Hydraulic fracturing is a novel technological development that has pushed the extraction of energy resources forward. As technology improves and world oil and gas markets shift, more shale formations are being uncovered, and new drilling activities are seen as economically viable. I examine the ways in which residents perceive environmental and health risks of hydraulic fracturing in the Eagle Ford Shale region of Texas, and how these perceptions differ depending on social position and where the resident is receiving their information. To understand how residents perceive the environmental and health risks associated with the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas boom, or if these perceptions differ by social status and information sources, I conducted a qualitative analysis of key informant and focus group interview data, coding for major themes found in interview transcripts. I found that groups in lower social positions had increased concern regarding environmental and health risk perceptions than those in higher social positions. Additionally, respondents in lower social positions discussed all environmental and health risk perceptions with a relatively higher breadth and depth than those in higher social positions. Regarding information sources, those in higher social positions tend to receive more of their information on hydraulic fracturing from government officials and industry. Those in lower social positions receive more information from interpersonal networks, although they generally discussed a general lack of information concerning oil and gas development. These findings contribute to a relatively small field of growing research on resident perceptions in a hydraulic fracturing context. This research also brings attention to rural populations who are being uniquely impacted by hydraulic fracturing and provides insight into a region, the Eagle Ford Shale, where there is a need for more scholarly research.

An association was tested between the presence of a television weather broadcaster on-screen and viewers’ likelihood to seek shelter, measured via risk perception and preventative behavior. Social networking websites were used to recruit respondents. Four clips of archived severe weather videos, one pair (on-screen and off-screen broadcaster) using the reflectivity product and another pair (on-screen and off-screen broadcaster) using velocity product, were presented to participants. Viewers’ trust and weather salience were also quantified for additional interactions. A relationship between viewers’ risk perception (preflectivity = 0.821, pvelocity = 0.625) and preventative behavior (preflectivity = 0.217, pvelocity = 0.236) and the presence of the broadcaster on-screen was not found. The reflectivity product was associated with higher risk perception and preventative behavior scores than the velocity product (prp = 0.000, ppb = 0.000).

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An advanced training program on risk perception was developed and evaluated in a driving simulator. This training program included two elements. The first one was a PC-based Risk Awareness and Perception Program (RAPT) that had been developed and evaluated in several studies by researches at the Human Performance Lab within the last several years. Plan views of risky scenarios were used to explain to participants the location of potential hazards. The second element of the training (SIMRAPT) was newly developed for this study and used the portable low-cost driving simulator Drive Square Simulation System to train risk perception skills while the participant actually drove a real car in a virtual environment. A head mounted display was used to present the virtual world. Feedback was given to participants when they failed to scan appropriately for hazards. Twelve novice drivers served as experimental group and were trained with the combined RAPT/SIMRAPT training program. Twelve other novice drivers were given training not relevant to hazard anticipation and served as the control group. After training, both groups were evaluated on an advanced driving simulator (different from the Drive Square Simulation System used in SIMRAPT training) and the eye movements of both groups of drivers were measured. The drivers’ score was based on whether or not their eye-fixations indicated recognition of potential risks in different driving situations. The evaluation included eight scenarios used in the RAPT/SIMRAPT training (near transfer scenarios) and eight scenarios that were not used in the training (far transfer scenarios). The results indicated that trained drivers are more likely than untrained drivers to fixate on regions where potential risks might appear. Further the evaluation indicates that the training effect of the combined training using both the PC (RAPT) and a low-cost driving simulator (SIMRAPT) is larger than for training programs that only use the PC, though not significantly so.

No description available.

Mankind is facing major challenges with climate change. Heatwaves are one of the biggest climate risks in Sweden in the future, in terms of how serious the consequences will be and the probability that it will occur. Heatwaves can affect all individuals, but mainly affects different risk groups like young children. To reduce children's vulnerability to climate risks, adults like preschool educators assumes to take responsibility and protect children. The purpose of the study is to investigate the educators' risk perception regarding heatwaves and whether adaptation measures is used to reduce vulnerabilities with heatwaves in preschools.To investigate this, a questionnaire study with open and closed questions was used, and answered by educators working in Forshaga Municipality. The results shows that the respondents have a good knowledge, the majority believe that the risk is likely to occur in pre-schools within 5 years and in a ranking with other climate-related risks, heatwaves is the highest risk. A few differences in risk perception have been identified. But there is a consensus about the risk among the respondents. Vulnerabilities exist in preschools due to exposure to the risk, sensitivity arises through increased workload and lack of recovery and adaptability is deficient. A few minor adaptation measures are available, but the results show that adaptions are partly or completely missing. An example is that there is no organizational readiness and there is a great potential for improvement within adaptation measures, so that preschools in Forshaga Municipality will be able to handle heatwaves in the future / Mänskligheten står inför stora utmaningar med klimatförändringarna. Värmebölja anses i framtiden vara en av de största klimatriskerna i Sverige, sett till allvarliga konsekvenserna är och sannolikheten att det inträffar. Värmebölja kan påverka alla individer, men drabbar främst olika riskgrupper som exempelvis småbarn. För att minska barns sårbarhet inför klimatrisker,förutsätts vuxna som till exempel pedagoger i förskolan ta ansvar och skydda barnen. Syftet med studien är att undersöka pedagogernas riskuppfattning om värmebölja och om anpassningsåtgärder vidtas för att minska sårbarheter med värmebölja i förskolan. För att undersöka detta har en enkätstudie med öppna och slutna frågor genomförts, med pedagogersom arbetar inom Forshaga Kommuns förskolor.Resultatet visar på en god upplevd kunskap hos respondenterna, majoriteten anser att riskensannolikt kommer inträffa på förskolan inom 5 år och i en rangordning med andra klimatrelaterade risker värderas värmebölja högst. Några få skillnader inom riskuppfattninghar identifierats, men finns generellt en samsyn om risken hos respondenterna. Sårbarheter finns i förskolorna genom att exponering av risken sker, känslighet kan uppstå av faktorer som ökad arbetsbelastning och avsaknad av återhämtning samt anpassningsförmåga är bristfällig. Vissa enklare anpassningsåtgärder finns att tillgå, men resultatet visar att åtgärder saknas delvis eller helt. Exempel är att organisatorisk beredskap inte finns etablerat och finns en stor förbättringspotential inom anpassningsåtgärder, för att förskolor i Forshaga Kommun ska kunna hantera värmeböljor i framtiden.

No description available.

This thesis aims to understand the risks faced by organizations operating in Northern Sweden when making decisions about digitalization. Through empirical analysis and discussion, the study investigates the influence of hindsight bias on risk perception and the decision-making process. The findings indicate that there is an arguable elevated level of hindsight bias is observed among all participants, with varying intentions behind this bias. One specific case highlights the influence of external decision-makers and the implications of their expertise. While an organization is acting in good faith by seeking advice from individuals of expertise as external decision-makers, who prioritize utility-maximizing choices, it exposes the organization to potential non-perceivable risks. The study reveals that individuals tend to overlook the risks associated with digitalization until they face tangible implications. However, the perception of risks is not artificially altered by expertise level, but rather triggered by occurrences. Moreover, the study identifies a pattern of elevated levels of hindsight bias, primarily in terms of foreseeability, coupled with a motivation for self-esteem. This pattern emphasizes the lack of communication regarding digitalization risks, which contributes to overconfidence and myopia in the decision-making process. The empirical analysis supports the notion that positive perceptions of digitalization and a failure to acknowledge possible implications result in individuals overseeing risks. Consequently, organizations in Northern Sweden run the risk of overconfidence and oversight if they fail to question the basis of their digitalization decisions or the motives and biases of their employees involved in the decision-making process.  In conclusion, this thesis reveals that the risks faced by organizations operating in Northern Sweden when making decisions about digitalization include a failure to perceive digitalization risks due to preconceived positive perceptions, which affects both employees and decision-makers, concluded from a two-perspective investigation. This behavior puts organizations at risk of overconfidence, particularly in the context of hindsight bias. Finally, the study responds to a research question inquired by past research and confirms that overconfidence reduces the availability of risks in the case of Northern Sweden.

<p>Cell phone use while driving is one of the commonest distracted driving behaviors that causes fatal crashes, and drivers are more likely to use their cell phones in work zones because of slow-moving traffic. The road safety campaign literature suggests that persuasive messages can positively influence safe driving behaviors leading to a reduction in crashes. Thus, this dissertation, guided by the risk perception attitude (RPA) framework, sought to examine how tailored messaging could serve as an effective communication strategy to promote positive attitudes and behavioral intentions in the context of cell phone use avoidance while driving through highway work zones. Findings from two studies, using a college student sample and a national sample of US young adults between 18 and 24 years old, revealed that the RPA framework likely does not serve as a useful audience segmentation strategy in this context because an overwhelming majority of participants (about 87%) belonged to the responsive group. A tailored messaging approach did not influence cell phone use avoidance while driving attitudes and intentions among the young adults because the majority of participants (70%) felt the messages were not designed uniquely for them and might not be personally relevant to them. However, the majority of participants (62%) reported that highway work zone safety was an important topic they would want to receive future messaging about because messages about this topic would help to save lives and protect public safety, drastically reduce crashes in highway work zones, and promote safe driving behaviors in highway work zones. Participants who were aware of the existence of state laws banning cell phone use while driving reported slightly higher attitudes toward and intentions to engage in safe driving behaviors compared to those who were not aware of the existence of such state laws. This dissertation suggests that instead of creating messages to raise risk perceptions and enhance efficacy perceptions, informing the young adult population in the US about the existence of laws banning cell phone use while driving might be an effective means to discourage them from using their cell phones while driving through highway work zones. By extending the RPA framework as an audience segmentation strategy, this dissertation also proposes a responsive group classification framework which could serve as a useful audience segmentation strategy in this study context to classify audiences into four groups to effectively tailor messages to them.</p>

Contract selection is at the forefront of risk management and mitigation, yet it is an underrepresented area of research in supply chain management field as well as the influences of individual-level risk propensity and risk perception on supply chain decision-making processes. This dissertation explores effects of managerial risk propensity and risk perception on contract selection through the theoretical lens of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE), using a vignette-based experimental research design. This body of work introduces both a first-ever systemmigram of TCE in relation to contract selection, and a novel measurement scale for TCE contract typology. Furthermore, this dissertation tests the TCE predictions towards contract selection and explores the moderating role of financial risk propensity and risk perception (cost vs. supplier performance) on contract selection. The main theoretical contribution of this research is the opening of an old debate on the risk neutrality assumption of TCE, by providing empirical evidence that individual-level risk propensity and perception effect contract selection. The practical implications are significant and points out to the need for a better fit between individual-level and firm-level risk propensity.