Managing driver fatigue: education or motivation?

Fatigue has been recognised as the primary contributing factor in approximately 15% of all fatal road crashes in Australia. To develop effective countermeasures for managing fatigue, this study investigates why drivers continue to drive when sleepy, and driver perceptions and behaviours in regards to countermeasures. Based on responses from 305 Australian drivers, it was identified that the major reasons why these participants continued to drive when sleepy were: wanting to get to their destination; being close to home; and time factors. Participants’ perceptions and use of 18 fatigue countermeasures were investigated. It was found that participants perceived the safest strategies, including stopping and sleeping, swapping drivers and stopping for a quick nap, to be the most effective countermeasures. However, it appeared that their knowledge of safe countermeasures did not translate into their use of these strategies. For example, although the drivers perceived stopping for a quick nap to be an effective countermeasure, they reported more frequent use of less safe methods such as stopping to eat or drink and winding down the window. This finding suggests that, while practitioners should continue educating drivers, they may need a greater focus on motivating drivers to implement safe fatigue countermeasures

Indonesian Perspective of Wellbeing: A Qualitative Study

Cross-cultural research suggests that wellbeing may be experienced differently by distinct populations. While research on wellbeing in non-Western populations has increased, there is limited empirical evidence regarding wellbeing in Indonesia. As the fourth largest country in the world, and with its unique socio-cultural characteristics, the potentially distinctive Indonesian experience of wellbeing has been overlooked by international scholars. The present research investigated the Indonesian perception of wellbeing using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. Thirty Indonesian adults participated in semi structured interviews which focused on their understanding and experience of wellbeing. The analysis revealed a number of keythemes: fulfilment of basic needs; social relations with family and community; and the positive world views of self-acceptance, gratitude, and spirituality as key aspects of wellbeing. Although these overarching themes are commonly reported in wellbeing research, the expression of these themes was unique to the Indonesian context. This study enriches the wellbeing literature and understanding of the experience of wellbeing in the Indonesian context and paves the ways for further research

Knight-Walras equilibria

Beißner P, Riedel F. Knight-Walras equilibria. Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers. Vol 558. Bielefeld: Center for Mathematical Economics; 2016.Knightian uncertainty leads naturally to nonlinear expectations. We introduce a corresponding equilibrium concept with sublinear prices and establish their existence. In general, such equilibria lead to Pareto inefficiency and coincide with Arrow-Debreu equilibria only if the values of net trades are ambiguity-free in the mean. Without aggregate uncertainty, inefficiencies arise generically. We introduce a constrained efficiency concept, uncertainty-neutral efficiency and show that Knight-Walras equilibrium allocations are efficient in this constrained sense. Arrow-Debreu equilibria turn out to be non-robust with respect to the introduction of Knightian uncertainty

Circularity as the new normal:Future fitting Swiss business strategies

The paper integrates high-level analyses of several sectors from a circular perspective in order to analyse the benefits of circularity in five different sectors, their most suited resource strategies and obstacles that need to be overcome in order to become more – or ideally – fully circular

Crash risk perception of sleepy driving and its comparisons with drink driving and speeding: Which behavior is perceived as the riskiest?

Objective: Driver sleepiness is a major crash risk factor but may be underrecognized as a risky driving behavior. Sleepy driving is usually rated as less of a road safety issue than more well-known risky driving behaviors, such as drink driving and speeding. The objective of this study was to compare perception of crash risk of sleepy driving, drink driving, and speeding. Methods: Three hundred Australian drivers completed a questionnaire that assessed crash risk perceptions for sleepy driving, drink driving, and speeding. Additionally, the participants' perceptions of crash risk were assessed for 5 different contextual scenarios that included different levels of sleepiness (low, high), driving duration (short, long), and time of day/circadian influences (afternoon, nighttime) of driving. Results: The analysis confirmed that sleepy driving was considered a risky driving behavior but not as risky as high levels of speeding (P <.05). Yet, the risk of crashing at 4 a.m. was considered as equally risky as low levels of speeding (10 km over the limit). The comparisons of the contextual scenarios revealed driving scenarios that would arguably be perceived as quite risky because time of day/circadian influences were not reported as high risk. Conclusions: The results suggest a lack of awareness or appreciation of circadian rhythm functioning, particularly the descending phase of circadian rhythm that promotes increased sleepiness in the afternoon and during the early hours of the morning. Yet, the results suggested an appreciation of the danger associated with long-distance driving and driver sleepiness. Further efforts are required to improve the community's awareness of the impairing effects from sleepiness and, in particular, knowledge regarding the human circadian rhythm and the increased sleep propensity during the circadian nadir

Community connections:psychological sense of community and identification in geographical and relational settings.

This thesis examines the construct of Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC). Within the discipline of community psychology, there is debate as to the dimensions underlying the construct PSOC. One of the few theoretically proposed structures is that put forward by McMillan and Chavis (1986), who hypothesized four dimensions: Belonging; Fulfilment of Needs; Influence; and Shared Connections underlying PSOC. Further, there is some deliberation in the literature as to the existence of PSOC in relational, as well as geographical, communities. Discussion has also emerged regarding the role of social identification within PSOC. It has been suggested that differences in PSOC may be understood in terms of the degree to which members identify with their community (Fisher & Sonn, 1999). However, few studies have explored the place of identification in PSOC. In addition, while PSOC has been applied to both relational and geographical communities, little research has looked in depth at PSOC within relational communities. Thus, the principle aims of the current program of research were to elucidate the underlying dimensions of PSOC and their consistency across geographical and relational communities. Further, the research also aimed to explore the role of identification in PSOC. The first stage of this research endeavoured to clarify the underlying dimensions of PSOC by utilising a questionnaire which included multiple measures of PSOC and social identification, administered to both relational and geographical community members. The first paper of the current research explored PSOC in a relational community, science fiction fandom (N = 359) and the third paper in a sample of residents of rural, regional and urban geographical communities (N = 669). In both the relational and geographical communities, support emerged for McMillan and Chavis' (1986) four dimensions of PSOC. In regards to identification, the Sense of Community iv affective and ingroups ties aspects of social identification were subsumed within the PSOC dimensions; however, the Conscious Identification aspect emerged as separate to the existing PSOC dimensions. The study presented in paper three also examined the role of demographic factors in predicting PSOC in geographical communities. The demographic factors significantly associated with PSOC were: type of region, with rural participants displaying higher PSOC than their urban counterparts; participation in local organizations; having children; and a vision of one's neighbourhood as broader than just a street or block. To date, little research has compared a single group's PSOC with a relational community to their PSOC with their geographical communities. The second paper presented in this manuscript explored PSOC with participants' relational and geographical communities in the sample of members of science fiction fandom (N = 359). All the PSOC dimensions and Conscious Identification emerged as significant predictors of overall sense of community in both community types. Participants reported higher levels of global PSOC with fandom than with their geographical communities, a pattern that also emerged across the four dimensions and Conscious Identification. It was proposed that the degree of choice of community membership may be one reason for this finding. However, stronger conclusions could not be drawn from this study as situational salience may have influenced the results as data was collected in the relational community context. The second phase of the current research aimed to validate the multidimensional nature and related measures of both social identification and PSOC. The fourth paper presented in this thesis examined the construct validity of the three-factor model of social identification as measured by the Three Dimensional Strength of Identification Scale proposed by Cameron (1999, 2004). The 12 item version of the scale was used to collect data from an undergraduate sample (N = 219) to assess their social identification across three distinct group memberships (sex, student and interest group). This data was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis to examine the fit of the three-factor model of social identity in comparison to fit indices for one and two-factor models. The results indicate that the three-factor model was the most parsimonious and best fit to the data across all groups. In addition, the fact that different patterns of means and correlations emerged across groups on the three dimensions provided further evidence for a multidimensional model of social identification and, moreover, the greater depth of exploration it allows. The fifth paper examines The Sense of Community Index (SCI), one of the most commonly used measures of PSOC. There is much discussion in the literature as to the validity of the scale as a measure not only of overall PSOC, but of the dimensions (Membership, Influence, Needs fulfillment and Emotional Connection) theorized by McMillan and Chavis (1986) to underlie the construct. This paper examines the factor structure of the Sense of Community Index in a study (N = 219)that examined neighborhood, student and interest group communities. The results showed that the Sense of Community Index, in terms of its original factor structure, did not adequately fit the data. The scale was revised, utilizing confirmatory factor analysis indicators, to produce a new four-factor structure based on the original items. This revised model was tested and found to display adequate fit indices to the data in all three community types. The results of the study provide empirical support for retaining measures that encapsulate the four dimensions of PSOC.The sixth paper further explores the interplay between PSOC and the dimensions of social identification. In particular, the study (N = 219) examines the relative strength of the separate aspects of social identification (based on Cameron's 2004, Three Factor Model of Social Identification) as predictors of overall PSOC, accounting for situational salience. Results indicate that Ingroup Ties is consistently the strongest predictor of PSOC and that the strength of Ingroup Affect and Centrality alter according to the group or community context. The seventh and final paper from the current research program emerged from the results of paper two indicating that choice may influence individuals' social identification and PSOC with their respective communities. The study presented in this paper examined participants' (N = 219) level of social identification and PSOC across multiple group memberships that differ in the degree of choice associated with membership (low choice: neighborhood community; medium choice: student community; and high choice: self chosen interest group). Results indicated that, controlling for contextual salience, choice was positively associated with levels of social identification and PSOC. Overall, the current program of research provides some important findings which add significantly to the theoretical understanding of PSOC in today's society. The research provides clarification of both the dimensions underlying PSOC, their application to both geographical and relational communities and the measurement of overall PSOC and these dimensions. Further, it provides empirical evidence of the importance of the Centrality aspect of identification in PSOC in both geographical and relational settings. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings of the overall program of research are discussed

The Australian Grey Nomads - Are they who we think they are? Enhancing formative research through the quantitative assessment of psychological constructs

Issue addressed: Measures of 'social identity' and 'psychological sense of community' were included within a broader formative research inquiry to gain insight into the identity characteristics and level of connectedness among older recreational road travellers (commonly known as Grey Nomads). The research sought to gain insights on how best to reach or speak to this growing driver cohort. ----- ----- Method: Participants included 631 older recreational road travellers ranging in age from 50 years to over 80 years. Data were obtained through three scales which were incorporated into a larger formative research survey; an identity hierarchy, the Three Factor Model of Social Identity and the Sense of Community Index. ----- ----- Results: Older recreational road travellers see themselves principally as couples, with social group identity being secondary. Although many identified to some degree with the Grey Nomad identity, when asked to self categorise as either members of the Broad Network of Recreational Vehicle Travellers or as Grey Nomads, the majority categorised themselves as the former. Those identifying as Grey Nomads, however, reported significantly higher levels of 'social identification' and 'sense of community'. ----- ----- Conclusion: The Grey Nomad identity may not be the best identity at which to target road safety messages for this cohort. Targeting travelling 'couples' may be more efficacious. Using the 'Grey Nomad' identity is likely to reap at least some success, however, given that many identified to some degree with this group identity. Those identifying as Grey Nomads may be more open to community participation or behaviour change given their significantly higher levels of 'social identity' and 'sense of community'

Does the Police Academy Change your Life? A Longitudinal Study of Changes in Socialising Behaviour of Police Recruits

The current study tracks the social behaviour of new police recruits from pre Academy, after six months Academy training, through to one year into police training (N = 177). The results showed that recruits socialise and drink more with colleagues after entering the Academy than they did pre Academy. The way recruits drank also changed during training with a tendency towards heavier drinking sessions. Further results indicated that recruits did feel some pressure to drink to fit in and be one of the crowd. These findings, based on a longitudinal methodology suggest that the enculturation process encouraging recruits to social and drink with peers begins early in the training process. The findings are discussed in terms of intervention

Social awareness concepts to support social computing

Our social life is characterised by norms that manifest as attitudinal and behavioural uniformities among people. With greater awareness about our social context, we can interact more efficiently. Any theory or account of human interaction that fails to include social concepts could be suggested to lack a critical element. This paper identifies social concepts that need to be supported by future context-aware systems. It discusses the limitations of existing context-aware and Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) to support social psychology theories related to the identification and membership of social groups. We argue thatsocial norms are among the core modeling concepts that future context-aware systems need to capture with the view to support and enhance social interactions. The social concepts identified in this paper could be used to simulate agent interactions imbued with social norms or use ICT to facilitate, assist or enhance social interactions. They also could be used in virtual communities modeling where the awareness of a community as well as the process of joining and exiting a community are important