Howard Kunreuther and Robert Meyer
The Ostrich Paradox
Why We Underprepare for Disasters
Wharton Digital Press, 2017
Was ist drin?
Why do people hide their heads in the sand?
Recommendation
In parts of the United States, inhabitants know certain months of the year are “hurricane season.” Some areas flood repeatedly. Yet, people move to these places and don’t take proper precautions. They literally build their houses on sand. Why do people act like ostriches, hiding their heads from clearly present danger? Professors Robert Meyer and Howard Kunreuther analyze this problem and propose steps to resolve it. They put disaster preparation in the context of how people think and where they tend to stumble due to common cognitive biases.
Summary
About the Authors
Robert Meyer is the Frederick H. Ecker/MetLife Insurance professor of marketing, and Howard Kunreuther is the James G. Dinan professor emeritus of decision sciences and public policy, at the Wharton School.
Comment on this summary