Altering contingencies to facilitate compliance with traffic light systems

The effects of altering light pattern sequences on driver compliance at a busy, urban intersection were explored. The baseline light timing sequences resulted in only 46.8% of drivers stopping at the yellow or red lights. Using an A-B-C design, we altered light pattern sequences that increased the probability of drivers stopping at the signals to 88.8% and 98.8%. These findings indicate that traffic light contingencies have potent effects in influencing driver behaviors at busy intersections. Following completion of the study, the traffic engineer approved the permanence of the light timing pattern that increased traffic rule compliance. Accident data collected before and after the light timing changes indicated a reduction in automobile accidents.     

学校群体性癔症的处理

从安徽泗县疫苗事件出发,结合文献分析,作者阐述了群体性癔症的特点、发生的一般过程及处理方法。     

External communication of automated vehicles in mixed traffic: Addressing the right human interaction partner in multi-agent simulation

The urban traffic system is most likely to change in the next years to a mixed traffic with human drivers, vulnerable road users, and automated vehicles. In the past, the development of external communication approaches for automated vehicles focused on scenarios where an automated vehicle communicates with either a pedestrian or a human driver. However, interactions with more than one traffic partner are more realistic. Therefore, a study with 42 participants was conducted with a multi-agent simulation in which an automated vehicle interacted simultaneously with two participants, a pedestrian and a driver of a manual vehicle. In this study, two main scenarios were investigated in order to evaluate the safety and efficiency of the interactions and to determine whether the human road users feel correctly addressed. In one scenario, the pedestrian had to cross the road in front of the automated and the manual vehicle, which were approaching from different sides. In the other, the manual vehicle had to drive through a bottleneck in front of the oncoming automated vehicle, while the pedestrian had to cross the road after both vehicles passed. The communication approach of the automated vehicle consisted of implicit signals using a speed profile and lateral offset within its lane, and explicit signals using an external human–machine interface. The results of the study show that no collisions were observed in terms of safety and no significant negative effects on efficiency were measured. However, in contrast to single agent interactions, a majority of participants felt wrongly addressed in situations where the automated vehicle signals the right-of-way to the other human road user. It can be concluded that the communication approach of the automated vehicle needs to be modified in order to address certain road users more clearly.     

Le harcèlement : évolution du droit français et problématiques de l’évaluation des victimes

Medical doctors are often asked by patients victim of harassment, or even by the authorities, to establish medical certificate. Harassment is a complex phenomenon, covering a wide range of behaviours occurring in multiple situations. The writing of such a certificate can prove to be difficult, can be a cause of legal proceedings for clinicians, especially at a disciplinary level. Moreover, the evaluation is all the more complex since the qualification of harassment by the judge sometimes requires an evaluation of the impact on the victims under the form of a Total Work Incapacity (TWI) duration, but not under all the circumstances existing in French law. In this article, we first propose to address general consideration towards the writing of the certificate, before doing a systematic review of the successive evolutions of French penal and labour law regarding harassment in its most frequent forms. Finally, we propose to address the matter of victims evaluation, especially towards TWI duration evaluation, which does not seem to us an adapted tool regarding the fact that harassment is usually a chronical and durable phenomenon.     

Psychometric properties of the Driving Behaviour Scale (DBS) among polish drivers

Anxiety can negatively affect an individual’s psychological wellbeing and lead to mild-to-moderate functional impairment in various areas of their lives. Despite this, the relationship between anxiety and driving performance has received very little empirical attention. The Driving Behaviour Scale (Clapp, Olsen, Beck, et al., 2011, Clapp, Olsen, Danoff-Burg, et al., 2011) was developed as a measure of anxious driving behaviours to support research in this area. The current study details adaptation and validation of the Driving Behaviour Scale (DBS; Clapp, Olsen, Beck, et al., 2011, Clapp, Olsen, Danoff-Burg, et al., 2011) in 310 university students in Poland. The overall internal consistency for the DBS was 0.76, while the two subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (safety/cautious = 0.75 and hostile/aggressive behaviours = 0.85). The reliability estimates for performance deficit returned a lower coefficient of 0.65. Factor analysis produced a three-factor solution that supported the original structure of the DBS. The DBS may be utilised as a measure of driving anxiety in samples drawn from the general population.     

ENFORCEMENT OR INCENTIVES? PROMOTING SAFETY BELT USE AMONG MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THE NETHERLANDS

During a nationwide campaign to promote safety belt use among military personnel, a field study was conducted at 12 different military bases in the Netherlands. Amount of enforcement, type of publicity, and incentive strategies were varied among military bases. Observations of safety belt use among servicemen in their personal vehicles were conducted before the campaign, immediately following the campaign, and 3 months later. Safety belt use increased from 65% during baseline to 73% directly after the campaign and to 76% 3 months later. An overall 28.6% increase in safety belt use (from 63% to 81%) was observed at seven bases, whereas no changes were found at five bases (68% on all occasions). To a large degree the effects were due to a 37.7% increase among young drivers. These results confirmed that enforcement, as well as incentives, can be effective in promoting safety belt use. However, treatment effects were not systematic, thereby complicating the interpretation of the results. Implications of these varied outcomes are discussed.     

Traffic congestion,driver stress,and driver aggression

Drivers were interviewed over cellular telephones in high‐ and low‐congestion conditions during a single commute. During each interview, state measures of driver stress and driver behaviors were obtained. Behavior responses were subdivided into six categories: aggressive, information seeking, planning, minor self‐destructive, distraction, and relaxation techniques. Both state driver stress and aggression were greater in high‐ than in low‐congestion conditions. No other behavior category differed between low and high congestion. Multiple regressions were calculated to determine the predictors of state driver stress. In low congestion, time urgency predicted state driver stress, while aggression predicted driver stress in high congestion. In both conditions, a trait susceptibility toward viewing driving as generally stressful was predictive of state driver stress levels, which further strengthens the use of the Driving Behaviour Inventory—General as a predictor of “trait” driver stress. Females and males did not differentiate on state stress or any behavior category. Aggr. Behav. 25:409–423, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

医疗事故纠纷的本质及法律责任

医疗事故纠纷及处理的道德本质和司法原则在于对病人权利的维护。强化医务人员对病人生命与健康的医德责任感和病人权利意识,并使之成为自律、自觉的行为是预防和减少医疗事故纠纷发生的第一要素;而提高医务人员的法律意识,完善法律的制约机制,对医疗事故的防范是同样重要的。     

The effects of noise and gender on children's episodic and semantic memory

The main objectives in the present study were to examine meaningful irrelevant speech and road traffic noise effects on episodic and semantic memory, and to evaluate whether gender differences in memory performance interact with noise. A total of 96 subjects, aged 13-14 years (n = 16 boys and 16 girls in each of three groups), were randomly assigned to a silent or two noise conditions. Noise effects found were restricted to impairments from meaningful irrelevant speech on recognition and cued recall of a text in episodic memory and of word comprehension in semantic memory. The obtained noise effect suggests that the meaning of the speech were processed semantically by the pupils, which reduced their ability to comprehend a text that also involved processing of meaning. Meaningful irrelevant speech was also assumed to cause a poorer access to the knowledge base in semantic memory. Girls outperformed boys in episodic and semantic memory materials, but these differences did not interact with noise.     

Book Review

Experienced military air traffic controllers (25 respondents, males = 15, females = 10, years of experience = less than one year = 5 respondents, more than one year but less than three years = 11 respondents and more than three years = 9 respondents) participated in this study to determine whether self-directed team learning exists within their air traffic control teams and to understand the impact of self-directed team learning on the air traffic control work environment. Data on self-directed team learning and learning approaches were collected using a Self-directed Team Learning Questionnaire (SDTLQ) and a Learning Approaches Questionnaire (LAQ). These data were analysed using an inductive reasoning mode for qualitative data analysis and quantitative data analysis followed a supporting deductive reasoning mode. Triangulation as a technique was used to determine whether multiple sources of data agreed and to obtain better, cross-checked insights (Burgess, 1985). Results revealed that these air traffic controllers and air traffic control teams investigated in the study do indeed function within self-directed working, training and learning environments. The quality of team performance was influenced by self-directed team learning initiatives. Furthermore, the quality of self-directed team learning relied upon the effectiveness of air traffic control team performances.