Policy Testing in Virtual Environments

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalini Kardara ◽  
Omri Fuchs ◽  
Eleni Kosta ◽  
Fotis Aisopos ◽  
Ilias Spais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
The Public ◽  
Virtual Spaces ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Policy Testing ◽  
Testing Environments ◽  
Mass Participation ◽  
The Impact

Governments want to improve their policy making process by being able to accurately predict the impact of prospective policy measures to the community. Current e-government tools fail to capture the public opinion as they lack in mass participation. Instead of relying on outdated methods of communicating with the public, governments should embrace Web 2.0 technologies and take advantage of the vast the flows of information available online. In +Spaces, the authors introduce a novel way of accessing and evaluating public opinion by using popular virtual spaces, i.e., 3D Virtual Worlds and Social networks, as testing environments and developing an interface that would allow applications to operate inside them, capturing the reactions of citizens to prospective policies. They present the +Spaces platform giving emphasis on technical challenges such as Virtual Spaces interoperability as well as legal requirements related to processing user created data and how the authors addressed them.

Methods for Assessing 3D Virtual Worlds in Design Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 355-372
Author(s):  
Leman Figen Gül ◽  
Ning Gu ◽  
Mi Jeong Kim ◽  
Xiangyu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Changing Trend ◽  
The Impact

With the advancement and increasing adoption of information and communication technologies, 3D virtual worlds, being a part of these revolutionary forces, have the potential to make a major contribution to design education as a new teaching and learning environment. Considering this changing trend, we have been employing 3D virtual worlds in the design curriculum over the past decade. To critically understand the impact of the technologies on design education, this chapter explores and demonstrates three different assessment methods of 3D virtual worlds in design education, through three case studies. The chapter also concludes with insights into the applications of virtual environments in collaborative design teaching.

scholarly journals Modeling Public Opinion Reversal Process with the Considerations of External Intervention Information and Individual Internal Characteristics

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinggui Chen ◽  
Yulong Wang ◽  
Jianjun Yang ◽  
Guodong Cong
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
External Information ◽  
Media Technology ◽  
The Public ◽  
Reversal Process ◽  
Information Intensity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
External Intervention

With the rapid development of “we media” technology, external information about the same sudden hot social event is often involved repetitiously, leading to frequent public opinion reversal. However, the phenomenon of public opinion reversal process usually has a long-lasting duration and spreads wide, making the event itself attract the widespread attention of ordinary people. Focusing on the public opinion reversal process of sudden social hot topic (a popular and widely discussed issue), this paper firstly identifies the internal and external factors that affect the reversal, namely individual internal characteristics and external intervention information. Secondly, information intensity and the amount of information perceived by individuals are introduced to describe the impact of external intervention information on the public opinion reversal. Thirdly, the parameters of individual attention and conservation are used to describe the process of individual’s selection of external information, so as to reveal the influence of the internal characteristics on public opinion reversal, and then build a public opinion reversal model. Fourthly, the effects of information intensity and individual attention, as well as individual conservation on the process of public opinion reversal are analyzed by simulation experiment. Simulation results show that: (1) the intensity of external intervention information affects the direction and degree of public opinion reversal; (2) when individual conservation is strong or individual attention is weak, even if external intervention information is strong, there will still be no obvious reversal of public opinion. Subsequently, the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed model are verified by a real case. Finally, some recommendations and policy implications are also given.

scholarly journals The impact of religious values in the Jordanian political discourses on public opinion (field study on universities students)

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaid Odeh Ebniya
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
University Students ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Religious Values ◽  
The Political ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Discourses ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to know the effect of religious values that the Jordan Political discipline adopted and were mentioned in the Jordan political discourses (Amman Message 2005, discourse of King Abdullah II in the European Parliament 2008 and his discourse in United Nations 2015) on the public opinion of the university students, especially their attitudes toward terrorism and extremism. Defending Islam is the responsibility of the Jordan political leadership according to Hashemite legacy and promoting Islamic values that rejected terrorism and extremism to Jordanian youth, especially tolerance and moderation values, to counter defamations and claims against Islam and correct its image in the West. Design/methodology/approach A political discourse analysis approach was used by analyzing the Amman Message and identifying the most important religious values contained therein. Also, a quantitative research method was used in this study. The study population consisted of university students, particularly Jordanian University students because being one of the high-bred Jordanian universities, it is characterized with gender, age, regional affiliation and family income diversities. This study depends on a purposive sample containing 350 students (175 males and 175 females). The survey was conducted in the academic year (2018-2019). A questionnaire that was reviewed by three jurors was used in data collection. Findings The results of the analysis of the political discourse showed that the values of tolerance and moderation are among the most valued in the Amman Message, where they were frequently repeated. Also, findings have shown that the religious values adopted by the Jordanian political system mentioned in the political discourses had an impact on public opinion of university students on terrorism and extremism causes in a large percent. When gender differed (males and females), the impact ratio of the public opinion for males was higher than that for females. When the age group differed (18-22 and 23-30 years), the effect ratio with the old age group was higher than the effect ratio for the students with the youngest age group. When regional affiliation differed (Jordanian and Jordanian of Palestinian origin), the impact ratio of the public opinion for Jordanian students was higher than that for Jordanian students of Palestinian origin. When regional family income differed (500 dinars and less, more than 500 dinars), the impact ratio of the public opinion for students with family income more than 500 dinars was higher than that for students with family income 500 dinars and less. Originality/value This study represents an approach to recognize the effect of religious values that were adopted by the Jordanian political system mentioned in the political discourses on public opinion of university students on terrorism and extremism causes, considering that university students represent the influential youth group in the Jordanian society.

Impact of Flow and Brand Equity in 3D Virtual Worlds

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 69-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah ◽  
Brenda Eschenbrenner ◽  
David DeWester ◽  
So Ra Park
Keyword(s):  
Brand Equity ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Behavioral Intention ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Theoretical Foundation ◽  
Flow Experience ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
3D Virtual World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This research is a partial test of Park et al.’s (2008) model to assess the impact of flow and brand equity in 3D virtual worlds. It draws on flow theory as its main theoretical foundation to understand and empirically assess the impact of flow on brand equity and behavioral intention in 3D virtual worlds. The findings suggest that the balance of skills and challenges in 3D virtual worlds influences users’ flow experience, which in turn influences brand equity. Brand equity then increases behavioral intention. The authors also found that the impact of flow on behavioral intention in 3D virtual worlds is indirect because the relationship between them is mediated by brand equity. This research highlights the importance of balancing the challenges posed by 3D virtual world branding sites with the users’ skills to maximize their flow experience and brand equity to increase the behavioral intention associated with the brand.

The Public Debt of French Local Government

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Henri Derycke ◽  
Guy Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Tight Control ◽  
The Public ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTAfter a sharp increase, the public debt of French local communities has been stabilized in real terms: its amount reached 54 per cent of total public debt in 1980. In the French institutional framework, local government borrowing policy is under the tight control of central agencies. An econometric model of the borrowing behaviour of local governments since 1965 is presented; it emphasizes the role of internal determinants of local debt (needs for investment, self-financing ability of governments), external constraints (e.g. interest rates and the financial resources of lenders, such as households savings), and finally the impact of macroeconomic policy measures from the central government.

scholarly journals The impact of British public opinion on women’s relationships with American GIs in Gloucestershire 1942-1946.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Abigail Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Female Sexuality ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Sexual Agency ◽  
The Public ◽  
Women's Relationships ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

The main focus of this study is to determine the impact of public opinion on women’s relationships with American GIs in Gloucestershire 1942-1946. This involves understanding the scope of the relationships that were had and how race determined the way women who fraternised with US troops were portrayed to the public. Its primary aim is to provide new understanding of a subject that is under researched in Gloucestershire. Much attention has been given to the presence and impact of American soldiers in the Britain during the Second World War. However, no study has directly focused on Gloucestershire. This thesis also aims to understand if public opinion regarding women’s relationships with American soldiers impacted their sexual agency. Two main methods are used, the textual analysis of primary sources and the use of oral history accounts. The research reveals that sexual relationships with American soldiers added to the existing apprehension that surrounded female sexuality. Many local women had relationships with American soldiers, which aggravated some members of the public and the local authorities, especially if the soldier was black. Young working-class girls and women were particularly singled out for their immoral behaviour towards the US troops. The research also reveals that women in Gloucestershire expressed indifference and defiance towards the often-disapproving public opinion and control mechanisms implemented to influence the sexual agency of women. This thesis contributes to women’s history in Gloucestershire, uncovering a period of the county’s history that until now has not been researched.

scholarly journals The Role of the Public Broadcaster in Informing Montenegrin Citizens about European Integration with Special Emphasis on Chapter 27

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-159
Author(s):  
Nataša Ružić
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
European Integration ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Public ◽  
Special Obligation ◽  
The People ◽  
Public Broadcaster ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Impact

As a media outlet established, funded and controlled by the public, the public broadcaster has a special obligation in regard to informing the people about topics of public interest in accordance with professional reporting standards. European integration represents one of these topics. bearing in mind the fact that Montenegro started its journey towards the European Union in 2008. So far, 32 chapters have been opened, excluding Chapter 8 which is related to competition. In recent years, public opinion polls have shown a decline in the number of Montenegrin citizens who support Montenegro’s accession to the EU. This result can be explained by the impact of Brexit and the pessimistic estimates of experts that the European Union is going to fall apart in the near future. It is clear that the media – above all the public broadcaster – plays an important role in the process of informing the public on the accession process and shaping public opinion. Therefore, this work shall be dedicated to an analysis of the public broadcaster’s reporting on Chapter 27 which is related to the environment and climate change. This chapter was chosen precisely because Montenegro defi nes itself as an ecological state.

scholarly journals The Impact of Law Enforcement Centralisation and Professionalisation on Public Opinion of the Mexican Police

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-120
Author(s):  
Diego Esparza ◽  
Antonio Ugues
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Public Security ◽  
Police Corruption ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Police Forces

Pandemic violence and criminality are anathema to a democratic society. And yet, in Latin America, both operate side by side. Illicit activity has propagated precisely because the democratic states of the region have been ineffective at establishing and maintaining the rule of law via public security mechanisms like the police. This ineffectiveness has significant consequences for public support of police forces. Hence, an important question for students of state-building and democratisation is: What factors explain public perceptions of the police? We argue that police forces that are local and unprofessional will be less trusted and viewed as less effective than their more centralised and professional counterparts of state and federal police. In short, we find that centralisation and professionalisation mitigate the impact of crime victimisation and police corruption on the public opinion of the police in Mexico. These findings are drawn from an analysis of the National Survey of Victimisation and Perceptions of Public Security (ENVIPE) in Mexico for 2012 and 2018.

‘Gentlemen, the Cheese Is All Gone!’ British POWs, the ‘Great Escape’ and the Anglo-German Agreement for Compensation to Victims of Nazism

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSANNA SCHRAFSTETTER
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
National Socialism ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Political Pressure ◽  
The West ◽  
German Government ◽  
The Public ◽  
Foreign Office ◽  
British Foreign Office ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn 1964 the West German government agreed to provide £1 million in financial compensation to British victims of National Socialism. The distribution of the money, organised by the British foreign office, turned into a major public scandal, as a number of British POWs, among them survivors of the ‘great escape’, had their claims rejected. By examining the refusal of several British POWs to accept their exclusion from the scheme, the article addresses the interplay of political pressure and public opinion that led to a parliamentary inquiry into what became known as ‘the Sachsenhausen affair’ in 1967. Given that provisions of the agreement with West Germany had precluded indemnification to mistreated POWs, the distribution of the money almost inevitably led to bitterness and discontent. From this perspective, the article explores the impact of the Great Escape on British memory of the war, the public reception of the film The Great Escape (1963), and the way in which public memory influenced the debate on compensation.

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