Information quantity of traffic signs in grassland highways based on visual load

To determine the proper range of information quantity of traffic signs in the straight line sections of grassland highways, we have established virtual scenes of such sections of highways with varying levels of information quantity, and we have carried out an experiment on simulated driving. During the research, the method of principal component analysis (PCA) is adopted, and indicators related to eye movements are selected, which prove to be sensitive to the information quantity of traffic signs. Moreover, the pattern of variations is analyzed to examine how the information quantity of traffic signs may impose an impact on drivers’ visual load, and the experimental results are assessed and verified in a subjective manner. The research findings indicate that the information quantity of traffic signs could impose a significant impact on the fixation duration, saccade duration, saccade amplitude and fixation entropy of drivers. Within the proper range of information quantity (20–30 bits/km), drivers have shown stronger ability to acquire and process information with higher searching efficiency and optimal strategy of allocating attention, which will facilitate safe driving. The subjective assessment of drivers’ workload has also proven the validity of the research findings.

The Relationship of the Information Quantity of Urban Roadside Traffic Signs and Drivers’ Visibility Based on Information Transmission

For the lack of quantitative basis of traffic sign combination information, this paper established a model of information quantity of urban road traffic signs by analyzing the driver’s information processing and the visual recognition of traffic signs combined with theories of informatics. It used various analytical methods to build a model of the relationship between the traffic sign information quantity (TSIQ) and the driver’s visual recognition. Based on factors, the relationship between the TSIQ and the driver’s visual recognition was studied and analyzed to provide a reference for the design of urban traffic sign layout information. The results show that the TSIQ can explain 61% of the driver’s recognition time (DRT). The more information the road traffic sign conveys, the longer DRT will be. The TSIQ’s threshold is 642 bits, and exceeding this value will cause information overload. Different influence factors have a certain impact on drivers’ visual recognition distance (VRD). The male VRD is shorter than the female. The VRD of the young driver is larger than the old driver. The VRD of a novice driver is longer than an experienced driver, while the visual recognition sign of an experienced driver is shorter.

COGNITIVE BASIS OF FOCAL POINTS: EVOLUTION AND CORRELATED EQUILIBRIUM EMERGENCE

The paper sketches a way to connect cognitively realistic notion of relevance needed for social coordination and game-theoretic models of such coordination, in particular, that of correlated equilibrium. Such a connection would help to answer the question of how social coordination described in game theory is evolutionary and cognitively possible. The main argument put forward is to equate a signal’s relevance to its information quantity - the more relevant a signal is, the more it changes probabilities of action.

Authorized, clear and timely communication of risk to guide public perception and action: lessons of COVID-19 from China

Backgrounds This study examined the dynamic association between risk communication and the public’s risk perception and action across the COVID-19 outbreak timeline in China. Methods This study collected publicly available information on COVID-19 released on official channels (e.g., government websites and official media) by the Parehub tool. Also, the study used the Zhongyun Big Data Platform to search public datasets about released COVID-19 information on Chinese social media, such as TikTok and Weibo. An online survey was conducted via WeChat to Chinese citizens using a snowball sampling method. The questionnaire assessed changes in participants’ risk perception and action against COVID-19. The data analysis examined information content and release-time trajectories against the public’s risk perception and actions over time. Results Altogether, the collected data includes 1477 pieces of authorized information and 297,000 short videos on COVID-19. Of 1362 participants recruited from 33 provinces and municipalities of China, 1311 respondents (25–60 years, 42% male) were valid for future analysis. The study indicated that 85.7% of participants mainly relied on official channels to obtain information. Alongside the outbreak’s progress, there was a gradual rise in information quantity, publishing frequency, and content variation. Correspondingly, the public’s risk perception that “take it seriously” rose from 13 to 80%, 87.1% of those who took “multiple actions” compared to 25.9% initially. Conclusions Our findings indicated that insufficient information freely-accessible at the early stages of the outbreak might lead to the lack of risk awareness and the public’s inadequate protective actions. Given the current global situation of COVID-19, the study highlights authorized, transparent, and timely two-way risk communication is vital to guide public perception and actions. Furthermore, our study provides risk communication recommendations and may contribute to developing full measures to address future crises.

Electronic word-of-mouth in travel social networking sites and young consumers’ purchase intentions: an extended information adoption model

Purpose Young consumers are increasing using electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in travel social networking sites to make purchase decisions. This paper aims to test the extended Information Adoption Model (IAM) that places perceived usefulness and information adoption as consequences of argument quality, source credibility, information quantity and emotive word comprehension, and as an antecedent of purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected through survey questionnaire from 405 hotel young customers in Malaysia, who had experienced travel social networking sites. The hypothesized relationships were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The results show that argument quality, source credibility, information quantity and emotive word comprehension have positive effect on the perceived usefulness of eWOM. Perceived usefulness has positive influence on the information adoption of eWOM, which in turn predicts the young consumers’ purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications The present study strengthens and advances the existing literature on tourism, social media and marketing by offering an extension to the IAM. The proposed extended model of IAM is verified and applied effectively in the context of eWOM for travel social networking sites. Practical implications Practitioners and marketers of travel social networking sites can improve the usability and effectiveness of eWOM to attract more young consumers. Originality/value The study contributes to the extension of IAM by adding information quantity and emotive word comprehension. This research validated the significant roles of eWOM argument quality and source credibility in predicting the information usefulness of eWOM.

From voluntarism to regulation: effects of Directive 2014/95/EU on sustainability reporting in the EU

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine the effects of the European Non-financial Reporting Directive (2014/95/EU) on firms' sustainability reporting practices, especially reporting quantity (i.e. availability of information) and quality (i.e. comparability and credibility).Design/methodology/approachTo test the main hypotheses, the authors select 905 treated firms from the EU 28 + 2 countries for a difference-in-differences regression analysis of dependent variables from the Refinitiv ESG database.FindingsThe results suggest that the Directive influences sustainability reporting quantity and quality. Treated firms provide around 4 percentage points more sustainability information (i.e. availability) than propensity score matched control firms and are 19 percent more likely to receive external assurance (i.e. credibility). However, we also find that the Directive is not the decisive factor in the adoption of GRI guidelines (i.e. comparability).Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis is restricted to large listed firms and does not account for small, mid-sized and private firms. Further, cross-cultural differences which influence sustainability reporting are controlled for but not investigated in detail. The authors derive several suggestions for future research related to the NFR Directive and its revision.Practical implicationsThe authors’ findings have practical implications for the future development of sustainability reporting in the EU and for other regulators considering the adoption of sustainability reporting.Originality/valueThis study is the first to provide evidence on the NFR Directive's reporting effects across multiple countries. It adds to the growing literature on the consequences of mandatory sustainability reporting. Additionally, this paper introduces a novel measurement approach sustainability information quantity that could benefit researchers.

A Study on the Influence of Promotion of Garuda Indonesia by Social Media on e–WOM, Online Ticket Sales, Brand Image, and Brand Loyalty During the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study investigates the impact brand identity of three of the promotional information characteristics of airline social media information quantity, credibility of information, and quality of information through electronic word-of - mouth (e-WOM). We did a survey 250 customers who had been using social media from Garuda Indonesia airlines to interpret and evaluate data obtained using structural equations. The findings of this study showed that the promotion of social media airlines had a positive impact on e-WOM, e-WOM had such a positive effect on the brand's image and e-WOM even had a noticeable impact on the selling of online tickets. This study sets out a model for social media information characteristics and can be used as basic data to illustrate how airlines can handle and use social media information.

Forecasting the Number of the Wounded after an Earthquake Disaster Based on the Continuous Interval Grey Discrete Verhulst Model

Earthquake disaster causes serious casualties, so the prediction of casualties is conducive to the reasonable and efficient allocation of emergency relief materials, which plays a significant role in emergency rescue. In this paper, a continuous interval grey discrete Verhulst model based on kernels and measures (CGDVM-KM), different from the previous forecasting methods, can help us to efficiently predict the number of the wounded in a very short time, that is, an “S-shape” curve for the numbers of the sick and wounded. That is, the continuous interval sequence is converted into the kernel and measure sequences with equal information quantity by the interval whitening method, and it is combined with the classical grey discrete Verhulst model, and then the grey discrete Verhulst models of the kernel and measure sequences are presented, respectively. Finally, CGDVM-KM is developed. It can effectively overcome the systematic errors caused by the discrete form equation for parameter estimation and continuous form equation for simulation and prediction in classical grey Verhulst model, so as to improve the prediction accuracy. At the same time, the rationality and validity of the model are verified by examples. A comparison with other forecasting models shows that the model has higher prediction accuracy and better simulation effect in forecasting the wounded in massive earthquake disasters.

Social Media Versus Personal Experience in the Consumer’s Apprehension on Imported Food Security and Safety Dilemma

South Korea imports a large amount of agricultural and aquatic food products from China, which meets its food security. However, the import from China raises food safety questions, leading to food safety apprehension. We explored the source of the Korean consumer’s apprehension. Based on the apprehension reduction theory (ART) developed from interviews with Korean consumers in the first stage of the study, we conducted a survey to assess the social media as an indirect source of information and direct experience of the consumer in the second stage of the study. We received 504 responses, of which 1/3 of the respondents had visited China in the last year. Using FSS (Food Safety Satisfaction) as the dependent variable (1— low to 5— high), we link information from the social media vis-à-vis direct experience and made three discoveries. (a) The information quantity of social media increases the consumer’s apprehension, partially refuting the ART. (ii) FSS increased in response to information flow from the direct experience of the consumer with Chinese imported food. (c) The direct information from experience mediates the effects of indirect information (social media) on apprehension about agricultural and aquatic product imports. We made three inferences. First, information quantity and quality have separated roles in the ART. Second, social media increases the free-market style information flow, turning legitimate products to illegitimate and vice versa. Third, the collective irrationality from the information quantity needs institutional bricolage to legitimize the chaotic nature of the untamed information.

Equity crowdfunding: US Title II offerings using sentiment analysis

Purpose This study aims to investigate how the language used in US Title II equity crowdfunding campaign descriptions relates to campaign success. Design/methodology/approach Data on >3,200 equity offerings from 12 Title II platforms was obtained from 2013 to 2016. The aspects of the campaign descriptions that are focused on are tone and two measures of readability: information quantity – the amount of information available to the investor and information quality – the ease of understanding of the passage of text. Tobit regressions with sector-clustered standard errors are used for estimation while controlling for company-specific variables, market sentiment and platform, regional, sector and time effects. Results are robust to alternative estimation approaches. Findings Inverse U-shaped relationships exist between information quantity, information quality and tone and Title II equity crowdfunding campaign success. Overall, less is more as it appears that an intermediate level of information – quantity, quality and tone – is optimal in terms of being a factor that contributes to equity crowdfunding campaign success. Originality/value Extends the use of textual analysis to the equity crowdfunding environment in the USA where such analysis is lacking and provides empirical evidence that the language used (e.g. sentiment) in US Title II equity-based crowdfunding campaign descriptions does influence campaign success. It provides empirical evidence of and extends the concept of information overload to the entrepreneurial finance sub-field and indicates tone may be an additional information attribute to consider in this context as contributing to overload.