Browsing by Subject "Human behavior"

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    Feasibility of a Quantitative Rural Safety Policy Improvement Index (RSPII): Phase I
    (University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2009-05) Knapp, Keith K.; Young, Kelcie; Utecht, Brad
    Many factors that contribute to fatal crashes are related to human behavior. One method of adjusting these behaviors is through the enactment and enforcement of legislatively-based safety improvement measures (LSIMs). The objective of this research was to investigate the feasibility of a research-based rural safety policy improvement index (RSPII) to quantify the state-by-state impacts of LSIMs. Recently completed LSIM summaries categorized the direct safety impacts of 23 behavioral highway safety countermeasures as “proven” with “high-quality” research. It was concluded that a RSPII was feasible and six LSIMs were selected for consideration with a RSPII framework. The LSIMs selected include the implementation of a comprehensive graduated driver licensing program, primary seat belt law, motorcycle helmet use law, sobriety checkpoints, ignition interlocks, and automated speed enforcement. A six-step RSPII framework and a pilot application are documented in this report. Two estimation methods were used to quantify the rural roadway safety impacts of primary seat belt law implementation. It was estimated that 488 fatalities or 248 unbelted front seat passenger vehicle occupant (≥ 13 years old) deaths could be avoided if this were to occur. More detailed applications for all six LSIMs selected will be completed in Phase II of this project.
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    Subjective Feeling
    (2023) Ormanidhi, Orges
    In the 19th century, Jevons wished for a way to measure the quantity of feeling, which he envisioned as the integral of the intensity of feeling from an activity on which a subject was spending time. I have derived the measure of intensity of feeling from both the engaged activity and non-engaged activities with a theory founded on subjective feeling as the primitive of human behavior. The integral of my measure of intensity of feeling from the engaged activity measures the quantity of feeling, which I call integrated experience in my research. I have developed my theory of choice with weaker assumptions than those in neoclassical economic theory because subjective feeling is a more basic primitive than the preference relation. The application of my subjective feeling theory is in two parts. In the first part, I explain with a descriptive framework any optimal or non-optimal choice of time-allocations to activities without the observer's assumption of optimization for the subject. In the second part, I predict with a normative framework the optimal choice of time-allocations to activities, as well as the sequence of engaged activities, with the observer's assumption of optimization for the subject who maximizes his overall experience. In the descriptive framework, the subject chooses a sequence of engaged activities in a schedule based on the switch-time determination through a matching process between the engaged activity and non-engaged activities. In the normative framework, the conditionally rational subject chooses the sequence of engaged activities in the optimal schedule through a sorting process of all matchings. The choices that the observer is able to analyze with my intensity of feeling functions extend those that she is able to analyze with utility functions.