The Passivity-Responsiveness Continuum in the disaster preparedness and mitigation process: A synthesized theory

Abstract

The public's tendency to demonstrate passive and complacent attitudes towards imminent disaster hazards only portends individual- and community-level vulnerabilities. This paper explores disaster mitigation and response efforts through the Passivity-Responsiveness Continuum (PRC) model which was developed using the Walker and Avant's threefold steps in theory synthesis: specifying focal concepts, identifying related factors and relationships, and constructing an integrated model. An integrative review was conducted to explore concepts and nature and types of relationships relevant to the phenomena of disaster passivity and responsiveness. As a model, PRC proposes that passivity (and its habituality) corresponds to a negative, non-favorable state and outcome while responsiveness corresponds to a positive, ideal condition. The state in the continuum (i.e., passivity and responsiveness) is changeable (may progress or retrogress) depending on the individual's exposure to circumstantial factors (CF) which include ease of access to resources, self-efficacy, and socio-cultural/political climate, among others. Hence, to promote progressive change, guided disaster-responsive prompts (GDRP) must be facilitated and reinforced by expert actors and responders (i.e., nurses working in community disaster management) in a manner that is intensive, structured, trans-dimensional, and disaster-specific. To achieve the ideal state (i.e., disaster-resilient living), assertive actions must be supported, reinforced, and sustained otherwise the responsive state wanes, dwindles, and reverts to a previous state of passivity.