110th Sogo Bosai seminar (Feb 18)

We are pleased to announce the 110th Sogo Bosai Seminar (Feb. 18, Wednesday) as follows.
We look forward to your participation.
This seminar will be held in English.

 
[Date & Time]
Feb. 18, Wednesday, 10:00-11:30

[Venue]
S519D of Main building, Uji campus and Online
If you will attend via online, please register yourself by Feb 17, 9:00am: https://forms.gle/8TVGc6AYsrHjQyzo6
 

[Title]
Learning across hazards: from wildfires to earthquakes
 

[Speakers]
Sandra Vaiciulyte
Assistant Professor, DPRI, Kyoto University
 

[Abstract]
Warning systems are designed to save lives, yet little is known about how people experience repeated alerts during unfolding crises. This seminar explores how individuals interpreted, emotionally processed, and responded to successive warnings, drawing on empirical findings from 2025 January California wildfires, and drawing parallels to earthquake aftershock alerting. The talk addresses three core questions: how people respond to different alert types, whether alert fatigue develops as alerts accumulate, and how stress levels and coping strategies evolve over time. Results show that while a small minority consistently ignore alerts, most people actively engage with warning information. Crucially, alerting itself emerges as a stressor that individuals must manage in order to respond effectively. Analysis of coping strategies reveals that most participants adopt adaptive responses, such as acceptance, planning, and cognitive reframing, particularly during early alerts. By comparing patterns across alert types, this seminar highlights opportunities for cross-hazard learning, offering insights into how alert design and communication strategies can better support effective response under prolonged uncertainty.
 

[Short bio]
Sandra Vaiciulyte is an Assistant Professor at Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), affiliated with the Research Center for Earthquake Hazards and the Research Center for Disaster Reduction Systems, and based in Mexico at the Kyoto University On-site Laboratory International Research Laboratory for Earthquake and Tsunami Risk Cognition and Reduction. Originally from Lithuania, she holds a BA in Political Science, an MA in International Communications and Development (City, University of London), and a PhD from the University of Greenwich on human behavior in response to wildfire evacuations. She also has professional experience in fire engineering at Arup (London). Her work sits at the intersection of social science and engineering, with the aim of advancing research that improves human safety in natural hazards.