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.
![](https://dev-wordpress-wpo.woc.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Severe-Thunderstorm-Slide.png)
For more information on the project findings, check out the links below.