volume128
Pages282-289
Publication date2015-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Science & Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0277-9536 • E-ISSN: 1873-5347
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.01.029
PMID25635375
OpenAlexW1970527896
LanguageEN
Citations received28
References cited41

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

Affect (linguistics · Climate change · Context (archaeology · Feeling · Geography · Heat illness · Heat wave · Mediation · Meteorology · Political science · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

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