How trust in the government's flood response influences perception of flood hazard risk: Experimental evidences in China

Many studies have found that trust is a vital factor that influences risk perception. However, previous studies in this field have used surveys that provide limited information about causality. Therefore, experimental studies to explore the causality between trust and risk perceptions are needed. We conducted three studies to examine the relationship and mechanism of trust in the government's flood response and flood hazard risk perception. In Study 1, we found that people's risk perception and trust in the government's flood response were significantly negatively correlated. In Studies 2 and 3, using correlational and experimental methods, we found that the higher the public's trust in the government's flood response, the more they used heuristics to process risk information, and their risk perception was lower than that of the group with low trust in the government's flood response. Our research provides evidence of causality between trust and risk perceptions, suggesting that trust in the government's flood response can influence risk perception via heuristics in China, which provides a better understanding of the importance of trust in risk perception. These conclusions have policy implications for government responses to flood disasters, emphasizing the need for public participation and timely, transparent communication of accurate information and preventive strategies.