Abstract

COELHO, Angela E. L.. Percepção de Risco no Contexto da Seca: Um Estudo Exploratório. Psicol. Am. Lat. [online]. 2007, n.10. ISSN 1870-350X.

The meaning of a disaster for the survivors not only determines as the situation is lived, but also as the recovery will occur. Repeated experiences with the same event can generate a disaster subculture that mitigates the effect of stress. This study analyzed the risk perceptions of residents from two cities in the Brazilian Northeast. The results showed that the participants from the region without drought presented higher levels of risk perception than the participants from the region with drought. This difference can be explained by the high risk perception of the persons who inhabit Areia (unknown experience) or by the low risk perception of the residents from Queimadas (known experience). These results showed the importance of considering the survivor’s risk perception as a research variable. It is also important to evaluate the development of the disaster subculture, which can modify the meaning of the event and the response to it.

Keywords : Disaster; Risk Perception; Drought.