Aim: As premature replacement of residential appliances drives rising e-waste levels in Europe, analysis of the factors impacting consumer decision-making when faced with opportunities to extend (repair) or reduce appliance lifespans (premature replacement) is needed. This manuscript seeks to explore the impact of environmental and financial literacy on consumer willingness to seek repair of home appliances (over replacement) across owner-occupier and rental properties. The impact of financial salience within the informational frames of these decisions is also explored. Method: An online discrete choice experiment was conducted using the EVIDENT serious game, a life-simulation game in which players manage a virtual home and face energy decisions. Participants (n = 1056) completed a series of 3 choice experiments exploring repair/replace decision-making and willingness to pay for repair. Prior to the game, measures of environmental literacy, financial literacy, household type, and sociodemographic factors were obtained using a pre-game survey. For rental properties, a further stated preference experiment was conducted to determine the impact of financial incentives on willingness to invest in more efficient appliances for both landlords and tenants. Results: While an overall willingness to seek repair for broken home appliances was found, most participants selected to prematurely replace their broken appliance with a more efficient alternative. Participants aged over 51 were significantly less likely to choose a repair (p < .001), while those in non-full-time employment more likely to select a repair (p < .001). Limited impact of environmental and financial literacy on repair/replace decision-making was found, though financial knowledge, environmental knowledge, and environmental skills were associated with willingness to pay for repair. Willingness towards repair in rental properties (landlords and tenants) was found with tenants willing to pay 34-71.3 % more than homeowners for repair and landlords willing to pay 93.3-108.8 % more depending on the appliance. Mixed impacts of financial incentives in rental properties to surmount impacts of split incentives were found. While 86.6 % of landlords were willing to accept a small fee from tenants towards a more efficient appliances, 65.2 % of tenants were unwilling to pay such a fee. Conclusion: Results cast light on the specific impacts of individual financial and environmental literacy, demographic factors, and residence type on early replacement decisions, providing valuable direction for future policy actions.

As efforts to empower consumers to repair home appliances increase, analysis of the behavioural biases driving premature replacement is needed. Serious games, such as the EVIDENT serious game, provide a promising means to explore these biases and aid consumer energy decision making. However, for serious games to be effective, they must be acceptable and usable, and accurately reflect real-world contexts. As such, this manuscript seeks to 1) identify the real-world factors impacting decisions to repair or replace home appliances; and 2) explore the usability and acceptability of the EVIDENT serious game as a means to examine energy decision making. Six interactive workshops were conducted (n = 44) consisting of focus group discussions, questionnaires, and co-located game play. Positive feedback on the use of serious games to explore residential repair or replace decision making was noted. While initial challenges with usability and acceptability of the serious game were identified, significant increases in both arose following iterative incorporation of workshop feedback. Key themes arising from focus group discussions on repair/replace decision making included what does it mean, invisible impacts, shifting cultural values and trust. These findings highlight the uniquely challenging nature of energy decision making, and the resulting need for multi-level interventions to increase repair, with the interconnecting role of individuals, businesses, communities, and policy clearly noted.. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of user inclusion across the energy serious game design and piloting process to support both utility and broader social and ecological validity.

This research sought to develop a structured methodology for transferring resilience resources and safety innovation across industrial sectors, specifically, from aviation to maritime. As transportation sectors struggle to adapt to new economic realities and seek to prosper in new operational contexts there is a need to preserve resources and invest in change initiatives which will derive meaningful impact. A structured methodology to guide a principled transfer of safety solutions across sectors would be a sustainable method of improving the resilience of the sector. An action research approach was adopted. A five-step methodology was developed in cooperation with three maritime organisations to identify challenges and resilience resources from aviation which could be feasibly transferred and implemented. Five steps were identified as being key to a principled transfer of resilience resources from aviation to maritime. They were as follows: (1) industry comparison and database of aviation resilience resources; (2) maritime user needs and gap analysis, and resilience resources evaluation and selection; (3) scenarios production and resources mapping onto scenarios; (4) feasibility analysis; and (5) implementation plan. The results highlight the utility of combining bottom-up (identifying problems) and top-down (identifying a database of resources) approaches at the outset. A comprehensive workshop-based feasibility analysis is also key to ensuring the identified resources can be effectively implemented in the destination sector.

The EVIDENT Discrete Choice Experiment seeks to explore the impact of energy related financial literacy, consumer motivation, point-of-sale information and demographic factors on discount rate and willingness to pay for efficient household appliances. Across a series of choice experiments, the impact of factors such as financial information (purchase price, operating cost, salience of financial information), risk reduction (i.e. extended warranty), and financial capacity (i.e. low cost loans) on implicit discount rates for home appliances is examined. Further, the impact of direct rebound rates on efficient appliance selection is examined. The experiment consists of the following sections: 1) demographic information; 2) current home appliance purchasing behaviour; 3) financial literacy; 4) environmental literacy; 5) stated preference experiment consisting of four choice points; 6) discount rates; 7) discrete choice experiment consisting of ten choice points; and 8) questions examining direct rebound rates associated with the novel appliance selected. As noted above, two choice experiments are included within the current use case. The first of these is a stated preference experiment which examines the impact of financial and energy framing on willingness-to-pay for energy efficient appliances. Four choice points are presented within this experiment. Choice 1 presents five identical versions of an appliance which differ only by key feature, and seeks to reduce hypothetical bias across the choice experiment. For example, for a washing machine the key features are cost, capacity, spin speed, quick wash time and pause wash functionality. Choice 2 consists of the participants initial choice (at choice 1) alongside alternatives which differ only in purchase price and energy rating, with purchase price greater for more efficient appliances (I.e. A rated appliances are most expensive; D rated appliances are least expensive). Choice 3 is similar to choice 2, however in this instance operational costs per month are also presented. Again, operational costs are lower for more efficient appliances. Choice 3 is similar to choice 3 however in this instance operational costs per year are presented. The second choice experiment is the DCE which explores the relative impacts of risk reduction (extended warranty), and financial supports (low cost loan, loan term) on willingness to invest in more efficient energy appliances. Attributes were selected based on literature review, focus group analyses, cognitive walk-through and usability analyses. Once final attributes were determined, choice cards were developed using a fractional factorial design. A statistically efficient main-effects design with 10 choice sets was created in R studio using the idefix package. As such, participants are presented with a series of ten choice points, each consisting of two appliances and a ‘no preference’ option. More information on the EVIDENT Discrete Choice Experiment can be found on the public deliverables of the EVIDENT project https://evident-h2020.eu/deliverables/. More specifically, the experiment's theoretical framework and motivation are described in deliverable D1.2 Assessing behavioural biases and financial literacy, in section 5 while the final design is reported in D2.2 Optimised Protocols Design

The way in which technology is designed requires reconsideration. Most importantly, a clearer consideration of ethics in the design process can ensure that, even in the planning phase, there is a move towards the creation of technologies that fit with, and support, human activity in a sustainable way. To this end, this paper presents some critical points which should be considered in the design phase to encourage reflection on the evolutionary aspects of user-centered design.

While the efficacy of serious games for energy efficiency is well established, analysis of how such approaches employ behavioural principles has yet to be considered. This study presents a systematic review and content analysis of the use of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) within serious games for energy efficiency, defined as the use of gamification within interventions. By exploring the use of BCTs, increased understanding of the mechanisms of change underlying serious games for energy efficiency can be obtained. Using search terms relating to (1) serious games and (2) energy efficiency, seven databases were searched. Content analysis was completed using the behaviour change taxonomy v1 (BCTv1; Michie et al., Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46 (1), 81–95, 2013 ). Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Serious games targeted residential ( n = 10), commercial ( n = 8), educational ( n = 1), and public ( n = 2) settings. Average decreases in energy use of 15.2% in residential settings, 18.4% in commercial settings and 9.9% in educational and public settings were found. Across serious games, 36 individual BCTs were found with an average of 9.45 individual BCTs per game. Common BCTs included monitoring of behaviour by others without feedback ( n = 18), feedback on behaviour ( n = 17) and self-monitoring of behaviour ( n = 12). Results highlight the positive impacts of serious games on energy consumption behaviour and demonstrate the utility of BCTs within such games. Opportunities exist to further enhance the efficacy of serious games through better leveraging behavioural techniques using knowledge from behaviour analysis. Behaviour analysts should consider serious games when developing interventions to support energy behaviour change.

This paper examines privacy and data protection concerns of the public in relation to COVID-19 contact tracing apps. In addition, the role played by these concerns in the adoption of contact tracing apps has been investigated. Further emphasis has been directed at the limitations of contact tracing apps that could stem from privacy and data protection accommodations. Regarding socio-technical system design, this paper attempts to identify mechanisms preserving privacy in contact tracing apps. It has been a further research aim to determine factors that assist and hinder adoption. A mixed methods approach utilising a survey including both qualitatively and quantitatively evaluable questions was employed. Contact tracing apps have been a highly topical subject during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research found that privacy and data protection are indeed important factors in people's decision-making about whether to use a contact tracing app. While certain privacy trade-offs are inevitable when it comes to contact tracing, this research found that a decentralised design approach characterised by full anonymity for users and the largest amount of data possible remaining on the device is best suited to achieve widespread adoption and approval with a privacy-conscious public that is concerned with data protection.

Public engagement remains a challenge within energy behaviour change interventions, and serious games appear a promising mechanism to mitigate this. While social factors are commonly employed within such serious games, analysis of their specific impact is outstanding. This paper seeks to examine the social aspects of serious games and explore how they may be leveraged to support and incentivise energy related behaviour change. To demonstrate how social strategies may be used within a serious game to increase impact, the EVIDENT project is presented as a case study. Analysis of the literature suggests positive effects of social strategies within serious games, with peer comparison, collaboration, and competition commonly employed. However, as serious games often include multiple behaviour change strategies, both social and non-social, componential analysis is needed to determine the relative impacts of different approaches. As such, several social factors will be applied within the EVIDENT serious game including 1) stakeholder inclusion in design, 2) shared learning through social groups, 3) social inclusion, 4) social considerations to support maintenance of effects, and 5) social comparison. While positive effects for social factors within serious games are clear, this paper argues that additional analyses of how they may be best applied within serious games is needed.

Emergency evacuation information provided to cruise ship passengers is static and hard to access and understand by some passengers. The SafePASS project is working to provide technology solutions which provide passengers with dynamic, real-time information which they can understand and follow to aid their evacuation from cruise ships in event of an emergency. This paper reports on acceptability and usability analyses of a Passenger Mobile Application, a Smart Lifejacket and a Smart Wristband which were positively rated by passengers and crew in surveys and workshops. Passengers responded positively to the use of a Passenger Mobile Application for directions (suggesting a willingness to use smartphone technologies as support in emergencies), while they responded neutrally to wearable technologies (Smart Lifejacket, Smart Wristband). Crew responded positively to the use of smartphones and wearable technologies in emergency situations. This suggests high acceptability of smartphone-based technologies for use by crew in emergency situations. Workshops with industry experts and passengers highlighted the importance of data protection.

Aims This research was performed to assess if a reduced length of hospital stay was associated with increased re-attendances to, and re-admissions from, the Emergency Department (ED). Methods Inpatient discharge and ED attendance records over a ten-year period were sampled and collated. Independent sample t-tests and regression were used to assess changes.

This study explores the extent to which social media manages to meet the relational needs of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during Italy’s first COVID-19 lockdown (March – May, 2020). To this end 22 caregivers of people with ASD completed a questionnaire investigating the living conditions of the affected people during this time, their use of social media/communication tools, their anxiety levels, their perception of the usefulness of social media, and the types of cognitive and/or relational dysfunction. The results show that social media did not prove useful, even in situations of obvious need such as those experienced during the lockdown. Caregivers, however, viewed social media in a positive light only for those individuals with ASD who had used them already prior to the lockdown. Further studies are therefore needed to better design social media for the needs of people with ASD.

Discrete event simulation (DES) is a powerful decision support methodology particularly suited to complex systems where the relationship between individual components is difficult to comprehend.This study aims to investigate DES usage and its relevance in manufacturing SMEs using a surveybased calculated complexity value for each organisation.A study was conducted to assess Irish manufacturing SMEs' perception of their organisation's complexity versus a survey-based calculated complexity value.Complexity levels were then used to determine the potential for DES usage.Respondents were also asked to respond on DES awareness and usage.This study suggests that manufacturing SMEs seem to underestimate the complexity of their systems and consequently the usefulness of DES.The poor uptake of DES among manufacturing SMEs can be partly attributed to a lack of awareness.This paper presents a call to action by the DES modelling community including practitioners, academics and software vendors in support of manufacturing SMEs.

The evacuation of a ship is the last line of defence against human loses in case of emergencies in extreme fire and flooding casualties. Since the establishment of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Maritime Safety is its cornerstone with the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) spearheading its relentless efforts to reduce risks to human life at sea. However, the times are changing. On one hand, we have the new opportunities created with the vast technological advances of today. On the other, we are facing new challenges, with the ever-increasing size of the passenger ships and the societal pressure for a continuous improvement of maritime safety. In this respect, the EU-funded Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme project SafePASS, presented herein, aims to radically redefine the evacuation processes, the involved systems and equipment and challenge the international regulations for large passenger ships, in all environments, hazards and weather conditions, independently of the demographic factors. The project consortium, which brings together 15 European partners from industry, academia and classification societies. The SafePASS vision and plan for a safer, faster and smarter ship evacuation involves: i) a holistic and seamless approach to evacuation, addressing all states from alarm to rescue, including the design of the next generation of life-saving appliances and; ii) the integration of ‘smart’ technology and Augmented Reality (AR) applications to provide individual guidance to passengers, regardless of their demographic characteristics or hazard (flooding or fire), towards the optimal route of escape.

Objective: This study traces the evolution of perceptions and use of computed tomography (CT) by radiology technicians in the emergency department (ED) of a hospital in Italy across a 7-year period. Background: The sociotechnical context of the CT room of an ED has been neglected by scientific research—potentially impacting safety. Method: Two studies were performed, one in 2011 and one in 2018. Six CT technicians were involved in each. Structured interviews were performed to gather information on perceptions related to the evolution of the use of CT according to nine different factors—e.g. the level of complexity, and mental workload. Observations were performed on duration of exams, the flow of people, conversations, and any critical issues. Results: The CT technology is appreciated, used effectively and with confidence by CT technicians. From 2011-2018, the execution times of the exams have decreased but not the proportion of time dedicated to the patient. Expectations for future improvements are limited by issues concerning the design of both the user interface and the social context of the ED workplace. Conclusions: The safety and efficiency of the system as a whole are greatly dependent on the competence of the CT technicians. CT manufacturers rely on this competence to help compensate for the deficiencies created by suboptimal user interfaces and the lack of fit of the technology with the social context of the workplace. Application: Training programs aimed at improving the management of relationships and communications between staff could improve performance and efficiency. CT manufacturers should try to better understand the cognitive and operational context of the workplaces where CT technicians work—and to design better diagnostic technology which accounts for these operational realities.

Interactions with digital technologies can be based on the adoption of relational strategies which assume that thesetechnologies have mental states. There are at least two reasons to support the hypothesis that intentional stance is the

Objective There is little consensus on the best way to measure emergency department (ED) crowding. We have previously developed a consensus-based measure, the International Crowding Measure in Emergency Departments. We aimed to externally validate a short form of the International Crowding Measure in Emergency Department (sICMED) against emergency physician’s perceptions of crowding and danger. Methods We performed an observational validation study in seven EDs in five different countries. We recorded sICMED observations and the most senior available emergency physician’s perceptions of crowding and danger at the same time. We performed a times series regression model. Results A total of 397 measurements were analysed. The sICMED showed moderate positive correlations with emergency physician’s perceptions of crowding, r = 0.4110, P < 0.05) and safety (r = 0.4566, P < 0.05). There was considerable variation in the performance of the sICMED between different EDs. The sICMED was only slightly better than measuring occupancy or ED boarding time. Conclusion The sICMED has moderate face validity at predicting clinician’s concerns about crowding and safety, but the strength of this validity varies between different EDs and different countries.

Many steps have been taken in recent years to bring production processes closer to customer needs. This trend of mass customisation is best characterised by the emergence of online configurators which help to eliminate barriers between production and market needs. This study involved 82 participants who interacted with an online configurator for interior design products. Participants were administered two tests to measure their prospective memory abilities. After interacting with the product configurator, the participants were asked to rate aspects of the configurator - level of satisfaction, extent to which they had been able to satisfactorily conclude the configuration process, as well as their willingness to buy the product they created. The results show that prospective memory is relevant in relation to the degree of satisfaction with the interaction experience. The results also seem to suggest that prospective memory is involved in the successful completion of the configuration process and in the level of willingness to purchase the configured product.

The relationship between stress and unethical behaviour amongst non-tenured research staff in academia is a relatively unexplored phenomenon. The research reported herein was therefore carried out with the aim of exploring the relationship(s) between stress, the socio-organisational factors which contribute to it, job satisfaction, perceptions of job instability, and the occurrence of unethical behaviour in research. 793 Italian researchers participated in the research-all of whom were working on fixed-term contracts-after being individually requested to complete an online questionnaire. The data indicate that unethical behaviours occur with alarming frequency. The stress level reported is quite high, as is the level of perceived job insecurity, both of which impact upon levels of job satisfaction. Perceived stress levels also seem to play a role in the commission of unethical behaviours, but this relationship is irrelevant when one considers the role of social and organisational factors that are known to induce it. Indeed, it seems that there are various socio-organisational determinants of stress that have an obvious direct negative influence on the commission of unethical behaviours more than the stress level per se. This research paints a worrying picture in relation to the psycho-physical state of non-tenured researchers as a result of the working conditions in which they find themselves in Italian universities.

Uncertain working conditions can induce stress and can lead to occurrences of unethical behavior in research activities, and ethical violations in biomedical disciplines are likely to affect care settings and medical therapies. The research presented herein compares the responses given by untenured Italian researchers in the biomedical (N = 124) and humanities (N = 107) fields to a questionnaire on stress and ethical behaviour. The results highlight undeniable levels of stress amongst the researchers investigated and the occurrence of unethical behavior by both sets of researchers, although this effect is more pronounced among researchers in the biomedical field.