Computer-mediated communication and risk-taking behaviour

In an unregulated environment Internet use is not without risk, and video has been proposed to influence riskiness and trust behaviour. This experiment explored the differences in willingness to take risks on events portrayed over the Internet via a videolink, relative to events occurring in close proximity (collocated). Thirty-four participants played a roulette game on a computer, wagering points upon the outcomes of spins of a real roulette wheel. The amounts, types of bets and the time to place them were analysed. It was found that confidence (points wagered) did not change, but people went for lower risk (when more was at stake), or thought more about the risks they took (when more was at stake) over a videolink. People accepted greater risk on outcomes occurring in close proximity, than those events portrayed over a videolink. Variations in perceived risk in response to online versus offline events probably reflect differences in the potential to influence outcomes.     

Dynamic changes in the use of online advice in response to task success or failure

A range of responsible gambling systems have been developed, but they are not necessarily used by consumers. This requires an understanding of factors (e.g. risk and loss) influencing response to advice. Therefore, an experiment examined the use of decisional support in response to induced success or failure. A total of 21 university students played computer Blackjack at two levels of risk, and were informed as to whether the odds were in their favour (‘card count’), and were given online advice as to card selection (Basic). Winning streaks led to overconfidence, as indicated by larger mean bets, more Basic errors, and a failure to adjust wagering upon cessation of the winning streak. Participants were more cautious in response to losses, betting less, and were more likely to comply with advice. Participants attended and complied with advice earlier at low risk, but at high risk noticed advice later and did not comply. Induced emotional states (e.g. winning or losing) are important as they influence the likelihood that people will listen to online advice. Designers of Behaviour Change Support Systems should consider methods of contingently implementing advice.     

A new methodology for evolutionary optimization of energy systems

This paper presents a novel technique to significantly reduce the compute time for evolutionary optimization of systems modeled using CFD. In this scheme the typical roulette selection process is modified with a process in which competing members are represented by a Gaussian fitness distribution obtained from an artificial neural network with a feature weighted general regression neural network to create a universal approximator. This approximator develops a real-time estimate of the final fitness and error bounds during each iteration of the CFD solver. The iteration process continues until the estimated fitness and error bounds indicate that additional iterations will have a small effect on the outcome of the roulette selection process. This reduces the time required for each system call and hence reduces the overall computational time required.     

Does risk matter? Disengagement from risk management practices in information systems projects

Risk management and ‘routine-based reliability’ is considered fundamental to project performance. Existing theories of project risk management do not fully explain why project managers stop practicing risk management information systems (IS); however, constructs drawn from organisation theory offer insights into how and why such disengagement occurs. The study examines risk management practices in 21 IS projects within 10 organisations. By focusing on risks that resulted in significant events and mapping backwards over time the practices associated with those risks, we identify that in all but five projects the manager had disengaged from prescribed risk management before executing risk responses. In most projects, the majority of formally identified and assessed risks remained unallocated and untreated. A laddering technique was used to help explain why this transpired. We found five key underlying beliefs that governed project managers’ risk management attitudes and actions.     

Confirmation Bias in Complex Analyses

Most research works investigating the confirmation bias has used abstract experimental tasks where participants drew inferences from just a few items of evidence. The experiment reported in this paper investigated the confirmation bias in a complex analysis task that is more characteristic of law enforcement investigations, financial analysis, and intelligence analysis. Participants were professionals, half of whom had intelligence analysis experience. The effectiveness of a procedure designed to mitigate the confirmation bias, called analysis of competing hypotheses (ACH), was tested. Results showed a confirmation bias for both experience groups, but ACH significantly reduced bias only for participants without intelligence analysis experience. Confirmation bias manifested as a weighting bias, not as an interpretation bias. Participants tended to agree on the interpretation of evidence (i.e., whose hypothesis was supported by the evidence) but tended to disagree on the importance of the evidence-giving more weight to the evidence that supported their preferred hypothesis and less weight to evidence that disconfirmed it.     

优选策略的自适应蚁狮优化算法

针对基本蚁狮优化算法收敛速度较慢、易陷入局部极值、高维求解精度较低等缺点,提出具有自适应边界、优选轮盘赌和动态比例系数的改进蚁狮算法.在蚂蚁围绕蚁狮游走的过程中引入自适应边界机制,增加蚂蚁种群活跃性,防止算法陷入局部极值.轮盘赌选择蚁狮过程中加入优选轮盘赌策略,在保持蚁狮个体多样性的同时加快算法收敛速度.在蚂蚁位置更新公式中加入动态比例系数,提高算法前期的探索能力和后期的开发能力.理论分析证明文中算法的时间复杂度与基本算法相同.针对16个不同特征标准测试函数,在多个维度上的优化仿真实验测试结果表明,文中算法具有较好的可行性,寻优精度和收敛速度均有明显提升,受维度变化影响很小,高维求解能力更强、更稳定.     

基于混合选择和动态变异的基因表达式编程

基因表达式编程（GEP）是一种基于基因型和表现型的新型遗传算法,目前被广泛应用在函数发现、时间序列预测和分类等领域。传统GEP算法采用轮盘赌方式来选择种群个体,其择优强度过大,易导致个体多样性减弱,产生“近亲繁殖”;种群个体的变异概率固定,变异幅度不能动态地适应每代的进化结果,影响进化效率。针对上述两个缺陷,本文对传统GEP做出两点改进：作者采用混合选择策略,以维持进化过程中个体的多样性,避免“近亲繁殖”;引入动态变异思想,使种群在进化过程中能根据自身适应性的高低来动态调整个体的变异概率,以最大限度地保留高适应度基因片段,消除低适应度基因片段。通过实验,本文验证了两项改进的有效性。     

Game-playing and understanding decision-making within legal frameworks: the use of computerised simulation

The use of hypothetical factual situations to explore and discuss the way in which ‘real-life’ events and problems occur and develop is an established and valuable predictive method for understanding such events and testing the resolution of problems. In so far as such simulation employs hypothetical events and itineraries of action as a way of arriving at conclusions and solutions, it may be described as a kind of game-playing, and the discussion in this paper first explores the value of simulation exercises in legal and other contexts. Then, taking the example of a simulation based upon a board game involving strategies and risks arising in the legal regulation of business cartels, it reports on the testing of a more powerful computerised version of the board game. Examining the outcome of a large number of moves around the game board, this served as a pilot study for considering the value of further development of such a computational model for possible application in research, educational, and training contexts.     

You’re my only hope: An initial exploration of the effectiveness of robotic platforms in engendering learning about crises and risks

In the face of crises and risks, emergency responders are often faced with challenges in terms of reaching audiences in treacherous locations, or that are unreachable due to infrastructure failure. Social robots offer one solution for delivering information cornering risks under these circumstances. An exploratory study examined the responses of individuals to risk messages disseminated through robotic delivery platforms. The results suggest that risk messages delivered through robots may engender equal knowledge acquisition as those delivered through legacy media, though sex differences are noted for high involvement events. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for emergency management.     

Impact of Interaction Paradigms on Full-Body Interaction Collocated Experiences for Promoting Social Initiation and Collaboration

This article addresses the design and study of novel interaction settings and systems supporting collocated interaction. More specifically, we aim to analyze the implications of two different interaction approaches, namely first-person and third-person interaction paradigms, and the corresponding theoretical approaches when designing and developing collocated experiences for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). This analysis is supported by the outcomes of several examples of full-body interaction collocated experiences aimed at promoting social initiation and collaboration. Moreover, we present a series of goal-driven guidelines to consider when designing with various interaction paradigms. Finally, we discuss future work to better understand the implications of constructing paradigms for the intuitive use of these full-body interaction systems.     

Use of warnings in an attentionally demanding detection task

The study assessed the use of binary warnings in a detection task with high attentional demands. Participants in the experiment had to decide whether to continue or halt production based on a briefly displayed number that indicated a temperature level. The short time that the number was displayed required that participants focus on the display area. Participants were rewarded for production when the system was intact and were heavily penalized for decisions to produce under dangerous temperature levels. Color-coded warning cues (green for safe, red for danger) were displayed to the participants prior to number presentation. The experimental conditions differed in the validity of the cue and in the probability of red cues. Results showed significant learning for all conditions. Participants tended to ignore the nonvalid and low-validity cues and rely only on highly valid cues. However, the mere existence of cues affected participants' general tendency to take risks. Actual or potential applications of this research include improving systems that require operators to devote attention to complex tasks while receiving and responding to warnings.     

User perceptions of security,convenience and usability for ebanking authentication tokens

This research compared three different two-factor methods of eBanking authentication. Three devices employing incremental security layers in the generation of one time passcodes (OTPs) were compared in a repeated-measures, controlled experiment with 50 eBanking customers. Attitudes towards usability and usage logs were taken for each experience. Comparisons of the devices in terms of overall quality, security and convenience as perceived by participants were also recorded. There were significant differences between all three methods in terms of usability measures, perceived quality, convenience and security ratings – with the perceived security ratings following a reverse order to the other measures. Almost two thirds of the participant sample chose the device they perceived the least secure as their preference. Participants were asked to use their preferred method again and tended to find their chosen device more usable. This research illustrates the usability-security trade off, where convenience, quality and usability are sacrificed when increasing layers of security are required. In their preferences, customers were driven by their attitudes towards usability and convenience rather than their perceptions of security.     

Media multitasking between two conversational tasks

Communication multitasking was examined in three conditions: IM conversation with one partner, two IM conversations at the same time, and IM and phone conversation at the same time. Participants in the multitasking conditions reported higher task demand and a small loss in task performance was evident. Single-task partners assigned to a task the required discussion and deliberation preferred to interact with the multitasking participant via phone, rather than IM. But interactions via phone with one partner led to poorer assessment by a second partner who was shortchanged during the interaction. Multitasking participants who were focused on helping both partners seemed blind to these perceived differences by their single-task partners. The results suggest a strategic model of multitasking, with IM being the preferred choice for tasks that require fewer, shorter exchanges and voice being the preferred choice for tasks that required more discussion and deliberation.     

Semantic heterogeneity resolution in federated databases by metadata implantation and stepwise evolution

A key aspect of interoperation among data-intensive systems involves the mediation of metadata and ontologies across database boundaries. One way to achieve such mediation between a local database and a remote database is to fold remote metadata into the local metadata, thereby creating a common platform through which information sharing and exchange becomes possible. Schema implantation and semantic evolution, our approach to the metadata folding problem, is a partial database integration scheme in which remote and local (meta)data are integrated in a stepwise manner over time. We introduce metadata implantation and stepwise evolution techniques to interrelate database elements in different databases, and to resolve conflicts on the structure and semantics of database elements (classes, attributes, and individual instances). We employ a semantically rich canonical data model, and an incremental integration and semantic heterogeneity resolution scheme. In our approach, relationships between local and remote information units are determined whenever enough knowledge about their semantics is acquired. The metadata folding problem is solved by implanting remote database elements into the local database, a process that imports remote database elements into the local database environment, hypothesizes the relevance of local and remote classes, and customizes the organization of remote metadata. We have implemented a prototype system and demonstrated its use in an experimental neuroscience environment. Received June 19, 1998 / Accepted April 20, 1999     

The role of disclosure of personal information in the evaluation of risk and trust in young peoples’ online interactions

This study examined the relationship between the evaluation of risk, trust and disclosure of personal information in young peoples’ online interactions. A series of 18 focus groups were conducted with young people aged 9–19 years old. The results suggested that the majority of young people have a high level of awareness of the risks and potential outcomes associated with their online behaviour. Participants perceived disclosure of personal information to be important for the development of online relationships, and discussed associated strategies for evaluating trust and verifying identity. The study suggests that the perceived benefits associated with the disclosure of personal information and interacting with ‘strangers’ online may outweigh the perceived risks associated with these behaviours as the result of the importance of peer relationships and the exploration of identity during adolescence. Identified age-related differences and similarities in relation to the themes are explored, and areas for future research discussed.     

Specifying comfortable driving postures for ergonomic design and evaluation of the driver workspace using digital human models

Specifying comfortable driving postures is essential for ergonomic design and evaluation of a driver workspace. The present study sought to enhance and expand upon several existing recommendations for such postures. Participants (n = 38) were involved in six driving sessions that differed by vehicle class (sedan and SUV), driving venue (laboratory-based and field) or seat (from vehicles ranked high and low by vehicle comfort). Sixteen joint angles were measured in preferred postures to more completely describe driving postures, as were corresponding perceptual responses. Driving postures were found to be bilaterally asymmetric and distinct between vehicle classes, venues, age groups and gender. A subset of preferred postural ranges was identified using a filtering mechanism that ensured desired levels of perceptual responses. Accurate ranges of joint angles for comfortable driving postures, and careful consideration of vehicle and driver factors, will facilitate ergonomic design and evaluation of a driver workspace, particularly when embedded in digital human models.     

To solve or to observe? The case of problem-solving interactivity within child learning games

We explored whether problem-solving interactivity within an instructional game fosters learning for children aged 8–10 years. Participants (N = 139) studied a biological topic either through a game-based learning environment (in which they solved assigned problems by interacting with a plant model) or from a standard learning environment (in which they observed how the problems were solved in an animation) (i.e., between-subject design). The treatments were equal with regard to learning content and guidance. No between-group differences in learning outcomes were detected (comprehension: d = 0.16; transfer: d = −0.01). Self-rating of enjoyment tended to be higher in the game group (d = 0.32), and when the children could choose between the treatments in a free-choice period, they strongly preferred the interactive game (87.5%). The results suggest that both the interactive and the non-interactive treatments are useful, but their applicability may differ depending on the learning context (e.g., school vs. home).     

安全措施延迟对信息安全风险的影响研究

现有绝大多数风险评估模型均是基于静态模型指导下的统计学方法,并未考虑到网络空间要素间的动态作用,已知的风险评估工具也不支持在风险分析和评估过程中考虑安全措施的延迟问题。针对上述问题,分析了安全防护措施延迟的原因,提出了一个考虑了延迟因素的信息安全风险评估动态模型,为基于时滞非线性模型所得的统计数据和定性评估所得的结果创建更为灵活的风险评估工具提供了可能。利用模型对安全措施延迟对信息安全风险的影响进行了仿真研究,结果表明,针对威胁及时采取安全措施能有效地降低信息安全风险。     

Using animations and visual cueing to support learning of scientific concepts and processes

The purpose of the study is to investigate the potential benefits of using animation, visual cueing, and their combination in a multimedia environment designed to support learners’ acquisition and retention of scientific concepts and processes. Undergraduate participants (N = 119) were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions in a 2 × 2 factorial design with visual presentation format (animated vs. static graphics) and visual cueing (visual cues vs. no cues) as factors. Participants provided with animations retained significantly more concepts than their peers provided with static graphics and those afforded visual cues learned equally well but in significantly less time than their counterparts in uncued conditions. Moreover, taking into consideration both learning outcomes and learning time, cued participants displayed more instructional efficiency than their uncued peers. Implications and future directions are discussed.