Author Archives: Alison Kidd
Tourism, augmented reality and smart phones
Our local tourism group is exploring ways to enhance the experience for visitors to Talybont on Usk. One idea under discussion is the deployment of QR codes on the signs around the area enabling visitors (or at least those with … Continue reading
Exploring lightweight electric vehicles? – maybe it’s in the genes
This year, The Prospectory ran a trial of two electrically-powered open air buggies for visitors to the Brecon Beacons National Park. Boris and Blodwen – the b-bugs – enabled visitors to explore the National Park in a novel, fun and … Continue reading
Breaking habitual behaviour? – Try using the wrong hand!
We’ve been exploring how triggering a change in behaviour can disrupt unconscious habits and lead to change. It’s never easy but it’s certainly easier than trying to change attitudes! Much of human behaviour is unconscious, triggered by context. If you … Continue reading
Electric Cars and “Disruptive” Technology
The term “disruptive”, when applied to technology, refers to something which replaces the incumbent technology for a particular application. Replacing the internal combustion engine in a car with an electric motor will, it is hoped, eventually prove a disruptive technology. … Continue reading
Insurance, obstacles and the creative brain
Our trial of electric road legal buggies (b-bugs) in the Brecon Beacons National Park has come to an end, the results are all analysed and the trial report published. Given its success, we are now busy exploring ways in which … Continue reading
Sustainable Agriculture
Whether or not you believe in global warming (as perhaps the majority do) or that mankind’s contribution to it is significant (as increasing numbers don’t, or would rather not) we will run out of fossil fuel. When that happens, unless … Continue reading
Challenging our perceptions
I’ve always enjoyed optical illusions. And every now and then, it’s good to encounter a new one. The two spirals above are exactly the same colour – i.e. they are both green (as shown on the right). It’s hard to … Continue reading
Attitudes or Behaviour – which drives which?
The age old psychology question – do attitudes drive behaviour or does behaviour drive attitudes? Whichever model you favour, it seems clear that there’s a pretty complex interaction between the two. We favour a research approach which starts with behaviour. … Continue reading
Who takes part in technology trials?
In running trials of a new technology, one always hopes to generate a neat profile of the type of person who will value and use the technology in question. But it never works out quite like that. In every technology … Continue reading
Technology, people and paradoxes
As a cognitive psychologist, brought up on a diet of strictly controlled lab experiments, I love the “totally out of control” nature of technology trials (although not always at the time!). However well you plan the trial or design the … Continue reading
