We are at risk, and so what? Place attachment, environmental risk perceptions and preventive coping behaviours

Place attachment regulates people-environment transactions across various relevant environmental–psychological processes. However, there is no consensus about its role in the relationship between environmental risk perception and coping behaviours. Since place attachment is strongly related to place-specific dimensions of one's own identity and may be linked to spatial-biases, it is hypothesized that place attachment negatively moderates the relation between environmental risk perception and prevention behaviours enacted to cope with environmental risks. Two studies were conducted in two Italian cities exposed to low and high flood risk. Results show that, even though higher levels of risk perception may exert a positive effect in improving people's willingness to cope with an environmental risk, this effect is weaker when it is associated with strong place attachment. Findings suggest that affect-based cues, such as place attachment, diminish environmental risk coping intentions and actions when associated with high risk perception. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. •Environmental risk perception is strongly related to preventive coping behaviours.•Place attachment mitigates the risk perception-coping behaviours relationship.•Place attachment reduces coping behaviours when the perceived risk is high.•We suggest that place attachment shields place identity from place-related threats.•A place-specific approach is needed to understand people-environment transactions.