Road trauma is recognized as a major public health problem worldwide (particularly for younger drivers), and risky driving has been identified as an important contributor to road crashes. It is often assumed that similar factors influence all risky driving behaviours, although direct and systematic examination of the differences between risky driving behaviours in terms of precipitating factors is lacking. The present thesis sought to undertake a systematic investigation of relevant factors in the prediction of four key risky driving behaviours (speeding, drink-driving, driving while fatigued, and not wearing seat belts). Four versions of a Risky Driving Questionnaire were developed to assess beliefs, personality factors and behavioural intentions, in relation to each of the four behaviours. Four versions of the Implicit Association Test were developed to assess attitudes toward each of the four behaviours, without reliance on self-report (in terms of the relative strength of pairs of associations). Data were collected from a student sample (N=215: Study 1), as well as urban (N=587) and rural (N=422) general population samples (Study 2), and regression models were examined for each of the four behaviours, with interaction terms to assess moderations involving perceived risk. Mediations involving gender were also assessed. Results indicate that different risky driving behaviours are predicted by different factors. For example, in the urban sample, speeding was predicted by driver anger and illusory invulnerability, drink driving was predicted by peer influence, driving while fatigued was predicted by the perceived benefits of not driving while fatigued, and not wearing seat belts was predicted by the (sensation seeking x illusory invulnerability) interaction. Results also suggest that different predictors of risky driving behaviours are relevant for different driver populations. For example, speeding was predicted by authority rebellion in the urban sample, and by sensation seeking in the rural sample. Observed moderations of perceived risk suggest that relationships between perceived risk and risky driving may differ for males versus females, and for low versus high sensation seekers. Findings suggest that future road safety interventions should be based on research of the determinants of individual risky driving behaviours, and in specific driver populations.

As technology advances, the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) surpasses the influence of traditional face-to-face WOM communication on consumers’ decision making. Since the hospitality and tourism products and services contain more interpersonal interaction that needs to be experienced by consumers, the influence of eWOM in the hospitality industry is more significant than in other industries. The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among source credibility of eWOM, customers’ perceived risk, and their behavior intentions to use consumer generated media. The result provides evidence about the influence of eWOM on overall perceived risk and how consumers use eWOM to manage and reduce the potential risks when making their lodging decisions. Academically, it confirms the significance of eWOM influence and connects the gap in the previous literatures between source credibility of eWOM and perceived risk research. Practically, hoteliers can set their marketing strategies precisely aimed to consumers’ needs and are able to build good reputations through those online travel forums or hotel review sites.

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Research shows that adolescents use places in the natural environment much differently from the general population. Research also shows that, when asked, adolescents express environmental preferences that reflect these differences. These differences in use and preference reflect new design challenges. This paper and design project explores how to begin designing places that address the unique needs and preferences of adolescents. / Master of Landscape Architecture

This study examines whether back stage information in services advertisements would significantly influence intangibility of services and consumers¡¦ perceived risk by experimental design, and whether ¡§back stage information-perceived risk¡¨ relation would mediated by intangibility. The researcher provides back stage information by print advertisements. The presentation of back stage information, the types of services, and the attributes of services are considered and included in research design to explore their roles in ¡§back stage information-intangibility-perceived risk¡¨ relation. The result shows that intangibility of services and consumers¡¦ perceived risk are significantly lower after consumers reading advertisements with back stage information contrast with those without back stage information. Intangibility has partial mediating effect on ¡§back stage information-perceived risk¡¨ relation. Though, presenting back stage information simultaneously by picture and text has a slightly better effect than by text alone, however, the difference is not significant. The type and attribute of services have no moderation on ¡§back stage information-perceived risk¡¨ and ¡§intangibility-perceived risk¡¨ relations respectively.

The perceived risks would produce when consumers want to purchase, they would use the media to collect product information to reduce the risk. So this study would investigate the difference between the perceived risk and purchase intention in the single media or in the cross-media which is combined by telephone and internet. In this study, the product is set to shampoo to avoid the impact of product involvement, and the sample focus on people who have used two kinds of phone and Internet media. The study adopts the experimental method which used in the campus of National Sun Yat-sen University. The sample can be divided into 4 groups which included the experimental and control teams; they totally collect 188 valid questionnaires. The results showed that the cross-media which composed of phone and Internet can reduce the consumer perceived risk, but only one kind cross-media which is ¡§touching the internet after telephone¡¨ can increase the purchase intention. The results would help the company to market, but it should follow one principle which was committed to "reducing the financial risk perception". Besides, this study confirmed that the purchase intention has an opposite correlation to perceived risk in the cross-media and single media again, the conclusion is consistent with the previous studies.

Firms constantly try their best to build up added value for products or services in order to raise their profitability in the wave of the global economy in 21th century. Originally, brands are simply used to distinguish the sellers of products or services, but once brand contacts with consumers, the interaction between firms marketing strategy and consumers¡¦ response begins. Hence the unique brand attributes and differentiation are developed based on product and brand positioning. The uniqueness and differentiation of brand attributes can attract consumers¡¦ recognition of brand, and it will gradually accumulate to become consumer based brand equity. Smartphone product knowledge is widely open and only one click away from consumers on internet, thus product involvement is gradually getting high. Moreover, the market is flooded with similar products since fierce industrial competition environment. For this reason, consumers¡¦ complex decision-making process among the numerous varieties of products interests me. After relevant literature review, the influence on brand equity, product involvement, perceived risk on smartphone is chosen to be the subject, in order to understand consumers¡¦ perceptions of brand recognition of smartphone. The study employs questionnaires with anonymous and convenience sampling. Total distribution of questionnaires was 347pcs, 342 were received, after deduction of invalid 37pcs, the valid questionnaires reached a total of 305. The empirical study conclusions are: 1. Brand equity affects consumers¡¦ perceived level of product involvement. High brand equity will bring out consumers¡¦ attention and importance of product. 2. Brand equity has direct influence on purchase intention. The objectives of this study are easily influenced by the constructs-perceived quality, brand awareness and different attributes-of brand equity when the decision-making process occurs. 3. Perceived risk does not have mediating effects among brand equity, product involvement and purchase intention. Consumers have no expectation of risk or uncertainty that would cause any loss of smartphone purchase behavior. 4. Product involvement is the mediating variable of brand equity and purchase intention. Strong brand equity can effectively seduce consumers¡¦ needs and interests and go a step further to raise their purchase intention indirectly. Key words: brand equity, product involvement, perceived risk, purchase intention and smartphone.

The research objects are Tickets Group Buying Websites, to explore the correlation between Perceived Risk and Purchase Intention, including website trust and perception of price. The main purpose is to investigate consumers' tickets group buying behavior, and to understand the consumers' perceived risk interactions with perceived price, trust in tickets group buying, and the impact of people¡¦s purchase intention. This research takes the questionnaire survey; we collect total 301 available samples. Use percentage, average, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The study result indicated that main consumer in ticket group buying are women; the major consumer age groups is 19-29 years old, their income per month is bellow fifty thousand; and most of consumer who lives in northern area in Taiwan. The main reasons that people who willing to use ticket group buying are cheapest price and easy to buy. The key reasons people who do not buy ticket group buying are using time limit and lower service quality. In this research, we found that when consumer has higher website trust, the perceived risk will be weaken; besides the purchase intention will be strengthen. The trust has significant effects on consumer¡¦s purchase decision in ticket group buying. This study also founds that consumer have lower perceived price having higher perceived risk and having lower purchase intention.

Over the past decade, the ratio of annual official listing in Taiwan between used cars and brand-new cars is 2:1, to show that car users increase the acceptance for used cars, also show that the market of used car in Taiwan will be expect with car dealers. However, there exist an asymmetric information situation in used car market for a long time, and it also the primary concern with consumers. Recently year, local used car dealers provide the certified system with used cars, through over hundred standardized inspections to certify the used car. Used car dealers expect to decrease the purchase risk with the concept of service innovation, and enhance the confidence in the minds of consumers. In this research, service innovation will compare with perceived risk-six dimensions from Peter & Tarpey in 1975. The goals of this research are find the mediator effect within service innovation, perceived risk and purchase intention, and the relationships between service innovation and purchase intention in certified used car market. Samples of 158 collected through questionnaire survey, verified the hypotheses by description statistics and regression analysis. The results showed that have the significant relationship between service innovation, perceived risk and purchase intention in certified used car market, moreover, the three variables did have the partial mediator effect. Base on the results, the suggestion for certified used car dealers as followed: dealers should provide multiple innovative services with customers, to decrease the perceived risk and enhance the purchase intention in the future.