This research, contrasted households in California (high seismic risk) with households in Washington (moderate seismic risk) and identified factors that influenced their adoption of 16 earthquake hazard adjustments measured at two points in time (1997 and 1999). It explains the effects of self and family, friends, news media, employers, local, state, and federal governments by addressing three key attributes - knowledge, trustworthiness, and responsibility for protection-ascribed to them in influencing households to take protective actions against earthquakes. It is specifically concerned...