U.S. Aviation Regulations Increase Probability of Midair Collisions

A purely stochastic Monte Carlo model is used to compare the relative midair collision course probabilities and mean closing velocities of four systems of rules for aircraft cruising altitudes as a function of altitude error: (1) current U.S. federal rules, (2) random altitudes, and (3) two proposed alternatives to the current rules. This model increments error while: (1) counting collisions among cruising pairs of aircraft following the four rules being tested on random headings between randomly placed airports, and (2) calculating mean closing velocities for each rule. The calculations verify that: (1) federal rules increase collision course probabilities by about four times more than for a chaotic system of aircraft cruising at randomly selected altitudes, (2) risk is directly proportional to the level of compliance, and (3) mean closing velocities resulting from the current rule are slightly less than for random altitudes, while being almost twice as high as for the proposed rules. High closing velocities are shown to increase the collision probability.     

Public Opposition to a Proposed Nuclear Waste Repository in Canada: An Investigation of Cultural and Economic Effects

Residents of four northern communities were surveyed about Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's proposal to site an underground repository for high-level nuclear waste somewhere in the Canadian Shield. Opposition to the repository was relatively strong in all communities, but was strongest among aboriginal respondents. Path analysis revealed that trust in nuclear regulators, faith in science and technology, and anticipated net costs were important mediators of this effect. Aboriginals were less trusting, exhibited less faith in science and technology, and perceived the costs associated with the repository to be higher than their nonaboriginal counterparts. No support was found for the hypothesis that, after controlling for aboriginal status, financially insecure individuals would display greater support for the nuclear waste repository than financially secure individuals. Policy implications for balancing perceived risks and siting needs are discussed.     

Acting out in children: A review of the literature

This paper presents a review of the literature on the meaning, etiology and categorization of acting out symtomatology in children. It is apparent that there is no one cause nor is there one well defined disorder.DSM-III categories as they relate to behavior disorders are discussed and the problems of diagnosis are addressed. Appropriate treatment goals and interventions cannot be developed unless more global aspects of a child's functioning and the environment in which he lives are assessed.     

The development and construct validation of a consumer satisfaction questionnaire for psychiatric inpatients.

A consumer satisfaction scale was developed for psychiatric inpatients. The scale was administered to a state-wide sample of (n = 366) patients discharged from acute psychiatric units throughout Missouri. The scale was factor analyzed and given to another sample of (n = 390) discharges. Three out of five factors that were found in the first sample were replicated in a factor analysis of data from the second sample. Acceptable coefficient alphas were obtained on all three factors, demonstrating internal reliability. The three factors were labeled Treatment Effectiveness, Trust of Staff, and Hospital Environment. Comparable levels of satisfaction with prior studies were found on the first general satisfaction factor of Treatment Effectiveness. Subjects discriminated areas of satisfaction by expressing higher levels of dissatisfaction on the factors of Trust of Staff and Hospital Environment.     

Using Automated Emergency Notification Systems to Inform the Public: A Field Experiment

Research and experience have shown that it can be difficult to get citizens to pay attention to risk messages and preparedness information in the absence of an actual emergency. As the use computerized systems that alert the public to hazards by automatically ringing their home phones increases, we thought it important to ask if tests of these "call down" systems can also be used to convey preemergency information. We worked with a local government to add instructions on how to shelter-in-place to the message on a routine test of a call down system. We then surveyed a test group and a control group before and after the test call and a second control group on after the call. The results indicate that the test call raised awareness of the emergency notification system without generating undue concern about the possibility of a chemical accident. Those who received the test call demonstrated significant improvements in their knowledge of how to shelter-in-place while no such improvement was observed in those who did not get the call. While the nature of the sample used in this study limits generalizability, we feel this outcome is positive enough to warrant further exploration of this method of disseminating risk information and preparedness instructions.