The implications of cross-regional differences for the design of In-vehicle Information Systems: a comparison of Australian and Chinese drivers

The increasing global distribution of automobiles necessitates that the design of In-vehicle Information Systems (IVIS) is appropriate for the regions to which they are being exported. Differences between regions such as culture, environment and traffic context can influence the needs, usability and acceptance of IVIS. This paper describes two studies aimed at identifying regional differences in IVIS design needs and preferences across drivers from Australia and China to determine the impact of any differences on IVIS design. Using a questionnaire and interaction clinics, the influence of cultural values and driving patterns on drivers' preferences for, and comprehension of, surface- and interaction-level aspects of IVIS interfaces was explored. Similarities and differences were found between the two regional groups in terms of preferences for IVIS input control types and labels and in the comprehension of IVIS functions. Specifically, Chinese drivers preferred symbols and Chinese characters over English words and were less successful (compared to Australians) at comprehending English abbreviations, particularly for complex IVIS functions. Implications in terms of the current trend to introduce Western-styled interfaces into other regions with little or no adaptation are discussed.     

The effect of flooring on musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower extremities and low back among female nursing assistants

This study examines the effect of changing the floor from a 2-mm homogenous vinyl floor to a 4-mm heterogeneous vinyl floor (1.5-mm wear layer and 2.5-mm foam layer) on musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower extremities and low back among nursing assistants in a geriatric care centre. A pre-post design with a reference group consisting of nursing assistants from a similar geriatric care centre was used. Follow-up measurements were carried out 12 and 24 months after the intervention by means of questionnaires. At the 1-year follow-up, the pain intensity score in the feet of the intervention group had decreased compared with the baseline value and remained statistically significant at the 2-year follow-up. The decrease in pain intensity score of the feet in the intervention group was statistically significantly different from the reference group, both after 1 and 2 years. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: The results show the importance of flooring in the workplace with regard to reducing musculoskeletal symptoms. Appropriate flooring is especially important in the female-dominated health care sector, where workers must stand or walk for long periods.     

Impact of personality and intelligence on job satisfaction of assembly line and bench work - an industrial study

A study of the impact of machine-paced (M/P) and self-paced (S/P) work on job satisfaction of 28 female industrial assembly workers was evaluated in which M/P work was confounded with simplified work and the S/P job was confounded with enriched tasks. Results indicated the following:

1. 1. Over three-quarters of workers were more satisfied in S/P jobs, while only less than one-quarter were more satisfied in M/P jobs.

2. 2. The 16PF personality test effectively predicts (0·88 multiple correlation) the satisfaction ratios of M/P to S/P jobs.

"I'm OK but You're Not" and Other Peer-Relational Schemas: Explaining Individual Differences in Children's Social Goals.

This study examined the links among 5th and 6th graders' (279 girls and 310 boys) self- and peer perceptions, social goals, and social behavior. Social goals mediated the effects of self- and peer perceptions on 3 types of behavior: proactive aggression, prosocial behavior, and withdrawal. In addition to their main effects (self-perception predicting variance in agentic goals, peer perception being related to communal goals), self- and peer perception interacted in influencing social goals; for instance, the effects of a positive view of oneself were different in the contexts of a positive versus a negative perception of peers. It is suggested that in order to predict children's social behavior more accurately, researchers should investigate children's dual perceptions of themselves and of their peers--that is, their peer-relational schemas--instead of assessing self-perception and peer perception in isolation from each other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It Takes Two to Tango: Personal and Organizational Resilience as Predictors of Strain and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in a Work Sample.

In a cross-sectional sample of 428 employees, the job demand-control-support and effort-reward imbalance job stress models were amalgamated and expanded to include modifiable risk factors and noncontrollable genetic factors related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. With structural equation modeling, the constructs of lack of job resilience, lack of personal resilience, and job demand were used to examine how employer and employee factors related to psychosomatic strain and risk indicators of CVD. Negative perception of job demand predicted perception of lack of job resilience but not lack of personal resilience. Lack of job and personal resilience predicted strain. Women reported greater strain than men. CVD risk was predicted by strain, age, sex, and family history. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A bandwidth latency tradeoff for broadcast and reduction

The “fractional tree” algorithm for broadcasting and reduction is introduced. Its communication pattern interpolates between two well known patterns—sequential pipeline and pipelined binary tree. The speedup over the best of these simple methods can approach two for large systems and messages of intermediate size. For networks which are not very densely connected the new algorithm seems to be the best known method for the important case that each processor has only a single (possibly bidirectional) channel into the communication network.     

Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Panic Disorder Versus Treatment as Usual in a Managed Care Setting.

Eighty clients enrolled in a managed care health plan who identified panic disorder as their primary presenting problem were randomly assigned to treatment by a therapist recently trained in a manual-based empirically supported psychotherapy (M. G. Craske, E. Meadows, & D. H. Barlow, 1994) or a therapist conducting treatment as usual (TAU). Participants in both conditions showed significant change from pre- to posttreatment on a number of measures. Those receiving panic control therapy (PCT) showed greater levels of change than those receiving TAU. Among treatment completers, an average of 42.9% of those in PCT and 18.8% in TAU achieved clinically significant change across measures. The results are discussed with reference to the dissemination of PCT and other evidence-based psychotherapies to clinical practice settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fitting in and feeling fine: Conformity and coping motives as mediators of the relationship between social anxiety and problematic drinking.

The present research was conducted to clarify the relationships among social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and negative-reinforcement drinking motives among college students. Heavy drinking students (N = 316, 53.80% female) completed self-report measures of social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and drinking motives. Findings indicated that students higher in social anxiety consumed less alcohol but experienced more negative consequences. Moreover, the relationship between social anxiety and negative consequences was mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives in addition to alcohol consumption. In the context of social anxiety, the current research demonstrates the importance of examining problematic drinking as distinct constructs: alcohol consumption and negative consequences. Findings are also discussed in terms of implications for interventions with socially anxious students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)