On end user uncertainty, risk perception, and behavioral intentions (Grundstein FY18)
Within the last decade, operational meteorologists have raised concerns that the availability of weather information from a variety of sources may contribute to a perception that weather risk messages are inconsistent and result in negative consequences among end users. The challenge, however, is that there are only a few studies to-date that have explored message consistency in a weather context.
To address this operational need, this JTTI-funded project, Implications of Inconsistent Visuals, conceptualized ‘message consistency’ for the weather enterprise and employed a social science mixed-methods approach to explore the effects of weather-related graphical inconsistencies on lay public end users. In particular, this project used the Storm Prediction Center’s (SPC) Convective Outlook graphic as a vehicle to investigate the role that visual design plays in keeping a weather-related message consistent. The outcomes from this project included: (1) research-guided recommendations to practitioners and operational meteorologists on how to achieve a more consistent message and (2) knowledge about how the public interprets, uses, and makes decisions using the SPC’s Convective Outlook product.
For more information on the project findings, check out the links below.
