Repression-Sensitization and Flood Hazard Appraisal in Carman, Manitoba

Abstract
Floods causing extensive property damage and personal hardship have occurred in Carman, Manitoba, a Canadian settlement of about 2400 located on the Boyne River, 50 miles southwest of Winnipeg, in 1970, 1974, and 1979. 116 floodplain residents were interviewed concerning their perceptions of, feelings about, and responses to the possibility of future flooding as well as completing the Revised Repression-Sensitization Scale. Repressers evidenced a higher incidence of measures taken to mitigate against the effects of future floods. Verbalized negative emotions in response to flood hazard occurred less frequently in extreme repressers and sensitizers than in respondents classified as neutral.