The Protective Action Decision‐Making Process in Emergency Responses During and After Earthquake Tremors: Qualitative Findings From the Elazığ and İzmir Earthquakes

Abstract

Understanding behavioral responses during and immediately after an earthquake is critical to reducing injuries and developing preparedness strategies. This study identifies response patterns under seismic threat using qualitative evidence from the 2020 Elazığ and İzmir earthquakes in Türkiye. Data were collected from 63 participants through semistructured individual interviews and family‐based focus group discussions. Responses were examined in three temporally distinct phases: (1) onset of the tremor, (2) intensification, and (3) immediate post‐tremor period. During the tremor, reported behaviors clustered around four dominant patterns: movement toward exits or open spaces under acute fear, freezing or waiting, improvised protective action, and moving toward vulnerable individuals. These responses were shaped by real‐time threat cues, including perceived shaking intensity, environmental noise, falling objects, perceived building danger, and the visible reactions of others. As the tremor intensified, increased perceived risk was associated with evacuation attempts, continued immobility, or delayed action under uncertainty. In several instances, participants remained in place because they perceived movement through stairs, exits, or enclosed spaces as dangerous. Initial postearthquake responses were characterized by movement toward perceived safe areas, attempts to contact relatives, and spontaneous helping behaviors toward nearby individuals. The findings suggest that earthquake response is shaped by dynamic threat interpretation, fear transmission through social cues, family responsibility, and socially mediated coordination. Interpreted through the Protective Action Decision Model and Emerging Norm Theory, the results highlight how behavioral responses evolve through the interaction between environmental signals, social cues, and emergent coordination. The study provides empirically based insights for improving preparedness messages, promoting contextually sensitive protective actions, strengthening household coordination strategies, and enhancing immediate postearthquake communication planning.