Adjustment Reactions: The Teachable Moment in Crisis Communication

Peter M. Sandman ^ | Jan 17, 2005 | Peter M. Sandman

[DannyTN]

When someone first learns about a new and potentially serious risk, the natural, healthy, and useful reaction is, in a sense, an over-reaction:

• You pause. While you wait to see what’s going to happen, you may stop doing things that suddenly feel dangerous. After 9/11, some people quit flying for a while or stayed away from skyscrapers. During the anthrax attacks, some people hesitated to open their mail. When a U.S. cow was discovered with mad cow disease, some people briefly avoided hamburgers.
• You become hyper-vigilant. You watch TV news more than you used to, or check Google News every few hours. You may scrutinize suspicious-looking people in nearby cars, restaurant booths, and airplane seats. You wonder what that white powder might be, and consider whether you should notify the authorities.
• You personalize the risk. You imagine what it would be like if it were you – if a risk that is already hurting others and may be coming your way were actually here now. You may even imagine that it is actually here now.
• You take extra precautions – precautions that are probably unnecessary, or at least premature. You go out for Mexican food instead of Chinese food if you’re worried about SARS, or Chinese food instead of Mexican food if you’re worried about hepatitis.

These responses are signs of what psychiatrists call an adjustment reaction. They are part of the process of adjusting to the new risk. Here are the key characteristics of the adjustment reaction to crisis.

1. It is automatic.
   ...

[DannyTN]

Peak Prosperity went through this article and talked about the normal reactions to a crisis. We've seen a lot of these on FR.

Here's a link to the Peak Prosperity video. The link above links to the article.

br>Coronavirus: How To Inform Your Friends & Family Without Creating Pushback

Before that he blasted the Senate for taking a recess before taking up a bill on the Coronavirus. That 10 day delay is precious time we can't afford to lose.

[DannyTN]

In retrospect this is more good stuff in the video, and I probably should have made the video the main post and a link to the written article in the comments.

[upchuck]

15 year old writing and still relevant. That’s impressive.

[Slainte]

The "pushback" is rooted in the normalcy bias.