<p>Despite advancements in Early Warning Systems (EWS), public response often remains inadequate, a gap that has spurred increasing attention to warning dissemination and communication (WDC). However, persistent confusion among behavioral concepts and inconsistencies across measurement instruments have limited the direct applicability of existing evidence to improving WDC effectiveness. This article systematically reviews behavioral concepts in the context of natural hazards to resolve the conceptual ambiguity surrounding WDC and to establish a precise, operational framework for guiding the evaluation of WDC effectiveness. The findings indicate that: (1) in natural-hazard research, “behavior” is commonly conceptualized as a multi-scale construct centered on risk perception; (2) assessments of WDC effectiveness should cover three essential dimensions—information processing, cognitive evaluation, and intention–action conversion; and (3) a longitudinal experiment across multiple hazard warning scenarios (<i>n</i>= 1,580) supports the feasibility of developing a reliable WDC effectiveness measurement instrument based on the warning response behavior model. Building on these insights, this study proposes an implementable theoretical framework for scientifically evaluating WDC effectiveness, thereby supporting EWS implementation and the improvement of WDC for diverse environments and population groups.</p>