TECHNOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE

1. TECHNOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE Vera Abdel Malek

2. WHAT IS A TECHNOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE?

3. EXAMPLES INCLUDE: • Nuclear disasters • Toxic waste dumps • Bridge collapses • Airplane malfunctions • Train derailments • Dam collapse • Oil spills

4. “These events are human made in that they are accidents, failures, or mishaps involving the technology and manipulation of the natural environment that we have created to support our standard of living (Baum et al., 334-335).”

5. FEATURES: • Suddeness: These events can start suddenly and without warning. They can also last a long time. • Power: These events are powerful and in some cases could cause widespread devastation. • Predictability: “Because technological catastrophes are never supposed to happen, they are difficult to predict (Baum et al., 341).”

6. FEATURES: • Low point: While some of these events have a well-defined low point, many have drawn out consequences. • These reflect a failure by systems that were once under control. • Whereas natural disasters highlight a lack of control, technological catastrophes represent a loss of control.

7. WHAT IS A NATURAL DISASTER?

8. EXAMPLES INCLUDE: • Tsunami • Hurricane • Flood • Blizzards • Tornadoes • Droughts • Heat waves • Volcanic eruptions • Avalanches • Earthquakes

9. “Any event or force of nature that has catastrophic consequences.”

10. FEATURES: • Power: Natural disasters are almost always powerful and universally threatening. • Destruction: They usually create a visible path of destruction. • Predictability: Some forms of natural disasters are predicted by technology but these are not always accurate or specific.

11. FEATURES: • Low point: There is always a low point. After the disaster, the worst is over. • Natural disasters can affect people in many ways, but there is usually a sense of social cohesion and community afterwards. • The effects of natural disasters do not always last as long as technological catastrophes. Baum, A., Fleming, I., & Davidson, L.M. (1983). Natural disaster and technological catastrophe. Environment and Behavior, 15, 333-354.

12. STRESS “Stress is the process by which an organism is threatened by environmental events known as stressors. During stress, organisms must resist, adapt, or otherwise find ways of coping with environmental demands. If coping is not successful or if the stress is intense or persistent, negative consequences are likely to follow (Davidson et al., 36).”

13. SELYE’S PHYSIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE • General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) • Alarm: Recognition of stress and preparation to resist it. Vital functions such as adrenal activity, respiration, and cardiovascular activity are increased to ready the organism to respond. • Resistance: This stage continues until the stressor is overcome or the reserves have been depleted. • Exhaustion:This stage is characterized by diseases of adaptation.

14. LAZARUS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE • Appraisals are crucial in stress response. • Primary appraisals involve the initial assessment that events are threatening. • Secondary appraisals involve estimations of the benefits of one of two ways of coping. • Direct action coping: The organism focuses its attention of altering its relationship with the stressor. • Palliative coping: The organism attempts to accommodate to the stressor by reducing or managing its emotional response to the stressor.

15. THREE MILE ISLAND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxH9N3N1L08&feature=related

16. EXPOSURE AND STRESS AT THREE MILE ISLAND • TMI residents show elevated signs of stress 28 months after the accident. • Psychological, behavioural and physiological levels of stress were tested. • Consequences could have persisted because of the toxic nature of the accident. • Uncertainty about the future is an element in the continuation of stress. Davidson, L.M., Baum, A., Fleming, I., & Gisriel, M.M. (1986). Toxic exposure and chronic stress at Three Mile Island. In A.H. Lebovits, A. Baum, & J.E. Singer (Eds.), Exposure to hazardous substances: Psychological parameters. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, pp. 35-46.

17. WEYAUWEGA TRAIN DERAILMENT • Evacuees faced a threat of explosion from the derailment of a train carrying liquid propane. • Residents reported a greater than control amount of psychological, cognitive-behavioural and physiological stress. • Evacuees exhibited more negative affect when they perceived accidents as foreseeable. • They also utilized different coping styles depending on the degree of perceived predictability. Those who believed the accident was foreseeable utilized more planful problem solving coping strategies.

18. Primary and secondary predictability have been identified as an important factor in determining the response to an aversive event. • Not everyone affected exhibited greater stress responses than the control. • Beliefs that these types of accidents are somewhat foreseeable provides people with an illusion of predictability and thus a mitigated stress response. Lange, L. J., Toussaint, L.L., & Fleming, R. (2004). Perception of accidentforeseeability and stress and coping during the evacuation period of a technological disaster. Environment and Behavior, 36, 701-716.

19. LOVE CANAL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azNR-hvmzJM

20. HAGERSVILLE TIRE FIRE

21. On February 12, 1990 a fire broke out at Tire King Recycling. • The stack of tires numbered 13-14 million. • The fire was extinguished in 17 days. • Reaction was influenced by the perception of risk. • “How risk is perceived and reacted to depends, among other things, on whether the risk is voluntary, the extent to which it is under control, the extent to which it represents a threat or disaster, and whether it has the potential to reduce gains or increase losses (Baxer et al., 213).

22. CONCERN • Avoidance: Those tended to be very concerned with the adverse health effects of possible contamination. • Wait and see: Those were concerned but not to the same extent as the avoidance group. • Livelihood vs. health: Those had competing concerns about their health and their livelihood. • Frustration: Those were concerned with others taking advantage of the situation. • Inconvenience: Those saw the situation as more of an inconvenience than a threat.

23. WHO GETS AFFECTED? • Young vs. old: Those who were younger with children at home were most concerned. • New vs. long-term residents: New residents were more affected. • Identification: Those who identified with the source of contamination had fewer concerns. • Threats to livelihood: Those who felt their livelihood was threatened exhibited greater concern. Baxter, J., Eyles, J., & Willms, D. (1992). The Hagersville Tire Fire: Interpreting risk through a qualitative research design. Qualitative Health Research, 2, 208- 237.

24. JAPAN NUCLEAR DISASTER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fdG1Wvpy-E&feature=related

25. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: • How is the stress paradigm (model) applied to explain the reaction of residents of the area surrounding the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor? • What role do predictability and perceived control play in the production of stress? What other areas of psychology have produced supporting data? • What role does government play in citizen’s reactions to technological catastrophes?