Read more: "Special report: After Japan's megaquake" You might
expect people living in an earthquake zone who are anxious about
their safety to be well prepared for a quake. In fact people
aren't entirely logical in their attitude to seismic hazard, or
in the preparations they make. When psychologists looked at how
people from different cultures prepare for earthquakes they
found the ideas of fatalism and trust in government, and even
belief in God, all played a role in how much people did to
prepare for disaster. Understanding these psychological drivers
could help engineers and policy-makers pick the most effective
ways to mitigate future earthquake damage. Previous studies have
reported positive correlations between risk perception and
"seismic adjustment" – the extent to which people act in advance
to minimise damage in the event of an earthquake. Several
studies show the effectiveness of making such adjustments
(Epidemiological Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/epirev/mxi005). However,
most of these studies focus on