In recent years, behavioral sciences are becoming progressively part of the culture of civil protection. Indeed, in this field, their potential application covers several areas of interest. An overview of experiences is presented here, both already concluded and still ongoing, that have been focused on an in-depth analysis of the contributions provided by this branch of knowledge: (i) to the understanding of civil protection risks, including decision-making on the acceptable level of risk; (ii) to the concrete achievement of outcomes for a more effective risk communication, for instance making more clear the probabilistic nature that characterizes hazard and risk assessment; and (iii) to make communities more resilient to disasters that may happen, paying special attention to the most vulnerable social groups.
Keywords: Scienze comportamentali, rischi, protezione civile, processo decisionale