Kenneth A. Lachlan

Orientations to Video Games Among Gender and Age Groups

Questionnaires were completed by 5th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade public schools students in rural and suburban school districts and by undergraduates at two universities in the United States (n = 1,242). They were asked about their orientation to video games—the amount of time they played, their motives for doing so, and the game types they preferred—to better understand the context in which effects research might be organized. The conceptual schema for this research was the uses-and-gratifications perspective. The males in the sample played video games at twice the weekly average of the females, were consistently stronger in all measured motives than the females, and preferred physically oriented video games over the females’ preference for more traditional, thoughtful games. Younger players opted for the fantasy motive in their playing and older players more so for competition. Preference for physical games declined among the older males, and generally motives were stronger in the middle years of playing for both males and females than in the youngest and oldest age groups. Regression analyses explained considerably more variance in game playing for males than for females.

Crisis Communication, Race, and Natural Disasters:

This study compares differences in crisis preparation, information-seeking patterns, and media use on the basis of race in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Surveys are collected from 935 Katrina evacuees relocated in different areas of the United States. Results indicate differences in crisis preparation and information seeking on the basis of race. Results also demonstrate a continued need to create messages encouraging crisis preparation, especially among at-risk subpopulations.

Media Use and Information Needs of the Disabled During a Natural Disaster

This study examined differences in evacuation, crisis preparation, information-seeking patterns, and media use among the communities of disabled and non-disabled evacuees in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Surveys were collected from 554 Katrina evacuees temporarily relocated in different areas of the United States. Results indicate differences in crisis preparation and evacuation plans, with disabled subpopulations being more likely to prepare emergency supplies but less likely to have an evacuation plan. Differences between the disabled and non-disabled subpopulations also existed in information-seeking habits. Media use was similar between disabled and non-disabled respondents.

Variability in Twitter content across the stages of a natural disaster: Implications for crisis communication

Little is known about the ways in which social media, such as Twitter, function as conduits for information related to crises and emergencies. The current study analyzed the content of over 1,500 Tweets that were sent in the days leading up to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy. Time-series analyses reveal that relevant information became less prevalent as the crisis moved from the prodromal to acute phase, and information concerning specific remedial behaviors was absent. Implications for government agencies and emergency responders are discussed.

Adjusting to Uncertainty: Coping Strategies Among The Displaced After Hurricane Katrina

This study examined the coping strategies of individuals displaced after Hurricane Katrina. Following the evacuation of New Orleans, surveys were administered to those individuals displaced by Katrina and relocated to shelters or in Disaster Centers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Lansing, Michigan; different parts of Indiana and Kentucky; and federal aid distribution centers throughout Texas. Results indicated that talking, staying informed, and praying emerged as predictors of changes in psychological stress during relocation. Differences emerged in coping strategies based on gender, race, and income; however, age did not emerge as a factor. Recommendations are made to use these results for postcrisis response and coordination.

Expressions of risk awareness and concern through Twitter: On the utility of using the medium as an indication of audience needs

Abstract Twitter is increasingly gaining momentum as a trusted source for news and information. A significant body of research suggests that during crises and emergencies, people rely on the medium for timely updates and real time information. Simultaneously, Twitter content may be a useful tool for identifying specific audience needs and concerns. The current study quantitatively analyzed tweets related to Hurricane Sandy in the days leading up to landfall. Areas examined include expressions of risk awareness and concern, and the ways in which these statements differ across age, sex, ethnicity, and language group. The findings are discussed in terms of the ways in which emergency managers may be able to use the systematic analysis of Twitter content in identifying audience needs.

Social media and crisis management

The current manuscript explores Twitter use and content in the precrisis stages of a major weather event in the northeast. A multi-level content analysis of tweets collected in the lead up to landfall suggests that emergency management agencies largely underutilized the medium, and that actionable information was easier to find when searching along localized hashtags. The findings are discussed in terms of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model of crisis management and implications for emergency management agencies. We examined a large number of tweets in the days leading up to a major snowstorm.Twitter content dealt more with affective orientation than actionable information.Actionable information was easier to find using localized hashtags.Emergency management agencies were largely absent from the conversation.

Full length articleSocial media and crisis management: CERC, search strategies, and Twitter content

The current manuscript explores Twitter use and content in the precrisis stages of a major weather event in the northeast. A multi-level content analysis of tweets collected in the lead up to landfall suggests that emergency management agencies largely underutilized the medium, and that actionable information was easier to find when searching along localized hashtags. The findings are discussed in terms of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model of crisis management and implications for emergency management agencies. We examined a large number of tweets in the days leading up to a major snowstorm.Twitter content dealt more with affective orientation than actionable information.Actionable information was easier to find using localized hashtags.Emergency management agencies were largely absent from the conversation.

Screaming into the Wind: Examining the Volume and Content of Tweets Associated with Hurricane Sandy

Social media have gained increased use as sources of information, including information related to risks and crises. The current study explores Twitter use in the days leading up to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy in October, 2012. It provides an overview of the type of content tweeted, along with an assessment of the utility of this content in mitigating similar emergencies in the future. Tweets were collected at multiple time points. Tweet rate increased during the storm, and specific keywords were not used extensively. Government and organizational responses were largely absent. Finally, Twitter was used more for emotional release than to provide information.

Models for Aggressive Behavior: The Attributes of Violent Characters in Popular Video Games

Americans are increasingly concerned about video games, presumably due to the amount and graphicness of violence they contain. Social Cognitive Theory suggests that people are more likely to imitate characters they see as attractive or similar to self. To date, however, little research has examined attributes of violent characters in video games related to this issue. This content analysis examined 10 minutes of play from 60 of the most popular video games. Adapting the coding scheme from the National Television Violence Study (Smith et al., 1998; Wilson et al., 1997, 1998), various demographic and contextual features of violent characters and violent interactions were assessed. The results show that violent game characters have attributes that are likely to increase the extent to which some players perceive them as attractive and similar. Moreover, these violent characters engage in aggression that is presented as justified or graphic.