JESSICA BURGENO, PhD
Design Researcher + Behavioral Scientist
USE OF WEATHER FORECASTS AND HAZARD EXPERIENCE SURVEY
ROLE
Lead Researcher
METHODS
Mixed
DEVELOPMENT TIME
1 day
INTRODUCTION
Problem Statment
A reviewer of another project inquired how often our participants use weather forecasts, and about their experiences with weather hazards.
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Research Questions
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How often do participants use weather forecasts?
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What's their experience with hazards?
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Research Goal
Respond to reviewer's inquiries about participant characteristics.
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METHODOLOGY
Participants
290 University of Washington psychology students participated on a volunteer basis during their introductory psychology course.
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Survey Items
RESULTS
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​On a 7-point scale from “never” to “multiple times a day”, on average participants reported looking at weather forecasts “everyday, or nearly everyday”
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96% of survey participants reported experience using forecasts to make a decision. These were primarily decisions about
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What to wear
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What form of transportation to take
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Which recreational activities to engage in
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77% of participants reported experience with some weather hazard (e.g., snow, hurricane, typhoon, etc.), with 66% reporting previous experience with snow hazards specifically (which was particularly relevant to the initial project under review).
CONCLUSIONS
Our participants use weather forecasts often, they have experience using them to make decisions, and most have experience with weather hazards. These characteristics may play a role in the trust ratings, estimates, and decision behaviors observed in related projects.