In-care Experiences Research Articles

Unveiling the role of residential care in care leavers' personal development and life outcomes.

In the current quantitative study, we explored the perceived contribution of residential care (PCRC) to multiple life domains and the factors associated with these perceptions from three main stages in Israelis' care leavers' lives: precare, in care, and postcare. Drawing on a representative sample of 2,295 care leavers' retrospective reports, integrated with their longitudinal administrative records, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis and identified two constructs pertaining to participants' PCRC. The first focused on contribution to personal development, and the second on contribution to achieving tangible and intangible life outcomes. In-care experiences of peer and staff support were strong predictors of both perceived personal development and life outcomes. Only a few precare factors and none of the postcare factors were predictive of PCRC. Specifically, PCRC was lower among men compared with women. Additionally, compared to Israeli-born participants, PCRC to personal development was lower among Ethiopian immigrants but higher in the life outcomes domain. PCRC was also higher in both domains among participants whose parents had a criminal conviction. In the Discussion section, we highlight the importance of understanding care leavers' perceptions in relation to different life course stages. Implications for policy and practice in care and postcare are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Tailoring Marketing to Young Chinese Car Buyers: Leveraging Automotive Cultural Experiences and Behavioral Personalities

Objective - This study was initiated to develop an alternative positive car-user experience to enhance automotive sales by considering customers’ desires. Method - The study employed the “Systematic Literature Review Synthesis Process,” harnessing the online EAGLE Navigator System to document the literature review synthesis process to identify relevant literature and establish a theoretical background for research ideation. Findings – A theoretical model for combining personal cultural customization, simplicity, accessibility, affordable technology, and sensory modalities could improve the in-car experience and satisfaction of younger Chinese car buyers, thus leading to satisfying car-user purchasing experiences. Novelty - This study breaks new ground by offering a holistic perspective on enhancing the automotive user experience within the context of the Chinese market. An innovative blend of cultural customization and technology accessibility is introduced, which is poised to reshape the automobile industry's engagement with younger consumers in China. Type of Paper: Review JEL Classification: M31, M39. Keywords: Automotive Marketing; Car-User Experience; Young Customers’ Personalities; Automotive Culture; Sustainable Design Informatics Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Jiandou, C; Ibrahim, R; Azmi, A. (2023). Tailoring Marketing to Young Chinese Car Buyers: Leveraging Automotive Cultural Experiences and Behavioral Personalities, J. Mgt. Mkt. Review, 8(3), 104 – 110. https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2023.8.3(2)

Enhancing Marketing to Young Chinese Car Buyers by Inspiring Automotive Cultural Experience with Their Behavioral Personalities

Younger consumers have become a dominant force in the Chinese automobile market. However, the aspiration of younger consumers to experience ownership of luxurious cars contradicts with their abilities to purchase them. Hence, a study was initiated to develop an alternative positive car-user experience to boost automotive sales with these customers' desires in mind. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review synthesis that has been conducted on 92 articles to identify methods for enhancing the car user's experience, focusing on the topic of in-car experience, car user personality, and automotive emotion. This study found a combination of personal cultural customization, simplicity, accessibility, and affordability of technology and sensory modalities could improve the in-car experience and satisfaction of younger Chinese car buyers, hence, leading to a satisfied car-user experience. The results are significant in introducing cultural behavior preferences to enhance marketing based on positive customers' cultural experiences. Future research is recommended to determine the specific preferences and aspirations of younger Chinese car buyers from the perspective of targeted cultural-induced market experience when designing and marketing cars. Keywords: Automotive Marketing; Car-User Experience; Young Customers' Personalities; Automotive Culture; Sustainable Design Informatics

Young consumers’ Perceptions of AI-Powered in-Car Personalized Services in a Growing Market for Smart Cars

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has induced personalized services that augment consumers’ in-car experience, aid their decision-making, and help delegate their tasks based on their needs, choices, and history. Although these services have many advantages, their adoption is unknown in the growing smart car market. This study examines consumer perceptions of AI-powered personalized services in cars in India. A literature review is carried out to identify consumer perceptions as determinants from previous personalization studies and a conceptual framework is formulated by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data is collected using a questionnaire-based survey and is analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results show that “perceived usefulness” and “perceived ease of use” are significant consumer adoption factors. “Perceived risks” significantly weakened their relationship on “behavioral intention”. This study provides practical recommendations to policymakers for protecting consumers’ personal data, to car OEMs for designing useful and easy-to-use services not only in luxury cars but also in the mainstream segment, and to marketers for building promotional strategies and advertisements targeting young consumers of the growing market.

Life satisfaction among alumni of youth villages in Israel: A life course perspective.

Empirical evidence on life satisfaction of care leavers is scant and often based on small and nonrepresentative samples. Based on the life course perspective, this study explored the role of objective and subjective factors in explaining life satisfaction among care leavers, both general and domain-specific (work-financial-housing, social relationships-emotional state). The sample was randomly drawn from the whole population of eight graduating birth cohorts of alumni of educational residential care in Israel and consists of 2, 295 alumni (24-31 years old). The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews. Bivariate analysis and multiple regression models were used to assess associations between precare context, in-care and postcare experiences and achievements with general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Gender differences were found in both domain-specific life satisfactions with men having greater satisfaction. Family background indicators were generally more predictive of general and social relationships- emotional state satisfaction. In-care experiences of peer and staff support and postcare experience of material deprivation were strong predictors of general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Postcare contacts with care staff, surprisingly, were associated with lower general satisfaction and satisfaction with social relationships-emotional state. Higher educational attainment at the end of placement and integration into postsecondary education were associated with greater general and work-financial-housing satisfaction. The effects of in-care preparation for independent adult living, employment and parenthood are not consistent across different domains of life satisfaction. Implications for policy and practice during and after care are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The IVI Revolution has Begun

Next generation IVI looks to support new in-car experiences, providing manufacturers with a crucial differentiator in a competitive market.

Uber and the Making of an Algopticon – Insights From the Daily Life of Montreal Drivers’

Ten years up to the present, Uber Technologies has become a world leader in the market for transportation via private cars. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence (Kadous, 2017), the company is revolutionizing human tracking and geolocating technologies. Moreover, the application resorts to a third-party evaluation — a 5 stars rating system — to further examine the in-car experience and discipline drivers accordingly (Meredith & Sorkin, 2018). This article aims at contributing to the research on the algorithmically intensified control of — drivers in the case of Uber. It argues that the application’s algorithmic apparatus is playing a threefold role; first, it engineers the overall labour process through a set of decisions that dictate the organizational setup. Second, it assures the intensification of production which allows an organization such as Uber to simultaneously forecast demand and supply in 600+ cities and ensure 99.99% availability (Bell, 2017). And third, the algorithmic apparatus allows for a continuous documentation and categorization of actions conducted by all active subjects within the realm of the application. This system of intelligent machines is, in fact, inducing a state of “permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power” (Foucault, 1977) while inducing a sort of digital incarceration of drivers behind the wheel in their own cars. The Uber surveillance apparatus as interpreted in this article represents an extension of a wall-less Panopticon that we define as the Algopticon.

The life course perspective: An integrative research paradigm for examining the educational experiences of adult care leavers?

The educational progress, experiences and attainment of children in out-of-home care and care leavers continue to be an issue of concern internationally. A growing body of research from countries such as the UK, USA, and Sweden indicates that care leavers tend to have lower levels of educational attainment than their majority population peers. Recent evidence suggests that low educational attainment of individuals with care experience may be the result of a "complex combination" of various individual characteristics as well as pre- and in-care experiences (O'Higgins et al., 2015: 13).White and Wu (2014) have highlighted the value of applying a life course perspective to child welfare research noting the potential of this approach given its emphasis on social context, individual development, and the effect of change over time. This paper embraces their case by advocating for use of the life course perspective as a guiding research paradigm when investigating the educational experiences of adult care leavers. Applying a life course perspective to research in this area has the capacity to add new dimensions to our understanding of the issue. This is due to the long-term perspective that this approach takes as well as its capacity to consider the interaction of individual and social factors and change over time.The paper begins with an outline of the key themes and concepts of the life course perspective followed by an overview of existing literature related to the educational experiences and attainment of children in care and care leavers. There follows a discussion of how using this perspective as a guiding research paradigm, with its accompanying themes and concepts, may facilitate a deeper understanding of the educational progress and experiences of adult care leavers. Throughout this discussion we will draw on a composite worked-case example from an ongoing PhD study of the educational experiences of adult care leavers in Ireland to highlight the value of applying a life course perspective to this issue.

Landscape Routes as an Infrastructural Core of Cultural Landscapes; Their Distinctive Role for The Character of Region

Roadside tree avenues are a distinctive element of the landscape of Warmia and Mazury, which is a testament to the history of the region from the Prussian time. Their emergence was imposed top-down and was dictated both by practical and aesthetic reasons. Today they are a problematic heritage in the view of current tendencies of infrastructural development of the country that favour highways and the opportunity to cover the distance between start and destination point as fast as possible. Nevertheless, the literature and conducted scientific studies indicate a change in perception of the in-car experience which underlines a pleasure of travel itself. The research also suggests the growing need for planning route on the basis of the attractiveness of its elements. The work also distinguishes the conditions that must occur for the scenic route be established and put under protection. Moreover, it presents different views of assessing the value of such a road and the cultural landscape in which it is inscribed. It also describes the impact of the individual elements of scenic route on well-being of a participant of road traffic and his perception of the space. This paper attempts to survey the existing trends and actions in development and protection of scenic roads in selected and to present the tree-lined roads of northern Poland on the background of the examples. This has been done on the basis of personal experience and observation, as well as the literature. There have been juxtaposed routes’ common elements and the elements distinctive to individual countries and regions. The results of the survey indicate that the scenic route, as a picture of the economic, historical, social and political situation of the place is an infrastructural core of cultural landscape. It constitutes the uniqueness of the region not only from the biological, but also cultural point of view. Then, apart from the obvious economic importance of scenic routes for the development of non-invasive tourism in the region, there is indicated their important role in shaping local identity. In the light of the above, the paper estimates possibilities for protection of tree-lined roads of northern Poland as the network of scenic routes characteristic for the region.

Students’, caretakers’ and decision-makers’ perception of support in higher education for students with in-care experience

ABSTRACTStudents with in-care experiences overcome different life challenges, risks factors and use their strengths to get into higher education. During the study period they face different difficulties, so the state as ‘institutional’ parent should provide support. This paper presents results of a qualitative study that aimed to explore support system to students with in-care experience in Croatia from three perspectives: care leavers with studying experiences, caretakers and professionals who are involved in decision-making and implementing activities on national and local levels. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 23 students, 5 professionals and 11 caretakers in 5 Croatian cities. Three basic themes from all three perspectives are presented: currently available support, difficulties in the support system and guidelines for supporting in-care students. All groups of participants are informed about support that is currently available for students with in-care experiences and describe financial and accommodation support. Perceptions of difficulties in delivering support differ between professionals and students and caretakers. Students also explain reasons for seeking support. Resolving existential issues is the first step in support system building according to students’ and caretakers’ perceptions. Participants suggest different incentive activities, so finally recommendations for forming and delivering support system for in-care students are presented.

The Inside Out? Views of Young People, Parents, and Professionals Regarding Successful Secure Residential Care

Although adolescents often seem to improve in their functioning during residential care, there still is little knowledge on what factors are important in achieving these changes. The present study aims to identify the care factors that are important for adolescents’ behavior change during secure residential care. We conducted in-depth interviews with eight adolescents, their parents, eight group care workers and seven teachers concerning their in-care experiences. Both adolescents and parents commonly attributed changes during secure residential care to the treatment environment. Group care workers and teachers did not have a clear, consistent view on the treatment aspects causing positive change with the adolescents. According to the adolescents, good professionals apply a fine balance between rules and freedom, show empathy and are available for support. The view of parents corresponds to this image. Although group care workers are perceived as available for support, adolescents tend to make little use of this help if they experience personal problems during care. The results highlight the importance of responsiveness of secure residential care professionals to the needs and perspectives of adolescents and parents.

Accurate lateral positioning from map data and road marking detection

We are witnessing the clash of two industries and the remaking of in-car market order, as the world of digital knowledge recently made a significant move toward the automotive industry. Mobile operating system providers are battling between each other to take over the in-vehicle entertainment and information systems, while car makers either line up behind their technology or try to keep control over the in-car experience. What is at stake is the map content and location-based services, two key enabling technologies of self-driving cars and future automotive safety systems. These content-based augmented geographic information systems (GIS) as well as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) require an accurate, robust, and reliable estimation of road scene attributes. Accurate localization of the vehicle is a challenging and critical task that natural GPS or classical filter (EKF) cannot reach. This paper proposes a new approach allowing us to give a first answer to the issue of accurate lateral positioning. The proposed approach is based on the fusion of 4 types of data: a GPS, a set of INS/odometer sensors, a road marking detection, and an accurate road marking map. The lateral road markings detection is done with the processing of two lateral cameras and provides an assessment of the lateral distance between the vehicle and the road borders. These information coupled with an accurate digital map of the road markings provide an efficient and reliable way to dramatically improve the localization obtained from only classical way (GPS/INS/Odometer). Moreover, the use of the road marking detection can be done only when the confidence is sufficiently high (punctual use). In fact, the vision processing and the map data can be used punctually only in order to update the classical localization algorithm. The temporary lack of vision data does not affect the quality of lateral positioning. In order to evaluate and validate this approach, a real test scenario was performed on Satory’s test track with real embedded sensors. It shows that the lateral estimation of the ego-vehicle positioning is performed with a sub-decimeter accuracy, high enough to be used in autonomous lane keeping, and land-based mobile mapping.

Help on the road: Effects of vehicle manual consultation in driving performance across modalities

The growing advancements of in-vehicle electronics and the intrusion of consumer electronics in the vehicle cockpit have increased the complexity of in-car experiences. Therefore, vehicle manuals are needed, now more than ever, to provide information and guidance. Automakers have extended user assistance through multimedia, integrated manuals, online services and telephonic assistance. However, no driver-centric interfaces have been created to provide vehicle documentation assistance effectively. Drivers are expected to interrupt the driving experience in order to find vehicle information in a paper manual. This paper compares the effects on driving performance and cognitive load when consulting a manual in a simulated driving environment through various conditions. These conditions consist of interacting with a voice activated vehicle manual called the Voice User Help, an on-board multimedia manual, a passenger, and a call center. Results suggest that any kind of interaction to access information while driving has an impact on the driver׳s attention based on a decrease in driving performance and increase of cognitive load. However, amongst all modalities, voice interfaces seem to be the better option for consulting information while driving. Also, and under some circumstances, interaction with a conversational manual system appears to be safer than human-to-human communication.

‘Setting Them up to Fail’

Child protection and youth justice are the two most significant statutory systems involved in the care of children and adolescents in Australia. Care leavers are one of the most disadvantaged and marginalised populations in our society. Their precare experiences of abuse and neglect, their often poor in-care experiences, their accelerated transitions to adulthood, and the lack of ongoing support they receive upon leaving care make them vulnerable to a number of poor social and economic outomes. Leaving care is formally defined as the cessation of legal responsibility by the state for young people living in out of home care ('OHC'). In Australia, young people in OHC are expected to commence preparation for leaving care from the age of 15 or 16; by the time they are 18 years old, the state ceases legal responsibility for the care and welfare of this group. Individual states and territories have legislated for the provision of postcare services for this group, with supports generally available until the age of 21, or up until 25 years in some jurisdictions (for example, New South Wales and Western Australia).

The importance of social relationships for young people from a public care background

The purpose of this article is to show that social relationships and participation in communities are of central importance to promoting positive educational pathways for young people from a public care background. The article will explore what facilitates and hinders young people's educational pathways. In addition to a general description of facilitators and barriers, this article focuses primarily on the importance of social relationships. This is done with reference to an EU research project called Young people from a public care background: Pathways to education in Europe. This article will show that young people's age at entry to care, pre-care experiences and in-care experiences influence their educational pathways. The article argues for the importance of professionals to be proactive in helping young people access and engage in social communities.

Failure of Care in State Care: In-Care Abuse and Postcare Homelessness

This article reviews initial findings from an Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute [AHURI]-funded research project examining housing outcomes among Australian young people who have been in state out-of-home care. Our findings suggest a linkage between incidents of in-care abuse and poor postcare housing outcomes among our research participants, including primary homelessness. Not attending school when leaving care was also highly associated with having experienced in-care abuse. The authors postulate that adverse in-care experiences may have contributed to poor postcare housing outcomes among the research participants; and this article raises a number of specific concerns related to neglect, abuse and assault while in care. It is also argued that support in the transition from care needs to be strengthened to mitigate poor post-care outcomes, as does accountability for in-care adversities.

Working with youth in-care: implications for vocational rehabilitation practice

Purpose. Youth in-care face a range of barriers that hinder their career development, not least of which is the high prevalence of mental health, emotional and behavioural problems among this population and lack of access to vocational rehabilitation services. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the factors that impede the school-to-work transition of youth in-care from their perspective and that of the key stakeholders in their lives.Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 65 youth in-care, 27 carers, 14 caseworkers and 21 guidance officers in Queensland, Australia.Results. There is a range of social, psychological and environmental factors that impact the career development of youth in-care, some of which are unique to this population. Factors include the effect of placement stability, negative in-care experiences, negative perceptions about them, limited access to caseworkers, lack of resources, poor educational planning and lack of vocational guidance and career exploration.Conclusions. These findings have a number of implications for practice, including the need for rehabilitation counsellors to understand and address the multiple barriers facing youth in-care, to provide vocational rehabilitation services throughout the school-to-work transition period and to coordinate support from carers, caseworkers and guidance officers.

Functioning of Israeli group-homes alumni: Exploring gender differences and in-care correlates

This follow-up study examined the current functioning of young adult alumni of a large network of group-homes in Israel. Our aim was to identify factors explaining their current functioning and explore gender differences. Background and in-care experiences were gathered on 143 alumni (64 men and 79 women). One hundred nine of those alumni (51 men and 58 women) agreed to be interviewed. Despite their disadvantaged background prior to entering care, alumni functioned adequately and were in good health. Girls seem to have more positive in-care experiences than boys. A child's academic functioning while in care was a positive predictor for alumni current functioning status. Our study identifies areas of concern such as alumni relative low educational level, and suggests directions for future interventions and longitudinal studies.

The developmental implications for children of life in public care: Irish and international perspectives

This paper explores what it may mean for children's development to have to live in state care. First, issues inherent in researching the outcome of care for children are considered. Second, a brief overview of the Irish care system is provided. Third, the Irish and international evidence about the impact of care is examined in three stages: evidence about in-care experiences; evidence about life following discharge from care; and longer term follow up studies which may include comparison groups. Fourth, some of the risks facing young people who are or have been in the care system are examined; for example, a heightened risk of educational failure and later social disadvantages While the paper argues that living in public care can usefully be regarded all risk status, it is also acknowledged that some children value and managed benefit from public care. The paper concludes with a policy and research agenda for this area.