Session Information
16 SES 08 A, Digital Governance, EdTech and Behaviour Modification
Paper Session
Contribution
Over the last few years, the number of pedestrian fatalities on urban roads has increased, due largely to infractions associated with their behaviors (e.g., crossing when traffic lights are red). It is argued these behaviors reflect a lack of risk perception. Road safety programs have tried to raise awareness through different methods, using quite often experiences with emotional impact (e.g., testimonies of people who have experienced an accident themselves). Advances in technology have made it possible to develop more effective intervention programs. Concretely, VR technology provides new opportunities for human factors research in areas that are dangerous or difficult to study in the real world. Generally, it has been deployed with the aim of increasing the efficacy of these safety programs. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of VR to improve pedestrian behaviors, especially when it is accompanied by a debriefing and critical reflection. Within this background, the present study aims to provide evidence regarding to what extent the use of VR on road safety might improve pedestrian behavior. Thus, in order to achieve this goal, the following research questions are posed:
RQ1: Having an accident as a pedestrian in a VR might help to improve the behavior in urban environments? In particular, does it help to reduce violations and errors and increase positive behavior? (a) The hypothesis regarding RQ1 (Hypothesis 1) is that having an accident as a pedestrian in VR will be associated with a reduction in the number of violations and errors and an increase in the number of positive behaviors.
RQ2: Having a reflection and debriefing on the experience in an urban VR environment might help to improve pedestrian behavior? In particular, does it help to reduce violations and errors and increase positive behavior? The hypothesis regarding the RQ2 (Hypothesis 2) is that having a reflection and debriefing on the experience will be associated with a reduction in the number of violations and errors and an increase in the number of positive behaviors.
Method
To this end, a 2x2 factorial, quasi-experimental study with pre-post measures was designed, where participants (N = 43; M = 24.5 years; SD = 5.14, female 65.12%, all of them spanish speakers and mainly students in higher education) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Namely, Group 1(Accident in VR/Debriefing) visually experienced an accident in the VR environment and subsequently participated in a joint reflection process; Group 2(Accident in VR/NoDebriefing) visually experienced an accident in the VR environment, without post-reflection; Group 3 (NoAccident in VR/Debriefing) participated in a VR environment without an accident but with post-reflection; and Group 4 (NoAccident in VR/NoDebriefing) participated in a VR environment without an accident and without post-reflection. Data was collected over three weeks, and the sessions were individual and lasted approximately 45 minutes per person. The different stages of the process were, Stage 1 (pre-self-report measures), Stage 2 (pre-post behavioral measures), Familiarization scenario, Scenario 1 (pre-behavioral measures), Debriefing/Nodebriefing, Scenario 2 (post behavioral measures), and Stage 3 (post self-report measures). Therefore, the analysis was twofold. The pedestrian behavior was tested using both self-report measures (i.e., using Walking Behaviour Questionnaire) and behavioral measures (i.e., pedestrian behavior in VR). Pre-post data were collected in both cases. Moreover, Multivariate analysis (MANOVA) and Generalised Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) were applied for statistical analysis.
Expected Outcomes
The main results revealed that: -(a) Participants reported a general reduction in the number of violations of the norms, regardless of the condition. Although MANOVA results revealed nonsignificant differences between the four groups (Pillai’s Trace = .207 , F= .962; df= 9.117; p= .475), there was a main effect on pedestrian behaviour regarding pre-post measures, in particular, there was a significant reduction in the number of violations (F (1,84)= 8.60 ; p < .005), as also shown by descriptive analysis . -(b) There was a significant reduction in the number of violations committed in VR (i.e., crossing when the traffic light is red, in the condition where participants previously experienced an accident (X² (1) = 15.04; p < .001). These results support the potential of using VR environments to improve pedestrian behavior. Although the GLMM revealed no main effect of the variables, there was a significant interaction between receiving debriefing or not and the time (χ² (1) = 4.685; p = .03), in other words, there were differences between pre-post, depending on whether the participants received debriefing or not. In sum, the findings also show that the mere experimentation of an accident in VR was not associated with a reduction in the number of violations and errors and a rise in positive behaviors. However, there was a decrease in violations in all the group conditions. In particular, participants reflected on their opinions in the post, claiming that they had experienced changes in their behavior. However, they did not know whether to associate them with filling in the questionnaire or experiencing VR. In other words, completing the Walking Behaviour Questionnaire might force participants to reflect on their behavior as pedestrians, and in turn, modify it.
References
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