Citation

Fritz CE. Proc. Hum. Factors Ergon. Soc. Annu. Meet. 1974; 18(3): 323.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1974, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/154193127401800315

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This presentation summarizes the empirical research studies of behavior in man made and natural disasters and disaster related events. A definition of disaster is provided to identify its distinguishing characteristics apart from the specific context in which it occurs. Among the first major efforts to investigate human response to disaster were the studies performed during and following World War II. These were motivated by a desire to confirm or refute hypotheses concerning human behavior under wartime disaster conditions, the information being useful for defensive as well as offensive purposes. Many of these hypotheses, like the stereotypes portrayed by the mass media reporting of natural disasters, were found to be myths rather than factual accounts of human behavior.
Among the myths vs facts are the following:
1. Mass panic is not observed; behavior is typically goal oriented but confusing when viewed by an outsider. 2. Flight from the disaster is a lesser problem than the massive convergence of people, materiel, and message traffic into the impact area. 3. Looting is far less common than believed and substantially less than the altruism observed. 4. Hysteria is atypical, and greater self control and self sacrifice are common. 5. Those affected are rarely unable to help themselves (unless injured), i.e., they are not dazed and stuperous but rather active participants in search and rescue operations. 6. Mental breakdown does not occur but acute emotional, physiological and psychosomatic symptoms do emerge following disaster. 7. Murder, assualt, and other acts of aggression are less common rather than more prevalent. 8. Anarchy and the breakdown of civilization does not occur. Emergency (and often spontaneous) leadership is evidenced with greater community solidarity and productivity.
The remainder of the presentation is devoted to highlighting specific examples of human response in the chronology of events encompassing: (1) warning, (2) awareness of imminent disaster, (3) post disaster actions, and (4) recovery operations. The presentation concludes with some recommendations which in part serve to introduce the topics covered in the following presentation.

Language: en