The NORC Studies of Human Behavior in Disaster

A review of some findings of the NORC exploratory studies of human behavior in disasters. Interviews were from nearly 1,000 persons from over 70 major or minor disaster areas. The majority were from 8 field trips to 6 disaster communities. These disasters were: (1) an airplane crash into a crowd of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of social issues 1954, Vol.10 (3), p.26-41
Main Authors: Fritz, Charles E., Marks, Eli S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cooperation
Disaster Preparedness
Disasters
Emotions
Human Nature
Social Response
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Summary:A review of some findings of the NORC exploratory studies of human behavior in disasters. Interviews were from nearly 1,000 persons from over 70 major or minor disaster areas. The majority were from 8 field trips to 6 disaster communities. These disasters were: (1) an airplane crash into a crowd of spectators; (2) a series of house explosions and fires; (3) a coal mine explosion; (4) 3 separate air crashes in a large city; (5) an earthquake; & (6) a tornado. Field investigations began from a few hours to 3 days following the disaster. Persons interviewed consisted of (a) a general sample of the pop and, (b) a special sample of persons in a position to observe the various agencies of rescue and relief. For the most part interviews were conducted on a non-directive basis using tape recorders. Experimental controls were not attempted, and for some of the studies, sampling of the pop was only partly controlled. Using various samples for different analyses, the findings indicate: (1) panic behavior is not a usual reaction to disaster, and does not constitute a major control problem. It is rather the lack of coordination among a large number of individuals acting in terms of different and often conflicting personal definitions of the situation that must be dealt with. (2) The amount of warning seems to have an effect on actions taken and losses sustained by individuals involved in a disaster. Evidence indicates that inadequate warning may lead to more serious loss than no warning at all. (3) Emotional reactions to disaster appear to be intensified by experiences of separation from other family members and intimate contact with the dead and injured. S. R. Sherwood.
ISSN:0022-4537
1540-4560
DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1954.tb01996.x