Comparing the adoption of protective behaviors: The framing effects of national culture and hazard onset type

On the basis of framing effect and protective action decision model, this study examines the differences in people's response to diverse hazard onset types (sudden or gradual) under different cultural frameworks (China and the United States) and the framing effects of culture and hazard onset type on people's perception and behavioral response. The data are derived from three questionnaire surveys on people's behavioral response to H7N9 and smog emergency in China and H1N1 in the United States. Results indicate that people with different cultures and diverse contexts of hazard onset type present substantial differences in risk perception, protective action perception, stakeholder perception, and behavioral expectations. Furthermore, culture and hazard onset type exert significant framing effects on people's three types of perception, reliance on official information sources, and intention to adopt protective actions. This research empirically verifies the existence of framing effect in culture and decision scenarios, thereby helping in developing different emergency communication strategies.