Evaluating the usability and usefulness of a storm preparedness and risk assessment mobile app

Abstract

Storm preparation can help reduce damage to property and loss of lives in communities facing severe storms and hurricanes. Risk communication is a tool for learning the consequences of a natural disaster and the skills for disaster preparedness. Past research has shown that preparedness may not be activated when there is a lack of association with risk perception. Guided by Protection Motivation Theory, this work assessed the relationships between risk communication and storm preparedness cognition to evaluate the usefulness and usability of an original storm preparedness app. Findings suggested that risk communication was a positive predictor of storm risk susceptibility and severity as well as preparedness self-efficacy and response efficacy. Results also indicated that while risk susceptibility and preparedness self-efficacy respectively and positively predicted risk severity and response efficacy, only risk severity and response efficacy were significant predictors of perceived app usefulness. Perceived app usefulness, in turn, positively predicted app usefulness. This study thus ascertained the role of risk communication in the threat and coping appraisal processes. It also demonstrated how perceptions of storm severity and the available preparedness resources contributed to app usefulness beliefs. Importantly, the study evidenced app usefulness as a key factor for evaluating app usability.