Systematic Review Maps Behavioral Change in Disaster Preparedness

A systematic literature review of behavioral change theories in disaster research reports that studies have devoted more attention to how people respond to hazards than to how they prepare before a crisis. The review finds that social theories used in health and risk research are relevant to disaster preparedness, and identifies a recurring imbalance across theoretical frameworks: the Response phase is covered in greater detail than the Prevention phase in almost all theories of disaster risk, while confirmation, reappraisal and maintenance are addressed much less frequently. Researchers Alexander Fekete, Norbert Mundorf and Cristian Ziliberberg reached this conclusion by screening titles, abstracts and keywords and then analyzing the selected articles in depth.

Rather than conduct a new survey or field experiment, the study synthesizes theories that have been applied to disasters and extreme events. The authors argue that disaster research often concentrates more heavily on hazards than on changes in human behavior, leaving the reasons for hesitation or non-preparation insufficiently integrated into broader accounts of disaster risk. The review distinguishes the populations to which major theoretical approaches are commonly applied.

Diffusion of Innovation theories are used more often in work involving groups or institutions, whereas the Transtheoretical Model and related Stages of Change approaches appear more often in studies of individuals. Instead, it maps where each family of theories has been used and identifies gaps in the stages that disaster-risk scholars have examined. The comparatively limited coverage of prevention-related stages is presented as a feature of the literature, not as evidence that prevention is unimportant or that response-oriented research is invalid.

Based on these findings, Fekete, Mundorf and Ziliberberg developed a conceptual framework for classifying and comparing stages of change and for integrating multiple theories into disaster-risk research. The framework is intended to give researchers a common structure for examining preparedness as a process and for recognizing stages that may be overlooked in existing models. The review also identifies potential applications for disaster-relief planning and strategic policy development, but its central output is a theoretical synthesis rather than a tested intervention.

As a review of previously published research, the study is limited by the availability, scope and theoretical coverage of the literature identified through its screening process. Its quantitative or comparative performance cannot be characterized from the supplied abstract, which reports the balance of theoretical attention and the resulting conceptual framework without presenting a new effect estimate or head-to-head validation. By placing these approaches within one organizing framework, the authors aim to support more robust theoretical models of disaster risk and a more systematic account of how preparedness-related behavior may be studied.

Subject of Research: Behavioral change theories applied to disaster-risk management and preparedness

Article Title: Behavioral stages of change framework for managing disaster risk and preparedness

Article References: Fekete, A., Mundorf, N., & Ziliberberg, C. (2026). Behavioral stages of change framework for managing disaster risk and preparedness. Discover Sustainability, 7(1), Article 1603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-04763-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-04763-9

Keywords: disaster risk, disaster preparedness, behavioral change, stages of change, systematic review, prevention, response, diffusion of innovations, risk communication, policy planning, Behavioral, stages