APRU Multi-Hazards (MH) Summer School
18-21 July 2017 at IRIDeS, Tohoku University

Eight Personal Characteristics Associated with
the Power to Live with Disasters
as Indicated by Survivors ofthe 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster
Motoaki Sugiura
Tohoku University

Cognitive NeuroscienceDWhy I’m in disaster science?
Institute of Development,
Aging and Cancer
International ResearchInstitute of Disaster Science

Disaster

Aging

Cognitive Neuroscience

2008

2012

Why I’m in disaster science?

IssuesLiterature
PapersReal World
AgeingDisasterOutline• Power to live with disasters– What is it and how was it built?
– Educational Implications• Cognitive science approach– Purpose & Application– Three examples

Power to live with disasters• Environment-adaptive personal characteristics

Power to live with disasters• Environment-adaptive personal characteristics– Zest for living (MEXT, Japan, 1996; 2011)• Solid academic prowess• Healthy body
• Well-rounded character– Survivor personality (Al Siebert, 2008)• Playful curiosity; Flexibility; Synergy imperative• Not a good child• Strong ‘self’– Towards empirical approach• Model construction in an objective way• Measurement tool2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster• Some personal characteristics have advantages– personality trait, way of thinking, habit…

• Power to live => Inventory construction!
– Model construction in an objective way– Measurement toolPower to live with disasters• Inventory construction– Collection of items• Interview with survivors (2012; n=78)• Disaster experience and opinion about power to live
• Summarized into 40 items– Factor analysis & validation• Questionnaire survey (2013; n=1412)• Self-descriptiveness on the 40 items– > Factor analysis (8 factors)• Self-rating on disaster related-behavior (160 items)– > validation (5 items so far)

Factor analysis & validation• Factor analysis– Identify latent factors behind the items
Item1 0 1 2 3 4 5Item2 0 1 2 3 4 5Item3 0 1 2 3 4 5Item4 0 1 2 3 4 5Factor score

Item1 0 1 2 3 4 5Item2 0 1 2 3 4 5Item3 0 1 2 3 4 5Item4 0 1 2 3 4 552Item1 0 1 2 3 4 5Item2 0 1 2 3 4 5Item3 0 1 2 3 4 5
Item4 0 1 2 3 4 501Factor 1Factor 225• Labeling / interpretation of each factor– Based on the items included• Validation of each factor– Correlation of factor scores with external indices

Labeling / interpretation• Factor 2:– When I am fretting about what I should do, I compare several
alternative actions.
– Before taking action, I think of a plan and the order of priority.
– When talking to someone, I think about that person’spersonality, wishes, and abilities and choose an appropriate
attitude and words accordingly.
– The more agitated the people around me become, the calmer
I somehow become.
– In order to resolve a problem, I first of all initiate action.
F2 Problem solving

Labeling / interpretation• Factor 4:– I am stubborn and always get my own way.
– I unhesitatingly say whatever it is I want to say.
– I clearly distinguish between black and white:what’s good is good, and what’s bad is bad.
– I hate losing.
– I am highly motivated with regard to things that I
like or want to do.
F4 Stubbornness

Labeling / interpretation• Factor 6:– During difficult times, I endeavor not to brood.
– During difficult times, I endeavor to thinkpositively, telling myself that this experience will
benefit me in the future.
– During difficult times, I compare myself with thesituation around me and in society, and I thinkthat matters cannot be helped.
– When something happens, I try to stay calm andnot panic.
F6 Emotional regulation

Power to live with disasters• Labeling / interpretation of each factor– Based on the items included
F1 Leadership
F2 Problem
P blsolvingl
F3 Altruism
F4 Stubbornness
F5 Etiquette
F6 EmotionalEil regulation
F7 Self-transcendence
F8 ActiveA i well-being
ll b i(See Appendix for the list of items)

Validation of the factors• Contribution to behaviors/experiences in Disaster– Context dependent!
F6 Emotional regulation
F2 Problem solving
F3 Altruism
F1 Leadership
F8 Active well-being
F4 Stubbornness
S bb
F5 Etiquette
F7 Self-transcendence

Tsunami evacuation(immediate)
Refuge-related problem
solving (solved more)
Mental health(resistant/resilient)
Physical health(resistant/resilient)(Sugiura et al., 2015)

Reconstruction(residence after 5 yrs.)

Validation of the factors• Contribution to behaviors/experiences in Disaster– Context dependent!
F6 Emotional regulation
F2 Problem solving
F3 Altruism
F1 Leadership
F8 Active well-being
F4 Stubbornness
S bb
F5 Etiquette
F7 Self-transcendence

Survival as a group
Support of others
Encouraged others during
tsunami evacuation
Helped others during
tsunami evacuation
Supported by others
Had someone reliable
during tsunami evacuation
Being helped by others inrefuge

Validation of the factors• Age-related change– Different across factors: different educational approach
0.30.20.10-0.1-0.2-0.3-0.4-0.5-0.6

F1F2F3F4F5F6F7F8***20s30s40s

50s60s70s-ᲤᲴ p<.05 (F-test, Bonfferoni corrected)

Power to live with disasters• Educational Implications
1) A new framework of the disaster education– Difference from conventional framework тAdvantage• For unpredictable, multi-hazard disasters• For personal characteristics• Including the reconstruction phase
2JCUG&KUCUVGT2WTRQUG'OGTIGPE[2TGFKEVCDNG-PQYNGFIG2TGRCTCVKQP%QPXGPVKQPCNFKUCUVGTGFWECVKQP

7PRTGFKEVCDNG/WNVKJC\CTF

2GTUQPCNEJCTCEVGTKUVKEU

4GEQPUVTWEVKQP

2QYGTVQNKXGYKVJFKUCUVGTUPower to live with disasters• Educational Implications2) Evaluation tool
– for education programs• vs. control group• Pre vs. Post

– for students / participants

8070
䠢䠔䈈
6050
䠢䠓䈈 40Power to live with disasters
3) Scientific development of the programs• Cognitive models• Model-based design• Experiment• Assessment– > basic cognitive science approach䠢䠎䈈䠢䠏䈈䠢䠒䈈• Self-evaluation• Program contents• Educational Implications䠢䠍䈈䠢䠐䈈
䠢䠑䈈

Outline• Power to live with disasters– What is it and how was it built?
– Educational Implications• Cognitive science approach– Purpose & Application– Three examples

Cognitive Science Approach• Purpose– Objective evaluation• Overcome the limitation of self-evaluation survey– Bias, causality• Development of objective measure– Accuracy, reliability– For children– What mental process behind each factor?
• => Cognitive models– Which process is responsible?
– Conscious/unconscious?
– Innate/acquired?

Cognitive Science Approach• Three example experiments– Participants• University students– Task:• Target factor• Cognitive hypothesis on the factor– Measures:1) Objective measure during the task
2) Power to live inventory (factor score)– Analysis:• Correlation between 1 & 2

Cognitive Science Approach• Target: F2 Problem solving– Contribution
ribution to• Refuge-related problem solving– Cognitive hypothesis• Different sensitivity to the external pressure?
“The more agitated the people around me become, the calmer I
somehow become”– Task:• Problem solving task with external pressure– Objective measure:• Task completion time
– One can arbitrary determine the ‘completion’ of the task
– Typical situation with speed-accuracy trade-offCognitive Science Approach• Target: F4 Stubbornness– Contribution to• Physical health• Reconstruction of residence– Cognitive hypothesis• Future oriented“I am highly motivated with regard to things that I like or want to do”• => Smaller time discount?

– Task:• Monetary choice from different amount/times

Cognitive Science Approach• Target: F4 Stubbornness– Objectivective measure• Choice rate of higher later options (B)
(1)
(2)
(3)

A: Get $3,400 this month
A: Get $100 now
A: Get $100 now

B: Get $3,800 next month
B: Get $140 a year later
B: Get $110 within 10 years– Results:• High F4 participants preferred options B– Interpretation:• F4 indeed reflects the way of thinking• Low time discounting=> Hope for the future or less anxiety?

Cognitive Science Approach• Target: F6 Emotional regulation– Contribution
ib ti tot
• Immediate tsunami evacuation• Refuge-related problem solving• Mental/ physical health– Cognitive hypothesis• Suppression of one’s own negative emotional response?
“When something happens, I try to stay calm and not panic”– Task:• Presentation of negative emotional pictures

Cognitive Science Approach• Target: F6 Emotional regulation– Objectiveti measure:• Brain activity (Functional MRI)

– Task• Viewing pictures– Conditions:• Negative emotional pictures• Neutral pictures– Analysis:• Activation [Negative – Neutral]• Regression with F6 score

Summary• Power to live with disasters– Environment-adaptive personal characteristics– personality trait, way of thinking, habit– Inventory constructed from the opinions of disastersurvivors• Educational Implications– A new framework of the disaster education– Evaluation tool
– Scientific development of the programs• Cognitive Science Approach– Behavioral experiments, brain measurement– Has just begun, join us!

Acknowledgment
Collaborators
Tohoku University: Shosuke Sato, Tsuneyuki Abe, Keiyu Niikuni, Toshiaki
Muramoto, Rui Nouchi, Toshiya Kageyama, Shohei Yamazaki, Naoki Togawa,
Fumihiko Imamura
Yamanashi Eiwa College: Akio HondaProject72: Ryuichi AsanoGrants
International Research Institute of Disaster Science,Tohoku University
Special Project Researches (H24-27)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Topic-Setting Program to Advance Cutting-Edge Humanities and Social
Sciences Research (H26-29)
Contact: sugiura@tohoku.ac.jp

Power to live with disasters
F1 Leadership
31. To resolve problems, I gather together everyone involved to discuss the matter.
40. In everyday life, I often take the initiative to gather people together.
26. I take the initiative in talking to other people.
30. Sophisticated words that move people’s hearts come out of my mouth.
39. In everyday life, I make sure to keep in contact with friends and acquaintances.
F2 Problem solving
24. When I am fretting about what I should do, I compare several alternative actions.
25. Before taking action, I think of a plan and the order of priority.
33. When talking to someone, I think about that person’s personality, wishes, and abilities andchoose an appropriate attitude and words accordingly.
13. The more agitated the people around me become, the calmer I somehow become.
23. To resolve a problem, I first of all initiate action.
F3 Altruism
5. I like it when other people rely on me and are grateful to me.
1. When I see someone having trouble, I have to help them.
6. When someone asks me to do something for them, I cannot refuse.
4. Other people’s good fortune makes me happy so I like to help others.
2. I am meddlesome and I like to do things for others.
F4 Stubbornness
8. I am stubborn and always get my own way.
11. I unhesitatingly say whatever it is I want to say.
12. I clearly distinguish between black and white: what’s good is good, and what’s bad is bad.
7. I hate losing.
9. I am highly motivated with regard to things that I like or want to do.
F5 Etiquette
38. On a daily basis, I take the initiative in greeting family members and people living in theneighborhood.
37. In everyday life, I take care of myself as much as possible.
28. When someone has helped me or been kind to me, I clearly convey my feelings of gratitude.
F6 Emotional regulation
20. During difficult times, I endeavor not to brood.
22. During difficult times, I endeavor to think positively, telling myself that this experience will
benefit me in the future.
21. During difficult times, I compare my circumstances with the situation around me and insociety, and I think that matters cannot be helped.
19. When something happens, I try to stay calm and not panic.
F7 Self-transcendence
17. I am aware that I am alive, and have a sense of responsibility in living.
18. I am aware of the path and teachings I should follow as a person.
15. I am aware of the role I should play in society.
16. I think that my actions toward others will go around and eventually come back to me.
F8 Active well-being
34. In everyday life, I have habitual practices that are essential for relieving stress or giving me achange of pace.
36. In everyday life, I have habitual practices that are essential for maintaining my physicalhealth.
35. In everyday life, I endeavor to find opportunities to acquire new knowledge, skills, andattitudes.