What is normalcy bias?

People killed hanging around active volcanoes fall prey to this bias. 22 tourists and guides died on White Island after seismic experts increased the alert level. The tourists weren't aware of the warning to their unfortunate credit. Some photos of the Mt. St. Helen eruption are courtesy of a deceased photographer who lay on top of his camera to protect the film.

Ian Swindale, not the same thing as acting in a biased way to a normal situation.

Lynne Zeman, no it is correct!

Linda Shaw, then it is wrong!

Bridy4u , The climate has changed many times.

Jeanne Ratliff Dobbs, Thanks for the reminder.

Bizarre Q and the A is an assumption.

Ken Putnam, that is effectively included in the third line.

Ian Swindale, you must have a more up to date version. Neither my old Oxford Illustrated, nor newer Oxford Pocket even list the term. Still we learn!

Andy Andrews, Andy, There is a book in the UK you may have heard of. It’s called the Oxford Dictionary. You might want to take a look. When I was nearly 11 in 1945, all the headlines were shouting something about a “Return to Normalcy”. It seems they did the same thing in November of 1918. Yeah, the term has been in common usage for a while now.

Awful wording

We see this Australia with disasters such as floods, cyclones and bushfires ...

I am probably reading my Oxford Dictionary incorrectly but what it says is the first answer given - Biased individuals reacting normally to a situation

George Oliver Prince, sorry to hear about your brother

Ambiguous as usual