Dr Anne Templeton (Edinburgh): How do the public behave in emergencies? School of Psychology and Neuroscience Friday seminar series

The School of Psychology and Neuroscience seminar series presents a talk by Dr Anne Templeton (Edinburgh) titled “How do the public behave in emergencies and how is this influenced by first responder communication strategies? A journey through group relations, trust and communication” which will be hosted by Calum Cook in Seminar Room 1 and accessible online through MS Teams.

Abstract:
Facilitating safe response in emergencies requires quick and effective coordination between professional first responders and the public. However, coordination relies on the first responders accurately understanding how the public will respond in emergencies, being able to effectively communicate instructions to the public, and then the public trusting and following those instructions. In this talk, we will delve into the journey of using interviews and experiments to explore the ways that first responders provide instructions to the public in emergencies and what factors may increase or diminish the chances of the public following those instructions. I will discuss the results so far with a focus on the importance of group relations, trust, and communication approaches in understanding public response. We will then consider existing first responder training for engaging with the public and where the research suggests potential areas for improvement.