Risks of fatigue
FATIGUE, WHETHER INDUCED through sleep deprivation or mental exhaustion, is a widespread problem in a variety of industries such as manufacturing, transportation and the military. Researchers recently tested more than 220 cadets from the University of London Officers’ Training Corps to see if working in groups can help stave off the worst symptoms of fatigue such as poor decision-making. Officer cadets took part in a series of tasks which tested the effects of fatigue on vigilance, risk-taking and problem solving ability. Researchers discovered that, when fatigued, groups performed better than individuals on a problem-solving task. A more novel finding concerns the effect of fatigue on risky
behaviour. Based on a betting task, the study finds that both individuals and groups engaged in riskier behaviour when fatigued, despite being able to differentiate between levels of risk involved in higher and lower risk bets. “This provides the important insight that while fatigue does not affect the perception of risk, fatigue does appear to make risky behaviour more attractive,” says researcher Dr Daniel Frings. n
i Contact Dr Daniel Frings, London South
Bank University Email
fringsd@lsbu.ac.uk Telephone 0207 815 5888 ESRC Grant Number RES-000-22-3460
Raising security standards
HOW SUCCESSFULLY IS the Security Industry Authority (SIA) reducing criminality in the private security industry and raising standards? Established in 2001 as a non-departmental public body, the SIA was given the responsibility of reforming the burgeoning private sector industry. A new study evaluates the progress of this security regulator. Research into private security
providers and purchasers, SIA staff and members of the police concludes that the SIA has helped the development of a more co-ordinated and more professional industry, but a number of governance problems remain. On the positive side, a third of private security providers surveyed thought the SIA has succeeded in reducing criminality through the administration and enforcement of its licensing system. With regard to skills, researchers found that regulation had made significant
inroads. Most stakeholders felt that those individuals working legally within the industry have in general raised their standards as a result of regulation. “Alongside these positive trends there is also the more negative trend that respect for the industry among the police has not been greatly enhanced as a consequence of regulation,” says researcher Professor Martin Smith. “It’s also clear that some members of the police lack confidence in the SIA. The SIA needs to develop a better strategy for advertising the benefits of regulation to increase the police’s confidence in both the SIA and the private security industry.” n
i Contact Professor Martin Smith,
University of Sheffield Email
m.j.smith@
sheffield.ac.uk Telephone 0114 222 1667 ESRC Grant Number RES-000-22-3062
IN BRIEF DISPUTE RESOLUTION
What do we know about the use, experiences and outcomes of different forms of alternative family dispute resolution on relationship breakdown, namely solicitor negotiations, mediation and collaborative law? Researchers will explore how well known and how widely used each of these processes has become nationally. Also, whether experiences of these processes have been positive or negative over the short and longer term.
ESRC grant number RES-062-23-3184
RE-OFFENDING RISKS Little is known about whether the area into which ex-prisoners are re-introduced affects their propensity to reoffend. New research will explore whether offenders who are re-introduced into deprived areas are more likely to re-offend. What is the impact of re-introducing offenders into communities where they previously lived? ESRC grant number RES-193-25-0012 - Connected Communities Cross- Council Programme
WORKING LIVES A new integrated survey of the skills and employment experiences of UK people in 2012 will offer a key and distinctive resource for research on contemporary working life. The Skills and Employment Survey will build on previous surveys funded by the ESRC, set a benchmark for future research and enable international comparisons to be made. ESRC grant number RES-241-25-0001 - An ESRC Venture
SUMMER 2011 SOCIETY NOW 5 AUTUMN 2011
© Alamy
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