Development of a psychological distance scale towards earthquakes: Integration with protection motivation theory and planned behavior theory

Given the uncertain and unpredictable nature of earthquakes, it is important to examine how individuals adapt to them; however, the relationship between the perception of psychological proximity-distance to earthquakes and its transformation into protection motivation and behavior has not been sufficiently addressed. To fill this gap in the literature, this study creates a theoretical research model by incorporating protection motivation theory (PMT) and planned behavior theory (PBT) into psychological distance. The aim of the study is to develop a psychological distance scale to earthquakes (PDSE) and to integrate it with PMT and PBT to examine the factors affecting adaptation to the expected major Istanbul earthquake. In this quantitative study, a survey technique was applied, and individuals aged 18 and over living in Istanbul were included. In the study, a valid and reliable psychological distance scale to earthquakes consisting of 12 items with 4 factors (Temporal distance, Social distance, Geographical distance, Uncertainty) was developed. The Cronbach's Alpha value of the developed scale is 0.912, and 208 participants were included in the pilot application and 1144 in the main application. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to determine the relationship between the variables in the study. According to SEM, psychological distance had a significant negative effect on threat appraisal (β=-0.634, p=0.000), and threat appraisal had a significant positive effect on attitudes towards behavior (β=0.540, p=0.000). Future research suggests integrating PDSE with PMT and PBT to investigate its application in different geographical contexts and various disaster types.