How Can Psychological Contagion Effect Be Attenuated? The Role of Boundary Effect on Menu Design

Psychological effects can be greatly influential for the foodservice industry, especially in menu design. Presenting dish pictures is a common practice on menus, but because of the psychological contagion effect, this practice could decrease consumers’ evaluations of dishes, sometimes without the awareness of consumers, let alone restaurant managers. This research aims to explore the potential threats of a psychological contagion by considering how dishes that make consumers feel uncomfortable can affect their evaluations of dishes located nearby. It further examines how a psychological contagion can be attenuated when a visual boundary is placed between a discomfiting dish and a target dish. The results demonstrate the occurrence of psychological contagion in menu design. The interaction between psychological contagions and visual boundaries suggest that the psychological contagion can be attenuated through visual boundaries

Current social impact assessment practices for transport projects and plans in Chinese cities

The importance of sustainable transport development is being increasingly realised in China. However, the understanding of social sustainability in the transport sector remains inadequate. Transport social impact assessment (SIA) at the local level, especially for small- to medium-sized cities, lacks systematic guidance. As a starting point for improving social sustainability in the transport sector, this research explores transport SIA practices in different-sized Chinese cities. Following a critical review of transport planning and appraisal documents collected from 83 sample cities in mainland China, 5 categories were identified based on the characteristics of their transport SIA practices. It was found that except for a few megacities, transport SIA in Chinese cities is generally weak, compared to developed countries. SIA has received little attention and had limited influence on decision-making in transport planning in China. Current guidance on transport SIA in China is relatively general and ambiguous compared to many developed countries, an established transport SIA framework and indicator set for local governments to refer to are lacking. The disparities in transport SIA among different-sized Chinese cities and different project types are significant. Interviews with Chinese transport practitioners were conducted to further explore the gaps in transport SIA practices and the potential for improvement. Based on the interview analysis, key aspects for improving transport SIA practices in China have been provided