title: What's the risk? A comparison of actual and perceived driving risk

authors: Charlton, Samuel G.

subjects: Social Sciences

abstract: It has long been presumed that drivers’ perceptions of risk play an important role in guiding on-road behaviour. The answer to how accurately drivers perceive the momentary risk of a driving situation, however, is unknown. This research compared drivers’ perceptions of the momentary risk for a range of roads to the objective risk associated with those roads. Videos of rural roads, filmed from the drivers’ perspective, were presented to 69 participants seated in a driving simulator while they indicated the momentary levels of risk they were experiencing by moving a risk meter mounted on the steering wheel. Estimates of the objective levels of risk for the roads were calculated using road protection scores from the KiwiRAP database (part of the International Road Assessment Programme). Subsequently, the participants also provided risk estimates for still photos taken from the videos. Another group of 10 participants viewed the videos and photos while their eye movements and fixations were recorded. In a third experiment, 14 participants drove a subset of the roads in a car while providing risk ratings at selected points of interest. Results showed a high degree of consistency across the different methods. Certain road situations were rated as being riskier than the objective risk, and perhaps more importantly, the risk of other situations was significantly under-rated. Horizontal curves and narrow lanes were associated with over-rated risk estimates, while intersections and roadside hazards such as narrow road shoulders, power poles and ditches were significantly under-rated. Analysis of eye movements indicated that drivers did not fixate these features and that the spread of fixations, pupil size and eye blinks were significantly correlated with the risk ratings. An analysis of the road design elements at 77 locations in the video revealed five road characteristics that predicted nearly 80% of the variance in drivers’ risk perceptions; horizontal curvature, lane and shoulder width, gradient, and the presence of median barriers.

text: What's the risk? A comparison of actual and perceived driving risk It has long been presumed that drivers’ perceptions of risk play an important role in guiding on-road behaviour. The answer to how accurately drivers perceive the momentary risk of a driving situation, however, is unknown. This research compared drivers’ perceptions of the momentary risk for a range of roads to the objective risk associated with those roads. Videos of rural roads, filmed from the drivers’ perspective, were presented to 69 participants seated in a driving simulator while they indicated the momentary levels of risk they were experiencing by moving a risk meter mounted on the steering wheel. Estimates of the objective levels of risk for the roads were calculated using road protection scores from the KiwiRAP database (part of the International Road Assessment Programme). Subsequently, the participants also provided risk estimates for still photos taken from the videos. Another group of 10 participants viewed the videos and photos while their eye movements and fixations were recorded. In a third experiment, 14 participants drove a subset of the roads in a car while providing risk ratings at selected points of interest. Results showed a high degree of consistency across the different methods. Certain road situations were rated as being riskier than the objective risk, and perhaps more importantly, the risk of other situations was significantly under-rated. Horizontal curves and narrow lanes were associated with over-rated risk estimates, while intersections and roadside hazards such as narrow road shoulders, power poles and ditches were significantly under-rated. Analysis of eye movements indicated that drivers did not fixate these features and that the spread of fixations, pupil size and eye blinks were significantly correlated with the risk ratings. An analysis of the road design elements at 77 locations in the video revealed five road characteristics that predicted nearly 80% of the variance in drivers’ risk perceptions; horizontal curvature, lane and shoulder width, gradient, and the presence of median barriers.

year: 2014-07-01

title: How can we help you? Communicating Social Welfare

authors: Schoenberger-Orgad, Sehai

subjects: social welfare communication

abstract: This thesis examines the ways in which public sector organisations communicate with people from lower socio-economic communities. 

The study is guided by the research question: Do the existing communication strategies of public sector organisations serve the needs of low decile communities in New Zealand?
The study looks at the communication strategies used by three public sector organisations - Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Hamilton City Council - to interact with residents of a low-decile neighbourhood in Hamilton. 

Positioned within the critical theoretical paradigm (e.g., Deetz, 2005; Mumby, 2000) which looks at issues of power, domination and asymmetry in terms of communication practices, the research shows how social policy is socially constructed in order to serve the political aims of the public sector but is not necessarily constructed in terms of the target publics of that organisation.

The study uses a three dimensional discourse analysis - text, context, and social
practices (Fairclough, 1992) - to analyse the formal communication and information dissemination structures, processes, and texts of these organisations and to examine the ways in which some of the intended target publics of these
organisations make sense of them and respond to them. 

The study includes an analysis of public documents put out by the organisations as well as interviews with youth workers, social workers, and representatives of the specific neighbourhood community.

Juxtaposing the textual analysis with the analysis of the interviews facilitates an evaluation of whether the communication strategies
of the organisations relate to the context of the socio-cultural practices of lowdecile
neighbourhoods.

text: How can we help you? Communicating Social Welfare This thesis examines the ways in which public sector organisations communicate with people from lower socio-economic communities. 

The study is guided by the research question: Do the existing communication strategies of public sector organisations serve the needs of low decile communities in New Zealand?
The study looks at the communication strategies used by three public sector organisations - Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Hamilton City Council - to interact with residents of a low-decile neighbourhood in Hamilton. 

Positioned within the critical theoretical paradigm (e.g., Deetz, 2005; Mumby, 2000) which looks at issues of power, domination and asymmetry in terms of communication practices, the research shows how social policy is socially constructed in order to serve the political aims of the public sector but is not necessarily constructed in terms of the target publics of that organisation.

The study uses a three dimensional discourse analysis - text, context, and social
practices (Fairclough, 1992) - to analyse the formal communication and information dissemination structures, processes, and texts of these organisations and to examine the ways in which some of the intended target publics of these
organisations make sense of them and respond to them. 

The study includes an analysis of public documents put out by the organisations as well as interviews with youth workers, social workers, and representatives of the specific neighbourhood community.

Juxtaposing the textual analysis with the analysis of the interviews facilitates an evaluation of whether the communication strategies
of the organisations relate to the context of the socio-cultural practices of lowdecile
neighbourhoods.

year: 2009

title: Kia Maanu, Kia Ora: Stay Afloat, Stay Alive – Acknowledging the significance of tikanga Māori in formulating and communicating water safety policies and practices

authors: Haimona, Mark

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: The traditional beliefs and practices of Māori demonstrate great respect for water, for its dangers as well as its life-giving properties, and Māori have, along with other Polynesian peoples, been known for their skill in swimming, fishing and canoeing. However, Māori now outnumber others in New Zealand in terms of the proportion involved in drowning and water-related injury. In seeking to promote water safety among Māori, Water Safety New Zealand has enlisted the help of Māori communities. Its message - Kia Maanu, Kia Ora (Stay Afloat, Stay Alive) - is underpinned by an acknowledgment of the need to reinforce the traditional respect for water that permeates the Māori worldview.

text: Kia Maanu, Kia Ora: Stay Afloat, Stay Alive – Acknowledging the significance of tikanga Māori in formulating and communicating water safety policies and practices The traditional beliefs and practices of Māori demonstrate great respect for water, for its dangers as well as its life-giving properties, and Māori have, along with other Polynesian peoples, been known for their skill in swimming, fishing and canoeing. However, Māori now outnumber others in New Zealand in terms of the proportion involved in drowning and water-related injury. In seeking to promote water safety among Māori, Water Safety New Zealand has enlisted the help of Māori communities. Its message - Kia Maanu, Kia Ora (Stay Afloat, Stay Alive) - is underpinned by an acknowledgment of the need to reinforce the traditional respect for water that permeates the Māori worldview.

year: 2007