Take Shelter or Leave? The Influence of Perceived Knowledge of Severe Weather and One's Type of Home on Sheltering Decisions to Tornado Warnings.

Research I recently published found that individuals in the lowest quartile of objective severe weather knowledge overestimated their knowledge, while individuals in the highest quartile underestimated their knowledge, a disconnect known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Further, those in the lowest quartile were also those individuals most likely to make poor sheltering decisions in tornado scenarios, while those in the highest quartile were more likely to make appropriate sheltering decisions. “Poor sheltering decisions” were defined as participants indicating they were less likely to seek shelter and more likely to leave their current location. My previous research did not, however, examine sheltering decisions as a function of type of one’s home, as manufactured homes are more unsafe during tornadoes and driving away may be a reasonable decision. The current research therefore assessed sheltering decisions as a function of type of one’s home. Participants first took a test of both perceived and actual severe weather knowledge, to see if the Dunning-Kruger Effect would be replicated. Participants then read four tornado Wireless Emergency Alerts on a simulated smartphone screen. After each alert, participants made two protective action decisions (e.g., likelihood of seeking shelter; likelihood of leaving their current location), rated their confidence in their ability to take protective action, and rated their overall level of fear. Responses were analyzed both as a function of objective knowledge quartile and type of one’s home. Implications of the results will be discussed, and potential next steps will be offered.