Evaluation of user behavior and acceptance of an on-bike system

In this study, users’ acceptance of an on-bike system that warns about potential collisions with motorized vehicles as well as its influence on cyclists’ behavior was evaluated. Twenty-five participants took part in a field study that consisted of three different experimental tasks. All participants also completed a follow-up questionnaire at the completion of the three-task series to elicit information about the acceptance of the on-bike system. In the experiment phase, participants were asked to ride the bicycle throughout a circuit and to interact with a car at an intersection. Participants completed three laps of the circuit. The first lap involved no interaction with the car and served the purpose of habituation. In the second and third laps participants experienced a conflict with an incoming car at an intersection. In the second lap, the on-bike device was not activated, while in the third lap, participants received a warning message signaling the imminent conflict with the car. We compared the difference in user’s behavior between the second lap (conflict with a car without the warning of the on-bike system) and the third lap (conflict with a car with the warning of the on-bike system). Results showed that, when entering the crossroad, participants were more likely to decrease their speed in case of warning of the on-bike system. Further, the on-bike system was relatively well accepted by the participants. In particular, participants did not report negative emotions when using the system, while they trusted it and believed that using such technology would be free from effort. Participants were willing to spend on average 57.83 € for the system. This study highlights the potential of the on-bike system for promoting bicycle safety.     

Similarity to prototypical heavy drinkers and non-drinkers predicts AUDIT-C and risky drinking in young adults: prospective study

Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore whether constructs within the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) predicted risky drinking as measured by AUDIT-C, drinking harms and unplanned drunkenness in a sample of UK young adults. Previous studies exploring the PWM often do not use validated measures of alcohol consumption, and the outcomes of risky drinking are underexplored. Design: An online prospective study design with 4 week follow-up was employed and 385 young adults completed the study (M age?=?21.76, SD?=?3.39, 69.6% female; 85.2% students). Main outcome measures: Intentions to get drunk, AUDIT-C, drinking harms experienced in the last 4 weeks, and unplanned drunkenness in the last 4 weeks. Results: Heavy and non-drinker prototype similarity predicted AUDIT-C, drinking harms and unplanned drunkenness when controlling for past behaviour and reasoned action pathway constructs. Intentions and willingness both mediated the relationship between prototype perceptions and AUDIT-C. Conclusion: This study supports the use of the PWM in the prediction of AUDIT-C, drinking harms and unplanned drinking in a UK sample. Prototype perceptions influenced behaviour via both reasoned and reactive cognitions. Targeting similarity to heavy and non-drinker prototypes should be the focus of future interventions in this population.     

Empirical evidence of bias in public acceptance of autonomous vehicles

This study synthesizes 91 peer-reviewed survey studies examining the public acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). The framework of the study is informed by three questions: (1) How well do the collected samples represent the acceptance of the general population? (2) How often does bias exist in measuring public acceptance in AV’s questionnaires? (3) How much bias persists in reporting public acceptance of AV’s research? The findings indicate that (1) people with disabilities and racial minorities are only included in 10% and 20% of the studies, respectively (2) 50% of the studies present their questionnaire, and most are perceived to be biased as a result of systematic errors such as leading questions, missing questions, and suggestive information, and (3) 72% of the studies suffer from the sentiment bias, where the positive tone in the title and abstract is more significant than in the result. This leads to imprecise findings and unrealistic depictions of acceptance of autonomous vehicles by the public. The analysis alerts researchers and practitioners to empirical evidence of bias in public acceptance of autonomous vehicles and recommends preventive actions.     

The singularity effect of identified victims in separate and joint evaluations

People’s greater willingness to help identified victims, relative to non-identified ones, was examined by eliciting real contributions to targets varying in singularity (a single individual vs. a group of several individuals), and the availability of individually identifying information (the main difference being the inclusion of a picture in the “identified” versions). Results of the first and second experiments support the proposal that for identified victims, contributions for a single victim exceed contributions for a group when these are judged separately, but preference reverses when one has to choose between contributing to the single individual and contributing to the group. In a third experiment, ratings of emotional response were elicited in addition to willingness to contribute judgments. Results suggest that the greater contribution to a single victim relative to the group stems from intensified emotions evoked by a single identified victim rather than from emotions evoked by identified victims in general.     

Uninformative Anchors Have Persistent Effects on Valuation Judgments

Anchoring effects influence a wide range of numeric judgments, including valuation judgments, such as willingness‐to‐pay (WTP). However, prior research has not established whether anchoring only temporarily distorts responses or exerts persistent influence on preferences. This article presents three incentive compatible experiments examining the long‐term effects of random anchoring on WTP. Study 1 evaluated the persistence of anchoring effects over long durations, and showed that the strength of the effect decayed but did not disappear completely even 8 weeks later. In Study 2, a random anchor significantly influenced WTP after one week, regardless of whether WTP was also elicited immediately following the anchoring procedure, showing that consistency motivations do not account for persistence of anchoring effects. Study 3 showed relatively low anchors resulted in more stable valuations, compared with participants who reported WTP with no anchoring procedure. Together with the pattern of decay over time in Study 1, this suggests that anchoring facilitates the “imprinting” of valuation judgments for later retrieval. These studies show that anchoring effects can lead to lasting changes in valuation judgments, providing the first demonstration of long‐term persistence of constructed preferences as a result of an uninformative and arbitrary manipulation.     

Smile when you say that: Effects of willingness on dispositional inferences

A large body of research has investigated how perceivers integrate a target’s behavior with information about situational forces. However, little research has investigated how the willingness with which a behavior is performed affects inferences. Two experiments examined the effect of behavioral willingness on dispositional inferences. In experiment 1, a target’s willingness to help had a strong effect on inferences. In experiment 2, effects of willingness were even stronger under cognitive load. Implications are discussed.     

Approach and avoidance motivation as predictors of pro-relationship behaviors

Pro-relationship behaviors, such as willingness to sacrifice, are assumed to be driven by both approach and avoidance motivation. However, this assumption has not been directly tested. In two studies, we examined how individual differences in approach and avoidance motivation predicted pro-relationship behavior. In Study 1, avoidance (but not approach) motivation uniquely predicted sacrificial behavior. In Study 2, sacrificing was uniquely predicted by avoidance motivation, whereas accommodation was uniquely predicted by approach motivation. These data suggest that although both sacrificing and accommodation are pro-relationship behaviors, they are driven by different motivational systems, which in turn may result in different long-term relational outcomes.     

Early adolescents' willingness to intervene: What roles do attributions,affect, coping,and self-reported victimization play?

Limited research has sought to understand early adolescents' willingness to intervene in peer victimization as a function of their own responding to being victimized. The present study examined whether early adolescents' attributions, affect, and coping responses to a victimization vignette were related to their willingness to intervene, and whether self-reported victimization moderated the aforementioned associations. Participants were 653 5th- to 8th-grade students (50.4% girls, 58.5% Caucasian, 34.5% Hispanic) who completed a self-report survey that included a vignette asking students to imagine that they were victimized in school. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls. Although attributions and affect showed no significant associations with students' willingness to intervene, seeking social support coping was associated with greater willingness to intervene for both boys and girls, and problem-focused coping was associated with willingness to intervene for girls only. Unexpectedly, self-reported victimization was associated positively with both boys' and girls' willingness to intervene. Findings also revealed two unexpected two-way interactions between peer victimization and boys' characterological self-blame and girls' wishful thinking coping. Overall, study findings highlight the need for future research and anti-bullying programs to address how victimization could either motivate or discourage a student's willingness to intervene.     

Valuing the invaluable: Do emotional experiences during fertility treatments affect the willingness to pay for them?

Introduction

This paper extends the accepted economic method of valuation by taking psychological factors into consideration.