title: Sick of social media scrolling?  A behavioural intervention to reduce problematic social media use via smartphone device

authors: Moffat, Zaida

subjects: concurrent multiple baseline design

abstract: Excessive social media use can be problematic, with risks for individuals including compromised health and wellbeing and disruptions to work and personal relationships. Currently there is a lack of empirically supported treatments for reducing problematic social media use. Stinson and Dallery (2023) recently demonstrated the success of a behavioural intervention in reducing social media use with nine university students in Florida. I aimed to conduct an approximate replication of their intervention with university students in New Zealand. I initially administered a modified Internet Addiction Test to 148 participants. Of these, 38 qualified and three completed the behavioural intervention study. Social media use was tracked through the screen time function of each participant’s smartphone. Once a stable baseline was established, participants began an intervention phase. The intervention was contingency management with automated notifications and the selection of three alternative activities. Results of this intervention indicate success in the reduction of social media use for two of three participants. However, a lack of evidence to suggest any increase in the duration of time spent in chosen alternative activities replaced social media use. These results raise further questions regarding the effects of environmental changes on the strength of contingency management reinforcement for participants during this intervention. Identifying key variables in the reinforcement of contingency management that successfully reduces social media use for participants could be beneficial to many groups, particularly students who may use social media to escape academic demands.

text: Sick of social media scrolling?  A behavioural intervention to reduce problematic social media use via smartphone device Excessive social media use can be problematic, with risks for individuals including compromised health and wellbeing and disruptions to work and personal relationships. Currently there is a lack of empirically supported treatments for reducing problematic social media use. Stinson and Dallery (2023) recently demonstrated the success of a behavioural intervention in reducing social media use with nine university students in Florida. I aimed to conduct an approximate replication of their intervention with university students in New Zealand. I initially administered a modified Internet Addiction Test to 148 participants. Of these, 38 qualified and three completed the behavioural intervention study. Social media use was tracked through the screen time function of each participant’s smartphone. Once a stable baseline was established, participants began an intervention phase. The intervention was contingency management with automated notifications and the selection of three alternative activities. Results of this intervention indicate success in the reduction of social media use for two of three participants. However, a lack of evidence to suggest any increase in the duration of time spent in chosen alternative activities replaced social media use. These results raise further questions regarding the effects of environmental changes on the strength of contingency management reinforcement for participants during this intervention. Identifying key variables in the reinforcement of contingency management that successfully reduces social media use for participants could be beneficial to many groups, particularly students who may use social media to escape academic demands.

year: 2025

title: Road User Interactions: Patterns of Road Use and Perception of Driving Risk

authors: Charlton, Samuel G.

subjects: driving

abstract: The goal of the Road User Interactions research programme is a better understanding of the human factors of our road transport system: road user demographics, risk perceptions of road users, and the driving attitudes of various road user groups. Our analysis of the 1989 and 1999 New Zealand Household Travel Surveys identified several fundamental road user differences and consistent demographic trends over the past 10 years. The driver characteristics of gender, age, and area of residence (urban, secondary urban, and rural) are the demographic factors which most clearly differentiate New Zealand road user groups. Analysis of the patterns of road use suggests that, although these road user groups do drive at distinctly different times, there are periods of conflict which are also associated with the greatest crash risk for these drivers. Our analysis of a sample of road user groups in Hamilton, Auckland, Gisborne, New Plymouth, and Palmerston North found significant differences in their perceptions of risk and driving behaviours. Rural drivers and women drivers rated a range of driving situations as having greater risk than did the other road user groups, and they rated the high risk scenarios as being much riskier. Men indicated the greatest willingness to accept the risk in driving situations and rated their own driving skill as higher. Older drivers also rated driving situations as having higher risk, and young drivers generally rated low risk situations much lower than other drivers. In the survey of driving behaviour, young men in our sample reported very high levels of violations and aggressive violations. The male drivers’ rates of violations and aggressive violations were significantly higher than the women drivers’ and the number of both decreased significantly with age. Finally, inspection of crash data show that young drivers’ and older drivers’ crashes have some characteristics in common; both groups have a disproportionate number of crossing, turning, and manoeuvring crashes at intersections in the mid-afternoon.

text: Road User Interactions: Patterns of Road Use and Perception of Driving Risk The goal of the Road User Interactions research programme is a better understanding of the human factors of our road transport system: road user demographics, risk perceptions of road users, and the driving attitudes of various road user groups. Our analysis of the 1989 and 1999 New Zealand Household Travel Surveys identified several fundamental road user differences and consistent demographic trends over the past 10 years. The driver characteristics of gender, age, and area of residence (urban, secondary urban, and rural) are the demographic factors which most clearly differentiate New Zealand road user groups. Analysis of the patterns of road use suggests that, although these road user groups do drive at distinctly different times, there are periods of conflict which are also associated with the greatest crash risk for these drivers. Our analysis of a sample of road user groups in Hamilton, Auckland, Gisborne, New Plymouth, and Palmerston North found significant differences in their perceptions of risk and driving behaviours. Rural drivers and women drivers rated a range of driving situations as having greater risk than did the other road user groups, and they rated the high risk scenarios as being much riskier. Men indicated the greatest willingness to accept the risk in driving situations and rated their own driving skill as higher. Older drivers also rated driving situations as having higher risk, and young drivers generally rated low risk situations much lower than other drivers. In the survey of driving behaviour, young men in our sample reported very high levels of violations and aggressive violations. The male drivers’ rates of violations and aggressive violations were significantly higher than the women drivers’ and the number of both decreased significantly with age. Finally, inspection of crash data show that young drivers’ and older drivers’ crashes have some characteristics in common; both groups have a disproportionate number of crossing, turning, and manoeuvring crashes at intersections in the mid-afternoon.

year: 2002

title: Incentivising change in the Lake Rotorua catchment

authors: Grayling, Anna

abstract: Anna Grayling is the Rotorua Lakes Business Manager for Bay of Plenty Regional Council. After completing a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Sciences at the University of Waikato, Anna’s career began as an ecological consultant. Following this role, Anna spent five years in planning and policy for both the district and regional councils. For the last five years Anna has been dedicated to the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme. She is now the project lead for the Incentive Fund Development for land-use change in the Lake Rotorua catchment.
Alastair MacCormick has worked as a Lakes Restoration Officer with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council since 2007. His primary function has been the implementation of nutrient discharge limits under Rule 11. An experienced user of the Overseer nutrient budgeting software, and with broad knowledge of farming systems in the catchment, he also provides information and advice on the issues and complications associated with nutrient accounting.

text: Incentivising change in the Lake Rotorua catchment Anna Grayling is the Rotorua Lakes Business Manager for Bay of Plenty Regional Council. After completing a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Sciences at the University of Waikato, Anna’s career began as an ecological consultant. Following this role, Anna spent five years in planning and policy for both the district and regional councils. For the last five years Anna has been dedicated to the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme. She is now the project lead for the Incentive Fund Development for land-use change in the Lake Rotorua catchment.
Alastair MacCormick has worked as a Lakes Restoration Officer with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council since 2007. His primary function has been the implementation of nutrient discharge limits under Rule 11. An experienced user of the Overseer nutrient budgeting software, and with broad knowledge of farming systems in the catchment, he also provides information and advice on the issues and complications associated with nutrient accounting.

year: 2013