Impact of Place Identity, Self-Efficacy and Anxiety State on the Relationship Between Coastal Flooding Risk Perception and the Willingness to Cope

Abstract

Inhabitants of coastal areas are constantly confronted with minor or major events such as storms, erosion or flooding. This article investigates the predictors of coping willingness among citizens exposed to coastal flooding. Coping can be defined as a set of cognitive and behavioral efforts to master, reduce or tolerate a given risk and these strategies are generally regrouped into two different categories: active coping strategies oriented toward the risk to reduce or master it, and passive coping strategies focused on the reduction of internal tensions such as anxiety or fear. In this paper, we focus especially on how place identity, perceived self-efficacy, anxiety-state and coastal flooding risk perception shape both active and passive coping willingness. Data were obtained from different areas at risk of coastal flooding located in France. The sample is composed of 315 adult participants (mean age = 47; SD = 15). Two competing models were tested using path modeling. We expected a direct relation between risk perception and the willingness to cope actively and that a higher perceived self-efficacy would increase active coping willingness. Concerning passive coping strategies, we expected that a higher anxiety-state increases passive coping willingness, and that place identity would act as a mediator and increases the relation between anxiety-state and passive coping willingness. Results suggest that place identity increased when the living place is threatened and that the use of passive coping strategies also increased. Also, we demonstrated a direct relation between risk perception and active coping willingness but it appeared that self-efficacy has no effect on this relation. Model fit indices suggest the good fit of our model and Bayesian model comparison reveals a very strong evidence of the best fit of this model compared to its saturated and independent equivalents.

Affect Path to Flood Protective Coping Behaviors Using SEM Based on a Survey in Shenzhen, China

“…Different fit indices are examined to evaluate the fit of the path model [20]: Chi square to df ratio (χ 2 /df), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the goodness-of-fit index (GFI),…”

“…Different fit indices are examined to evaluate the fit of the path model [20]: Chi square to df ratio (χ 2 /df ), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the goodness-of-fit index (GFI), the comparative fit index (CFI) and the Tucker-Lewis index (TLI). The results (Table 4) of model fit suggest that the final model which supported socio-demographic factors and flood risk perception having an indirect impact on protective coping behaviors, is consistent with the reality.…”

“…We also find that the influence of flood risk perception on protective coping behaviors is indirect, flood risk knowledge is found to be mediating variable between them. However, similar work in French coastal cities [20] also finds an indirect link between flood risk perception and protective coping behaviors, but they ignore the impact of flood knowledge on the choice of coping strategy. That is because the people there can acquire sufficient flood risk knowledge and coping skills through training and education provided by the government.…”

“…Under PMT, some interesting conclusions had indeed been found, such as the positive and direct relation between risk attitudes and protective coping behaviors [17]. However, inconsistent results had also emerged; for example, Liu and Jiao [19] found a positive direct impact between risk perception and protective coping behavior, while Lemée et al [20] found a moderating variable (anxiety-state, place identity) between the two, indicating an indirect relation. In addition, PMT did not account for the features of people themselves (age, education, income, et al), which had been "empirically documented and theoretically framed within socio-environmental psychology for over 20 years" [20] and were important for analyzing differences in people with different characteristics.…”

“…However, inconsistent results had also emerged; for example, Liu and Jiao [19] found a positive direct impact between risk perception and protective coping behavior, while Lemée et al [20] found a moderating variable (anxiety-state, place identity) between the two, indicating an indirect relation. In addition, PMT did not account for the features of people themselves (age, education, income, et al), which had been "empirically documented and theoretically framed within socio-environmental psychology for over 20 years" [20] and were important for analyzing differences in people with different characteristics. A social-cognitive model was a good solution to the deficiency of PMT, because it included social background factors, risk perception and protective coping behaviors, and was also capable of analyzing the interaction between factors.…”