The Complete Message Is the Best Message: The Case for Standardizing Wireless Emergency Alerts

Abstract

Standardized messaging for alerts and warnings has been made possible through the use of the Warning Lexicon and workflow. The effectiveness of this approach to motivate protective action behaviors, in comparison with the current standard of practice, has not yet been tested. Using an experimental design to test the effectiveness of the Warning Lexicon, we tested three message types for five hazards: blackouts, law enforcement incidents, infectious diseases, heavy snow, and chemical releases, and found that messages created using the Warning Lexicon contents and workflow produced better messaging outcomes than the current standard of practice. Specifically, participants who received the standardized Warning Lexicon message had higher levels of understanding, belief, and self-efficacy than those who received an incomplete or complete standard of practice message. The implications of this research are clear: alerting authorities should write complete messages following a standardized format to maximize positive outcomes for message receivers. To test and demonstrate the effectiveness of (1) incomplete wireless emergency alerts (2) complete wireless emergency alerts, and (3) complete wireless emergency alerts using standardized language and presentation as found in the message design dashboard (MDD). This testing occurs across five hazard types to demonstrate that the MDD standardized language and template/presentation is effective regardless of hazard type.