When our minds perceive direct threats our ability to think clearly is reduced so that we are more likely to respond with 'pro survival' behavioral shortcuts.
Finance strategies for adaptation. Presentation for CANCC
Fear Response Related Behavior
1. After a high stress trigger
• Most people will be experiencing:
– Hyper-vigilance
– Searching for patterns
– Tightening of ‘in group’/Linear hierarchy
– Inclined to take shortcuts
– Willing to suspend disbelief (magical thinking)
– Open to doing rash things
– Post event spike in feeling of vulnerability
2. Hyper-vigilance:
– Information Vacuum
• The higher the stakes, the more likely the official
sources will grow very silent for the initial period to
coordinate the message.
• The higher the stakes the more information the public
needs to have
• The information vacuum will be filled, but not by whom
you want.
3. Searching for Patterns
• Provide Context!
– There is a good
chance some in the
media and the
general public are
making jumps in
logic that are wrong
& don’t help
4. Decision makers may feel
• Sharing can be dangerous
• Showing weakness dangerous
• This can lead to a push to withhold
information, it is important to push back.
5. Communication shouldn’t be a loyalty test
– “Trust us, the situation is
under control and
everything is safe.”
• In extended situation,
assume public are adults
looking for enough
information to decide for
self: provide context with
guidance
6. (The ‘voice’ of your organization may
not be who does all the training)
• If a situation is really large, chances are someone
higher up in social rank may be pushed in front of
the cameras
– Prepare Just-in-Time messaging training:
• Live saving information first
• Set a positive narrative early
• Be honest, don’t hide information: if can’t share everything,
say so and say why.
• Be very careful not to repeat rumors
• Remind people that we are all in this together
• Show compassion.
7. Willing to suspend disbelief
• Expect the population and public assumptions
to go in very strange directions
– Be ready to be able to counter situations like
extreme folk medicine to be treated as valid.
– Have a list of solid information sources that will
provide people with quality information.
8. Open to doing rash things
• Provide clear, concise and specific guidance to
the population about ways they can help or
stay safe.
9. Changing/Tightening of ‘in
group’/Inclined to take shortcuts
• Remember whom you need to communicate
with: not just people who communicate the
way you do.
10. Post event spike in feeling of
vulnerability
• Warning people to expect a spike in emotions can
help reduce the impacts from the spike
• Authority figures are a natural target for people
to vent frustration-expect it, counter with
examples of the positive steps that have been
taken, be compassionate
• Previous disasters show that this is a dangerous
time for ‘out groups’—remind everyone that we
are all in this together: the entire community.
11. Some studies & articles on topic
– Hyper-vigilance:
• Perceived threat narrows the focus of attention http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933078/
– Searching for patterns
• Lacking Control Increases Illusory Pattern Perception http://www.sciencemag.org/content/322/5898/115
– Tightening of ‘in group’
• The role of oxytocin in giving preferential treatment to own group:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/328/5984/1408.abstract
– Inclined to take shortcuts
• Learning: Stressed people use different strategies and brain regions
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120808081336.htm
– Willing to suspend disbelief (magical thinking)
• Feeling powerless, Do I Have a Conspiracy Theory for You http://www.newsweek.com/feeling-powerless-do-i-have-
conspiracy-theory-you-221650
– Open to doing rash things
• Threat interferes with response inhibition http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22494999
– Post event spike in feeling of vulnerability
• Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Resource Toolkit http://media.samhsa.gov/DTAC-CCPToolkit/
phases.htm