Matching unfamiliar faces is known to be a very difficult task. Yet, despite this, we frequently rely on this method to verify people's identity in high security situations, such as at the airport. Because of such security implications, recent research has focussed on investigating methods to improve our ability to match unfamiliar faces. This has involved methods for improving the document itself, such that photographic-ID presents a better representation of an individual, or training matchers to be better at the task. However, to date, no method has demonstrated significant improvements that would allow the technique to be put into practice in the real world. The experiments in this thesis therefore further explore methods to improve unfamiliar face matching. In the first two chapters both variability and feedback are examined to determine if these previously used techniques do produce reliable improvements. Results show that variability is only of use when training to learn a specific identity, and feedback only leads to improvements when the task is difficult. In the final chapter, collaboration is explored as a new method for improving unfamiliar face matching in general. Asking two people to perform the task together did produce consistent accuracy improvements, and importantly, also demonstrated individual training benefits. Overall, the results further demonstrate that unfamiliar face matching is difficult, and although finding methods to improve this is not straightforward, collaboration does appear to be successful and worth exploring further. The findings are discussed in relation to previous attempts at improving unfamiliar face matching, and the effect these may have on real world applications.

This dissertation falls in the realm of environmental behavior and focuses on the role of the built environment in influencing responses to threats to personal security associated with terrorism. The research integrates pertinent knowledge from psychology, architecture and security/terrorism into a cohesive conceptual framework. Based on the conceptual framework, this work examined the effects of levels of terrorism threat (high vs. low) on people who face public buildings (city hall or shopping mall) that vary in their facade and entrance designs (solid exterior vs. glass facade with/without designed vs. temporary access control security measures). The research was conducted in two societies that are different in their experience with terrorism (Israel and Texas). The effects were measured along four dimensions: how much the issue of terrorism threat is on a person?s mind, how safe and how anxious the individual feels, and how likely he/she is to use the building. The investigation consisted of three quasi-experiments and a pretest survey and employed a computer-based web driven platform. A total of 1071 undergraduate students from College Station, Texas and Tel Aviv, Israel participated in these studies. The results illustrate the predominance of the levels of threat of terrorism in influencing all the examined security-related responses. The characteristics of buildings affected those responses to some extent. Differences between the two societies were found mainly in relation to the building-uses. Participants of the two societies responded similarly to the design elements of buildings. In conditions of low threat of terrorism participants from both societies had a higher sense of security when they were exposed to a glass facade compared to a solid concrete facade. In high terrorism threat, participants from both societies felt safer, and were more inclined to use a building with a solid facade. However, when access control security measures were visible to participants in the approach to the building (regardless of their design), both facade designs elicited a similar sense of security, while the propensity to enter the building was higher towards a glass facade. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for architectural design.

Trots en markant ökning av vaktpersonal i privat regi under de senaste decennierna finns det inte mycket empirisk forskning om allmänhetens uppfattning av väktare. I detta arbete undersöks malmöbornas tillit till och tillfredställelse med väktare och syftet med studien är att får en inblick i allmänhetens inställning till vaktpersonal. Enkäter delades ut i Malmö med frågor angående upplevd tillit till väktare, tillfredställelse med väktare samt frågor om respondenternas uppfattning av väktares professionalitet, ansvarskyldighet, framställning och artighet. Urvalet bestod av 78 respondenter och resultaten tyder på att den allmänna uppfattningen av vaktpersonal är mer positiv än negativ. Upplevd professionalitet hos väktare påverkade tillit till väktare och upplevd artighet hos väktare påverkade tillfredställelse med väktare. Hur man upplevt väktares beteende vid personlig kontakt visade sig påverka uppfattningen av både tillit till och tillfredställelse med vaktpersonal. Studier om allmänhetens uppfattning av vaktpersonal kan användas i utbildande syfte för vaktbolag för att påverka väktares beteende och agerande mot allmänheten. Ökad kännedom av allmänhetens inställning till vaktpersonal är även relevant för politiker i deras ställningstagande av framtida reglering av den privata säkerhetsindustrin. / Despite the rapid increase in private security guards in recent decades, little is known about citizens’ perception of security guards. In this paper citizens’ trust and satisfaction with security guards is assessed. The aim of the study is to get an insight into citizens’ perception of private security guards in Malmö. Paper and pencil surveys were distributed in Malmö with questions regarding perceived trust and satisfaction with security guards and about security guards’ professionalism, accountability, imagery, and civility. The sample consisted of 78 respondents and the findings suggest that the overall perception of security guards was more positive than negative, however, the results were largely mixed. Perceived professionalism predicted satisfaction with security guards and perceived civility predicted trust in security guards. Also, security guard behavior while interacting with the public was a strong predictor of both trust and satisfaction with security personnel. Results from this study and similar studies can be used by private security organizations to educate staff in order to improve the public perception of security guards. It may also be useful for policy makers in order to make more educated decisions about future regulation of the private security industry.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rogerio Alves de Melo.pdf: 892369 bytes, checksum: 4af200efff3cb556cc018adff3611897 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-14 / This paper deals with the influence of the perception of Internet security when habitual users have the intention of buying something through the Internet. Therefore, a descriptive research was conducted, of which data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and a sample composed of 154 university students who are attending the Science of Computation course. The data was considered by the statistic: a) descriptive, using simple average and the answers frequency; b) Inference, through the techniques of the multiple linear regression, logistics and the tests t and x2 (qui-squared). The results gave evidences that: a) women and users who are not employed feel more insecure in the Internet; b) users with a higher income and who have used the Internet for a longer period (in years) feel more secure; c) the higher is the perception of security, the bigger is the intention of buying something through the Internet; d) users who have already bought something through the Internet feel more secure than those who never did; and e) among those users with the same degree of perception of security, the users who have already bought something through the Internet have a lesser degree of intention to buy something again. Thence, the main conclusions were: a) the intention of buying something through the Internet increases according to the increasing of the perception of security and; b) those users who have already bought something through the Internet are more influenced by their perception of security than those who never did. Before these evidences, the companies may direct investments in publicity in order that potential costumers realise their sale systems security and, specially, keep or increase this perception of security after the purchasing has been done. In order to continue this paper, it is suggested: a) reapplication of the research including new variables related to the perception of security; b) specific studies with women and low-income users; and c) reapplication with a population of non- university students who intensely use the Internet. / O presente trabalho trata da influência da percepção de segurança da internet sobre a intenção de compra de usuários habituais. Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa descritiva, cujos dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário semi-estruturado, de uma amostra composta de 154 estudantes de um curso universitário de Ciências da Computação . Os dados foram tratados pela estatística: a) descritiva, utilizando-se da média simples e das freqüências de respostas e; b) inferencial, por meio das técnicas da regressão linear múltipla e logística e dos testes t e do x2 (Qui-Quadrado). Os resultados evidenciaram que: a) mulheres e usuários que não trabalham são mais inseguros na internet, b) usuários com maior renda familiar e com maior tempo de utilização da internet (em anos) são mais seguros; c) quanto maior a percepção de segurança, maior a intenção de comprar pela Internet; d) usuários que já compraram pela internet sentem-se mais seguros do que os que nunca compraram; e e) entre os usuários com o mesmo grau de percepção de segurança, os usuários que já compraram têm menor intenção de compra. Com isso, as principais conclusões foram que: a) à medida que aumenta a percepção de segurança, aumenta intenção de compra pela internet e b) os usuários que já compraram são mais influenciados pela percepção de segurança do que os que nunca compraram. Diante dessas evidências, as empresas podem direcionar investimentos em publicidade para que seus potenciais clientes percebam a segurança dos seus sistemas de vendas e, principalmente, mantenham ou aumentem esta percepção após a realização da compra. Para prosseguimento deste trabalho, sugere-se: a) replicação da pesquisa com a inclusão de novas variáveis relacionadas à percepção de segurança; b) estudos específicos com mulheres e usuários de internet de baixa renda e c) replicação com população de não universitários com uso intensivo da internet.

The banking industry is constantly changing, resulting in more flexible payment methods and user-friendly services. Today's digital society attracts young people where new attitudes and behaviours are attributed. Thus, mobile banking applications are considered to be a technological development and streamlining of the bank. With this development, operational risks such as security risks may also arise. Trust is therefore of great importance for the relationship between bank customers and the bank in order to maintain customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Previous research shows that young bank customers' confidence in mobile banking applications is influenced and connected by a number of factors. The purpose of the study is to describe and analyse the relationship between young bank customers' trust in mobile banking applications and perceived security risks. A quantitative research method is applied for this study. The method has been based on a deductive and positivistic approach based on theoretical frameworks that tests the study's six hypotheses. The empirical data that the study has applied was collected through a survey that was answered by 183 respondents. It was processed by using a univariate and bivariate analysis as well as a multiple regression analysis. The study's theoretical frame of reference introduces a number of theories with the purpose of investigating the study's background and problem discussion. An independent variable and five control variables have been developed as influential factors for young bank customers' trust in mobile banking applications. The independent variable is perception of security risks. The five control variables consist of gender, age, level of education, position and savings, all of which are related to the dependent variable trust. The results showed that there is no statistically significant relationship between young bank customers' trust in mobile banking applications in relation to gender, level of education and position. However, it was also discovered that there is a statistically significant connection between young bank customers' trust in mobile banking applications with respect to perception of security risks, age and savings. Beyond that it was also established that the older the bank customer is, the lower the customer's trust is in the mobile banking applications. / Bankbranschen förändras ständigt där allt fler flexibla betalningsmetoder och användarvänliga tjänster uppkommer. Dagens digitaliserade samhälle lockar till sig unga människor där nya attityder och beteenden attribueras. Således anses mobila bankapplikationer vara en teknologisk utveckling och effektivisering av banken. Med denna utveckling kan även operativa risker såsom säkerhetsrisker tillkomma. Förtroendet är följaktligen av stor betydelse för förhållandet mellan bankkunder och banken för att bevara kundnöjdheten och kundlojaliteten. Tidigare forskning visar att unga bankkunders förtroende för mobila bankapplikationer influeras av och uppvisar samband mellan ett flertal faktorer. Syftet med studien är att beskriva och analysera sambandet mellan unga bankkunders förtroende för mobila bankapplikationer och upplevda säkerhetsrisker. Studien tillämpar en kvantitativ forskningsmetod. Metoden baseras på en deduktiv och positivistisk ansats med utgångspunkt i teoretiska ramverk som prövar studiens sex hypoteser. Den empiriska datan har samlats in genom en enkätundersökning, som vidare besvarades av 183 respondenter. Därefter bearbetades data med hjälp av en univariat och bivariat analys samt en multipel regressionsanalys. Studiens teoretiska referensram introducerar ett flertal teorier med ändamål att utreda studiens bakgrund och problemdiskussion. En oberoende variabel och fem kontrollvariabler har framtagits som inflytelserika faktorer för unga bankkunders förtroende för mobila bankapplikationer. Den oberoende variabeln består av perception av säkerhetsrisker och de fem kontrollvariablerna utgörs av kön, ålder, utbildningsnivå, befattning och sparande, vilka alla står i relation till den beroende variabeln förtroende. Resultatet påvisar att det inte finns ett statistiskt säkerställt samband mellan unga bankkunders förtroende för mobila bankapplikationer i relation till kön, utbildningsnivå och befattning. Däremot tyder resultatet på ett statistiskt säkerställt samband mellan unga bankkunders förtroende för mobila bankapplikationer i förhållande till perception av säkerhetsrisker, ålder och sparande. Studiens resultat fastslog även att ju äldre den unga bankkunden är desto lägre förtroende erhåller kunden för de mobila bankapplikationerna.