Warning applications for smartphones (short: warning apps) are a tool to inform citizens on imminent dangers. It can save lives and prevent damage when people receive relevant warnings about possible natural hazards (e.g., flooding, heat wave, storm), but also chemical accidents, terrorist attacks or other events that may cause harm.
In Germany most people do not use official warning apps even though they are free of charge. This study aims at analysing factors that explain if people do or do not download and use an official warning app. In order to explore people's behavioural motivations and acceptance, we refer to two theoretical frameworks: the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP, Griffin, Dunwoody, & Neuwirth, 1999) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT, Venkatesh, Thong, & Xu, 2012).
The survey is planned to be carried out in Autumn 2025 with a German online-representative sample of N=1000. The questionnaire was based on different theoretical assumptions, especially the RISP and the UTAUT. With this combined RISP/UTAUT approach we aim at understanding different paths on warning app understanding and use. By applying regression analyses and structural equation modelling we explore how risk perceptions concerning different hazards, information preferences, awareness of warning apps, and technology-related assumptions and motivations influence people's warning app use.
We expect that this study's findings may give implications for improvements in the German warning communication. Official warning policies can differ broadly between countries, but we discuss which findings may be transferable to other national contexts.