I am interested in the ways people think about and deal with probabilistic threats like natural disasters. What effects does living in a floodplain or in the shadow of a volcano have on people's day-to-day functioning, and on their perceptions of their vulnerability? How do experience and level of knowledge modulate the ways people perceive risks? What roles do memory and affect play in people's conceptions of hazards, both natural and man-made? The driving purpose behind much of my research interests is to learn how scientists and policymakers can inform the public about potential hazards in ways that will spur people to take appropriate preparatory actions to protect themselves and mitigate future disasters.

• W2235 Thinking & Decision Making
• W3285 The Psychology of Disaster Preparedness
• W4285 Multidisciplinary Approaches to Human Decision Making