Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Earthquake Early Warning Message in China: An Affordance Perspective Using Immersive Virtual Reality

Abstract

The early earthquake warning (EEW) system is essential for mitigating the effects of seismic incidents. However, in China, the design of EEW messages has not received much attention. This study employs affordance theory to examine the effectiveness of the EEW message generated by the Institute of Care-Life (ICL) in China, specifically by investigating four aspects of affordances: functional, cognitive, sensory, and emotional affordance. With 68 participants, we conducted an immersive virtual reality experiment. The results revealed that the ICL EEW message has a strong emotional affordance but inadequate functional, cognitive, and sensory affordance. These data provide recommendations for enhancing EEW messages, which could result in better interaction during earthquakes in China. This study investigated the viability of immersive virtual reality as a research tool for EEW. It increases understanding of the elements that determine the effectiveness of EEW communications, leading to better preparedness and response measures, reducing the impact of earthquakes and saving lives and property.