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Novel approaches are needed to increase preparedness behaviours in populations with high disaster risk. Crucially, such approaches need to take into account the relationships that people have with place. We report a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an online place attachment mental visualisation task to increase preparedness behaviours.Findings from a pilot (Study 1) using pre and post-test measures showed mixed evidence for the influence of mental visualisation on place attachment. Using a pre-registered randomised controlled trial with a two-week follow-up in a community sample (Study 2), we expected that visualising one's house or neighbourhood would result in stronger intentions to prepare, and greater implementation of preparedness behaviours at a follow-up, when compared to visualising a neutral place. Findings showed no main effect of visualisation on survival, mitigation, or community preparedness behaviours. These studies broadly indicate that our online mental place visualisation task was not sufficient to influence preparedness behaviours. We discuss implications of these findings for the advancement of place attachment theory and behaviour-change techniques.

This paper was prepared under employment by Umbrella Wellbeing Ltd and presents data collected using the Umbrella Wellbeing Assessment.

Research shows that place attachment is associated with disaster preparedness. In two studies we examined (1) participants’ place attachment at different spatial scales, (2) participants’ preparedness (intentions and behaviors), and (3) place attachment as a mediator of previously identified demographic predictors of preparedness. Our findings show that place attachment is associated with both preparedness intentions and behavior. When controlling for socio-demographic predictors, participants who reported stronger house and neighborhood attachment also reported stronger intentions to prepare (Study 1). In Study 2, house attachment was associated with mitigative preparedness behavior, whereas neighborhood attachment was associated with community preparedness behavior. House and neighborhood attachment mediated the relationship between home ownership, length of residence, and preparedness. These findings suggest that place attachment varies by spatial scale which matters for different types of disaster preparedness. House and neighborhood attachment should be considered as relevant predictors of mitigative and community preparedness in at-risk communities.