Influence of risk information and perception on residents’ flood behavioural responses in Inland Northern China

In recent years, the frequency and severity of extreme flood hazards have increased as a consequence of global warming, exposing non-disaster-prone regions to unprecedented risk. While traditional risk communication research has focused on risk information and individual factors such as residents’ emotion and cognition in relation to flood problem-focused coping, comprehensive consideration of these interrelated factors and their link to emotion-focused coping has been lacking. Thus, this study examined these relationships among 619 residents of Mentougou District, Beijing—a northern inland city of China. Hierarchical ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression and multiple parallel mediation analyses were employed to determine the influence of risk information and perception on residents’ behavioural responses. The results indicated the following: (1) Residents display a high willingness for both problem- and emotion-focused coping, with no discernible preference for either. (2) Education level significantly affects both coping styles, while age influences only problem-focused coping; substantial losses from previous flood experiences diminish residents’ emotional coping capacity. (3) The quality and credibility of risk information positively affect both behavioural responses. (4) Affective risk perception supports only emotion-focused coping, whereas cognitive risk perception positively impacts both coping types. Additionally, affective and cognitive risk perceptions jointly mediate the link between risk information credibility and emotion-focused coping. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by elucidating the underlying processes and mechanisms that shape flood behavioural responses, offering valuable insights for improving flood risk management in non-disaster-prone areas.