An Examination of Antecedents to Perceived Community Resilience in Disaster Postcrisis Communication

Abstract

Through an online survey of residents in areas affected by Hurricane Matthew ( n = 596), this study examines antecedents that lead to perceived community resilience (PCR) in a disaster crisis. Crisis efficacy, community identification, positive and negative emotions, and social media engagement are identified as factors contributing to PCR. Social media engagement was defined as coping behaviors such as, information seeking, social support seeking, and giving behaviors on social media during and in the aftermath of crisis. The results of this study provide implications for postcrisis rebuilding processes, and how government and organizational communicators can utilize social media communication to foster PCR.

Risk sharing on Twitter: Social amplification and attenuation of risk in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Information sharing behaviors was created with six items asking participants whether they have posted or retweeted about coronavirus-related news (1 = never, 5 = very frequently). Information seeking behaviors were adopted from Zhang and Shay (2019) with four items such as followed CDC, sought information on social media, etc. (1 = never, 5 = very frequently).…”

“…Heightened uncertainty regarding a risk may result in increased public concerns and conspiracy theories ( Kasperson et al, 1988 ; Wirz et al, 2018 ) and may boost publics' tendencies to seek information related to the risk ( Zhang, Borden, & Kim, 2018 ). As information seeking behaviors are closely associated with information sharing behaviors ( Hilverda & Kuttschreuter, 2018 ; Zhang & Shay, 2019 ), information seeking behaviors prompted by the uncertainty and lack of information may also increase social media users’ likelihood of sharing the information.…”

Exploring Two Decades of Research in Community Resilience: A Content Analysis Across the International Literature

“…36,37 As the most mature area of CR research, many researchers in America have already explored the framework, antecedent and consequent under the risk events. 38,39 Research on CR in Australia appeared in 2008 and has developed rapidly in the past five years. 40 Similar to the theme of research in the United States, disaster is a hot topic in the research of CR in Australia (the second most prominent theme on the map).…”

Expressions of Resilience: Social Media Responses to a Flooding Event

“…Another key aspect of resilience is the emotions that are invoked during a difficult time, with a productive response being one of foregrounding positive emotions while also acknowledging that negative emotions play an important role in helping individuals process their experiences (Buzzanell, 2010; Zhang & Shay, 2019). The emotional responses to a natural disaster have important practical implications, as well.…”

“…Scholars have also considered engagement with social media to be a component of how individuals develop resilience (Zhang & Shay, 2019). This is grounded in the idea that disasters establish a need for information, in part to inform how individuals can respond to the threat, but also to reduce the uncertainty that develops during such events (Brashers et al., 2000; Crijns, Cauberghe, & Hudders, 2017).…”