Stressors, social support and military performance in a modern war scenario

The present study examined differences in stressors, coping strategies, and military performance in two groups deployed in the same war scenario, but with operative and psychologically different challenges.publishedVersio

LÆRINGSSTRATEGI OG EFFEKTFULLE HOLDNINGSKAMPANJER – hvordan bør intervensjoner gjennomføres for å lykkes?

Artikkelen tar utgangspunkt i en intervensjonsstudie blant ungdom i trafikksikkerhet, der man undersøkte effekten av en holdningskampanje satt opp mot effekten av en rent atferdsmodifiserende intervenering. Holdningskampanjen viste en svak via moderat til sterk effekt på opp til fem av de seks dimensjonene, mens atferdsmodifikasjonen viste ingen signifikant effekt med unntak av en av dimensjonene. Dette bryter med de fleste studier som sier at holdningskampanjer ikke har noen effekt. Dette forholdet blir forklart med at holdningskampanjer kan være mye forskjellig og at effekten sannsynligvis skyldes måten de er bygd opp på. Denne kampanjen ble basert på fem ulike faktorer som det utredes teoretisk for: »motstand mot læring«, »følelser«, »estetikk«, »tid« og »eierskap«. Argumentene går på at motstand mot læring eller endring er en logisk faktor psykologien tidligere tok høyde for, men som ikke har nedfelt seg særlig godt i læringspsykologien. Med utgangspunkt i de klassiske oppfatningene av følelser blir det argumentert for at følelser skaper et kaos som gjør at subjektet mobiliserer en strategi for å kunne møte et inntrykk. Estetikk gjør at inntrykket også kan få et uttrykk. Tidsfaktoren gjør at hele prosessen får festnet seg, og eierskapet blir et uttrykk for at den har festnet seg

Chapter 15 Competence for the Unforeseen

"This study examines self-assessment of preparedness for unforeseen events and how it varies between groups and individuals according to roles and functions within an organization. The study has two objectives. The first is to analyse the relationship between general self-efficacy, perceived competence in demanding situations and social support, and based on this, to assess the efficiency of interaction (samhandling) in organizations and preparedness for the unforeseen. The second aim is to examine how these factors vary according to professional experience. A survey questionnaire was completed during winter 2016/2017. All 624 respondents were male or female employees of the Norwegian Armed Forces, based in different units, with different levels of competence, and included commissioned and non-commissioned officers, officer cadets and conscripts. The response rate was 77 percent, and a total of 810 personnel were approached. This study incorporates central concepts of individual and social resources that could permit the prediction and understanding of resilient behaviors in complex and demanding situations. Interaction was found to be the most important predictor of preparedness for the unforeseen. This study also shows that interaction combined with general self-efficacy and social support can account for a considerable proportion of the variance in preparedness for the unforeseen. The results indicate that it is possible to prepare for unforeseen events by implementing measures that improve social factors in particular.

Competence for the Unforeseen: Social Support and Concurrent Learning as Basic Components of Interaction Under Risk

This study examines the importance of basic educational, organizational and operational structures of interaction under risk, and how these vary with competence level within an organization. The purpose of this study is to examine whether there are any basic components that can provide further insight into how competence for interaction under risk can be developed and implemented. The first aim was, therefore, to examine the relationship between components of the basic educational, organizational and operational structures and interaction. The second was to assess whether the perceived level of interaction varies due to competence level, controlling for gender, age, and professional experience. The third aim was to determine whether competence level group membership could be predicted by interaction, social support and the specified educational and organizational components. A questionnaire survey was carried out in the autumn of 2017. The respondents were male or female employees of the Norwegian Armed Forces (n = 917). A purposive expert sample of 20 different units with different levels of competence were selected and included commissioned and non-commissioned officers, officer cadets, and conscripts. A total of 1,050 personnel were employed by these units. All the employees were asked to participate. The response rate was 87%. The results showed that social support and concurrent learning were the most important predictors of interaction. Social support and concurrent learning combined with basic capabilities, organizational improvisation, training on decision-making, flexibility, general preparedness, and contingency plans accounted for a considerable proportion of the variance in interaction. Interaction, social support, and the specified educational, organizational, and operational structure components were also significantly associated with competence level and competence group membership. The results showed that it could be possible to prepare for unforeseen events by implementing in particular social and educational measures that improve interaction. This study should be especially relevant to those involved in handling and stabilizing unforeseen events and emergency preparedness management

The role of social cognition in perceived thresholds for transport mode change

Author's accepted version (postprint).This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Transport Policy on 18/09/2019.Available online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X18305560This article is based on a study that investigated social cognitive psychological factors associated with economic thresholds related to using public or other sustainable transport modes. A survey was conducted using a random sample of the Norwegian population living in the six largest urban regions (n = 1039). The respondents were asked to indicate the monthly increase in car taxes and fees that they would perceive necessary to make them use sustainable transport modes instead of their private car. The findings revealed that those who perceived themselves as definitive car users (strongly reluctant to change transport mode) reported low tolerance of push measures, low awareness of and ascription of responsibility for the consequences of car use, and weak environmental norms. Environmental norms, attitudes towards transport and push measure tolerance were the strongest predictors of the respondents belonging to either the lowest or the highest threshold groups. The authors conclude that measures aimed at increasing the costs of car use and improving the accessibility of public transport in urban areas could be supplemented by social cognitive factors.acceptedVersio

Chapter 3 Is It Possible to Prevent Unforeseen Events?

"An unforeseen event may be defined as something that happens suddenly and unexpectedly. Such events are seldom the result of an organisation’s operational planning, but they can be side-effects of such planning. An unforeseen event may have either positive or negative consequences. This chapter aims to discuss if it is possible to prevent unforeseen events. The major focus is on analysis and prevention of unforeseen events with negative consequences, such as accidents, catastrophes and acts of terror. Such events often take place in complex systems, and failures of appropriate organisational interaction and communication among participants with complementary competence in such systems may contribute to unforeseen events. Risk-analysis methods and tools based on energy-barrier models, causal sequence and process models, as well as information-processing models are presented and their applicability to the prevention of unforeseen events is discussed. This also includes the Bow-tie approach, as well as other approaches which take into consideration organisational factors and social interaction (samhandling). The conclusion is that unforeseen events can be prevented. However, in the aftermath of the implementation of safety and security measures, it is not possible to know which events they prevented, or to obtain knowledge about their efficiency. An additional strategy for prevention of unforeseen events with negative consequences is proposed.

Chapter 3 Is It Possible to Prevent Unforeseen Events?

"An unforeseen event may be defined as something that happens suddenly and unexpectedly. Such events are seldom the result of an organisation’s operational planning, but they can be side-effects of such planning. An unforeseen event may have either positive or negative consequences. This chapter aims to discuss if it is possible to prevent unforeseen events. The major focus is on analysis and prevention of unforeseen events with negative consequences, such as accidents, catastrophes and acts of terror. Such events often take place in complex systems, and failures of appropriate organisational interaction and communication among participants with complementary competence in such systems may contribute to unforeseen events. Risk-analysis methods and tools based on energy-barrier models, causal sequence and process models, as well as information-processing models are presented and their applicability to the prevention of unforeseen events is discussed. This also includes the Bow-tie approach, as well as other approaches which take into consideration organisational factors and social interaction (samhandling). The conclusion is that unforeseen events can be prevented. However, in the aftermath of the implementation of safety and security measures, it is not possible to know which events they prevented, or to obtain knowledge about their efficiency. An additional strategy for prevention of unforeseen events with negative consequences is proposed.

Acceptance of disincentives to driving and pro-environmental transport intentions: the role of value structure, environmental beliefs and norm activation

In order to facilitate pro-environmental transport mode use it is important to promote acceptance for disincentives to driving and intentions to use public transport. The present study aims to investigate values, environmental beliefs and norm activation as predictors of these psychological cognitions. In addition, we examine gender differences in the psychological constructs entered into the model. A questionnaire-based survey was carried out in a randomized representative sample of the Norwegian population (n = 1043). The results showed that the model was well-suited to explain acceptance of disincentives to driving and, to a lesser extent, intention to use public transport. Biospheric values were strongly related to an elevated ecological worldview, whereas egoistic values were associated with a weaker ecological worldview. The values had indirect relations to acceptance of disincentives to driving and intention to use public transport through the ecological worldview and Norm activation model (NAM) components, but altruistic values were found to be associated with ascription of responsibility. Females reported stronger biospheric and altruistic values, and weaker egoistic and hedonic values than males. Females also reported a stronger ecological worldview and more awareness of consequences and personal norms in the NAM. Policy planners may focus on values, environmental beliefs and norm activation in order to increase the acceptance of disincentives to driving. A broad approach, which accounts for additional factors such as transport availability, spatial factors and ‘pull’ measures, may be more suitable to promote intentions of public transportation mode use

Transport risk evaluations associated with past exposure to adverse security events in public transport

The current study aims to examine differences in risk evaluations according to whether individuals have been exposed to adverse security events in transport during the last five years. In addition, a path model is tested where risk evaluations predict intentions to use public transport and use of such transport in these groups. The results are based on a survey conducted in a randomly obtained representative sample of the Norwegian urban public (n = 1043). The results showed that individuals who had been exposed to adverse security events in public transport reported substantially higher risk perception of experiencing security issues in such transport than those who were not exposed. Exposed individuals also reported higher probability judgements and more worry of experiencing injury in public transport. The path model showed that high probability judgements of experiencing injury in public transport were related to a lower intention of using such transport, whereas corresponding worry in the private motorized sector predicted a stronger intention to use public transport. Demand for risk mitigation in the public transport sector was found to be more relevant for intentions to use public transport than similar demands in the private motorized sector. The path model and coefficients were not found to differ significantly according to exposure to security events in public transport. The findings are discussed in relation to the role of negative risk experiences for risk evaluations in transport

Judgement of Transport Security, Risk Sensitivity and Travel Mode Use in Urban Areas

The current study aims to examine judgement of security in public transport and, more specifically, the role of the priority of security and risk sensitivity in the use of public travel modes versus car among an urban public. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey conducted among residents above 18 years of age in the six most urbanised areas in Norway (n = 1043). The respondents were randomly obtained from the Norwegian population registry. The results showed that priority of security as well as risk sensitivity was significant predictors of travel mode use among an urban public when demographic factors were controlled for. In studies carried out previously, risk sensitivity was conceived to be a predictor of risk perception. The large proportion of explained variance in perceived risk reported in previous studies could be partly due to the use of risk sensitivity as a predictor variable, which is coincident with the criterion variable. It is suggested that the risk perception concept could be replaced with perceived risk evaluations, which cover the intuitive cognitive judgements of probability of an event with negative consequences as well as the severity of consequences if such an event takes place. It is proposed that risk sensitivity could be the main concept, covering the perceived risk evaluations, including intuitive judgments of probability as well as severity of consequences across a set of risk sources