15 general introduction change risks in Chapters 2 & 4 and the COVID-19 pandemic in Chapter 3), as well as across different contexts and regions in which the types and severity of the specific threat posed by such large scale adversities varies. Do People Perceive they can be Transilient also at the Collective Level? Contemporary adversities, such as climate change, have significant and far-reaching impacts on communities, not just individuals. For instance, extreme weather events like floods and hurricanes can destroy entire neighbourhoods, displace residents, and disrupt local economies (IPCC, 2022). Adapting to present-day adversities may thus also require collective adaptation at the community level, in addition to individual adaptation efforts. For example, people may need to help others, share knowledge or join forces in order to address the threat posed by contemporary adversities, as individuals alone are likely unable to fully address such large-scale challenges (Chen, 2015; Van Zomeren & Iyer, 2009, 2010). Hence, the question is to what extent people perceive transilience, not only at the individual level, but also at the community level. In this dissertation, we therefore aim to develop and validate a collective transilience scale to capture whether people perceive they, as a community, can persist, adapt flexibly, and positively transform in the face of an adversity (and whether such higher collective transilience promotes adaptation actions). We will examine the relevance of collective transilience specifically in the context of climate change (Chapter 4). 1.3. TRANSILIENCE, ADAPTATION ACTIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH In this dissertation we next aim to study to what extent transilience is associated with different types of adaptation actions, and with better mental health. We therefore aim to examine the relationship between transilience and a broad spectrum of adaptation intentions and behaviours, as well as different indicators of mental health. To what extent does Transilience Predict Adaptation Actions? Transilience and Individual Adaptation Individual adaptation actions comprise a variety of actions that aim to protect the individual and their household from the risks posed by contemporary adversities, as well as showing support for policies aiming to foster adaptation (Van Valkengoed & Steg, 2019b; e.g. García de Jalón et al., 2013). Such adaptation actions can be incremental, which means they typically aim to preserve the status quo. For example, people can buy insurance or install wind shutters to adapt to climate change risks (Valkengoed & Steg, 2019a, 2019b). Similarly, people can keep 1.5m distance and wash their hands regularly to limit the spread of a virus during a pandemic (Perra, 2021). Individual adaptation actions can also be transformative, which means they 1
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw