Meet the PCAPS SG: Reflections from PCAPS SG member Vicki Heinrich
This month’s “Meet the SG” blog post features PCAPS SG member, Vicki Heinrich, who is a psychological scientist working as a Policy Advisor in the Social Science and Service Policy team at the Bureau of Meteorology in Hobart, Australia. With a background in weather observing and a deep curiosity about human behaviour, Vicki aims to make weather information including forecasts and warnings, more meaningful—and more actionable—for everyone.
Head shot of Vicki Heinrich. Photo courtesy of Vicki Heinrich.
I'm interested in how individuals make decisions in response to weather conditions—particularly how, when, and why they use weather information and the non-technical skills they needed to assess weather risks, make decisions and stay safe.
My current work centres on how Australians interpret and respond to weather forecasts and warnings, aiming to enhance public safety and resilience. It’s not just about the forecast—it’s about how we understand and respond to it, and the social, cultural and human factors that may influence people's behaviour and decisions. By understanding the cognitive and social processes behind decision-making—like risk perception, information sharing, and situation awareness—we can help shape communication strategies, products and services that empower people to act before dangerous weather occurs.
Working in the Antarctic and remote areas sparked my interest in how people make decisions in these high risk and time pressured environments, and how they cope with frequent severe and extreme weather.
An emperor penguin coming over to investigate Vicki near Auster Rookery, Antarctica. Photo credit: Peter Hargreaves
My PhD explores how people in remote and extreme environments, like Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic, use weather information, perceive risk and make decisions that affect safety, efficiency and successful outcomes. Weather isn’t just a backdrop in polar regions—it’s a life-or-death factor. Every decision, from travel to scientific operations, hinges on understanding and responding to the environment. But how do people actually use weather information to stay safe?
I investigated how people like experienced expeditioners, Antarctic meteorologists, polar guides, pilots, mariners and field scientists—assess risk, interpret forecasts, manage their activities, and avoid hazards. Participant's weather information sources were diverse, and the most useful information included wind speed and direction, advice from trained weather professionals and short -term forecasts (Figure 1).
Survey participant ratings of the usefulness of weather information items during deployment to the Antarctic and/or sub-Antarctic. Percent of participant responses to the question: “On a scale from 1 (not at all useful) to 10 (most useful), please assess how useful you find each of the following items when you are in the Antarctic and/ or sub-Antarctic.” From: https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-19-0255.1
Decision-making was iterative. That is, people updated their plans or decisions as new information became available and the weather or the operating situation changed. My thesis identified key factors that support adaptive decision-making and safety in polar operations including contextual factors; experience, skills and local knowledge; weather information; situation awareness; risk perception and assessment; contingency planning and adaption (Figure 2). Together these non-technical skills and information sources help people be more risk aware, prepared and make safer decisions.
Thematic map of influencing contextual factors, information needs, situation awareness and decision-making for weather-dependent activities in Antarctic regions. Non-technical skills and weather information support situation monitoring and assessment, enabling individuals to generate actionable knowledge for planning, pre- and in-activity decision-making, safety and hazard avoidance. From: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-23-0125.1
In a world facing more frequent and intense weather events, understanding weather information use, non-technical skills and human behaviour - the science behind you noticing a thunderstorm building or decisions to pack a raincoat, postpone a hike, or not drive through flood water - is more relevant than ever. Training and education in non-technical skills and information use can help people be more weather-aware and make informed decisions. Weather-aware and prepared communities are more resilient because they know their risks and are better able to adapt to and cope with severe weather and extreme events.
Together with Jelmer Jeuring from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, I am co-chairing the PCAPS Services & Actionability task team. The Services & Actionability Task Team aims to enable interdisciplinary research and user–provider–researcher collaboration that advances the capacity, development and delivery of tailored planning and decision support for diverse stakeholder groups.
We have a focus on risk and warning systems, service literacy, behavioural factors, and co-design in environmental services for the Polar Regions. If you are working on projects relating to these areas, we would love to hear from you via the PCAPS Contact page!