Social influences on behavioural response to earthquake shaking: evidence from CCTV footage

Abstract

Decades of research has demonstrated that people look to those around them for behavioural cues in novel or uncertain situations, including emergencies. One such context in which the role of social influence has largely not been explored is earthquake shaking. Earthquakes are sudden and extreme events which can be disconcerting for those experiencing them. Many earthquake injuries in countries such as Aotearoa New Zealand result from people either not taking the recommended protective actions (Drop, cover, and hold) or taking other actions which can increase their injury risk. While education efforts such as the annual ShakeOut earthquake drill in Aotearoa New Zealand have been shown to improve knowledge of protective actions, the rates of use of these actions in real earthquake events could be improved. Instead, people often hesitate before acting, perhaps because they are unsure of how to respond given the (relative) infrequency of earthquakes. In such situations, people might look to those around them for behavioural cues. To test this idea, we examined Closed-Circuit Television Footage from Wellington International Airport during the M7.8 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. While the time of the earthquake (12.02am) meant there were only approximately 70 observable individuals, there were several noticeable and notable behaviours. In this paper, we present and discuss apparent social influences on people’s response to the shaking. In some instances, this influence was beneficial, but in many cases it was either neutral or potentially detrimental. Implications for ongoing education efforts and potential earthquake early warning messages are discussed.