title: Speedometer monitoring when driving with a speed warning system

authors: Lehtonen, Esko

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Aim
The study investigated how a speed warning system influence drivers’ speedometer monitoring, and how drivers respond when they receive a speed warning. With a speed warning system, drivers may pay more attention to the exact speed, which would be expected to increase glances to the speedometer.

Methods
Nineteen participants drove in a driving simulator, either with or without a speed warning system implemented on a smartphone, which alerted them if they exceeded the set speed limit. Their glances to the speedometer and speed warning system’s display were recorded with an eye tracker.

Results
Drivers sped less with the warning system. The system did not significantly change the speedometer monitoring. Speeding was preceded by fewer speedometer glances, indicating the speeding was linked to participants’ momentary inattention to their speed control. After a warning, the frequency of speedometer glances increased. Interestingly, drivers often started to glance at the speedometer and release the accelerator a couple of seconds before a warning, suggesting that drivers learn to anticipate warnings. The results suggest that drivers do not only react to warnings, but they also actively try to avoid them. Understanding drivers’ speed control with speed warning system may help to create adaptive ISA systems.

text: Speedometer monitoring when driving with a speed warning system Aim
The study investigated how a speed warning system influence drivers’ speedometer monitoring, and how drivers respond when they receive a speed warning. With a speed warning system, drivers may pay more attention to the exact speed, which would be expected to increase glances to the speedometer.

Methods
Nineteen participants drove in a driving simulator, either with or without a speed warning system implemented on a smartphone, which alerted them if they exceeded the set speed limit. Their glances to the speedometer and speed warning system’s display were recorded with an eye tracker.

Results
Drivers sped less with the warning system. The system did not significantly change the speedometer monitoring. Speeding was preceded by fewer speedometer glances, indicating the speeding was linked to participants’ momentary inattention to their speed control. After a warning, the frequency of speedometer glances increased. Interestingly, drivers often started to glance at the speedometer and release the accelerator a couple of seconds before a warning, suggesting that drivers learn to anticipate warnings. The results suggest that drivers do not only react to warnings, but they also actively try to avoid them. Understanding drivers’ speed control with speed warning system may help to create adaptive ISA systems.

year: 2020

title: Influences of graphical image pairing on product preference

authors: Meng, Xiaosha

abstract: Many advertisements appear to rely on higher-order respondent conditioning to alter preference for a product brand. Given that higher-order conditioning is difficult to achieve, there may be other processes, such as those involved in stimulus equivalence, at work. The current experiment paired six “brand” stimuli with three different types of pictures. Three brands were paired directly with the pictures and the other three paired indirectly, using a stimulus equivalence procedure. The three types of pictures were “negative” (typical consequences of ingesting excessive sugar, such as heart disease, tooth decay, and diabetes), “neutral” (pictures of geometrical shapes) and “positive” pictures (pictures related to health and fitness). This research used a respondent procedure, which is more similar to real marketing methods than operant procedures, as used in previous research in this area. A preference assessment was conducted to evaluate transfer of function from the picture to the brands by investigating whether the pairings influenced participants’ preference for branded soft drinks. The results showed that negative pictures shifted preference more than positive pictures and direct pairing was more effective than an indirect pairing procedure.

text: Influences of graphical image pairing on product preference Many advertisements appear to rely on higher-order respondent conditioning to alter preference for a product brand. Given that higher-order conditioning is difficult to achieve, there may be other processes, such as those involved in stimulus equivalence, at work. The current experiment paired six “brand” stimuli with three different types of pictures. Three brands were paired directly with the pictures and the other three paired indirectly, using a stimulus equivalence procedure. The three types of pictures were “negative” (typical consequences of ingesting excessive sugar, such as heart disease, tooth decay, and diabetes), “neutral” (pictures of geometrical shapes) and “positive” pictures (pictures related to health and fitness). This research used a respondent procedure, which is more similar to real marketing methods than operant procedures, as used in previous research in this area. A preference assessment was conducted to evaluate transfer of function from the picture to the brands by investigating whether the pairings influenced participants’ preference for branded soft drinks. The results showed that negative pictures shifted preference more than positive pictures and direct pairing was more effective than an indirect pairing procedure.

year: 2018

title: Indigenous people in Aotearoa New Zealand are overrepresented in cannabis convictions

authors: Rapana, Wetini

subjects: Cannabis

abstract: Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact on Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2019, the New Zealand Government amended cannabis laws, providing police with the power to determine whether a therapeutic or health-centred approach would be more beneficial than a conviction. In the current study, we use population level data to assess whether this law change has ameliorated the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori. Methods: Data were drawn from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s national statistics office. In the IDI, we selected individuals who (1) were between 18 and 65, (2) were Māori or Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) and, (3) had any cannabis charges that proceeded to the courts. Results: Māori ethnicity was a significant predictor of the odds of receiving a cannabis conviction for Māori males (Odds: 1.56), with a marginally significant effect for Māori females (Odds: 1.57). Further, for Māori, there was no reduction in the number of cannabis charges before vs. after the amendment to cannabis laws. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori remain. Given this, the New Zealand Government must follow other countries around the world and move forward on cannabis law reform.

text: Indigenous people in Aotearoa New Zealand are overrepresented in cannabis convictions Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact on Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2019, the New Zealand Government amended cannabis laws, providing police with the power to determine whether a therapeutic or health-centred approach would be more beneficial than a conviction. In the current study, we use population level data to assess whether this law change has ameliorated the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori. Methods: Data were drawn from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s national statistics office. In the IDI, we selected individuals who (1) were between 18 and 65, (2) were Māori or Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) and, (3) had any cannabis charges that proceeded to the courts. Results: Māori ethnicity was a significant predictor of the odds of receiving a cannabis conviction for Māori males (Odds: 1.56), with a marginally significant effect for Māori females (Odds: 1.57). Further, for Māori, there was no reduction in the number of cannabis charges before vs. after the amendment to cannabis laws. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori remain. Given this, the New Zealand Government must follow other countries around the world and move forward on cannabis law reform.

year: 2022