Psycho-cultural determinants of wildfires prevention

Wildfires adversely affect the ecosystem and cultural heritage. In order to address this phenomenon, it is essential to move from the paradigm of suppression to that of prevention.The current study is grounded on the Semiotic Cultural Psychology Theory (SCPT), which assumes that individual cognition is mediated by semiotic resources (e.g. beliefs, symbolism, images, values, behavioral scripts, rituals, worldviews) provided by the social group’s cultural milieu. The SCPT claims that these semiotic resources are grounded on basic generalized affective meanings (symbolic universes). The study aims to contribute to wildfire prevention, focusing behaviours and attitudes of a sample of inhabitants. Participants completed a set of questionnaires addressing their way of feeling, thinking, and acting in relation to wildfire prevention practices. Gathered data were analysed through multidimensional analysis techniques to determine the influence of symbolic universes’ cultural models on wildfire prevention behaviour. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cultural models play a relevant role in shaping attitudes towards wildfires phenomena. Despite the specificity of results the study contributes to explain wildfires phenomena offering cues to onset preventive intervention.