Symbols of recovery : the impact of earthquake images on vigilance

Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

This study explores the impact post-earthquake images from Christchurch, New Zealand inserted into a task requiring sustained attention or vigilance have on performance, selfreports of task-focus, and cerebra activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The images represent the current state of Christchurch; a city struggling to recover from devastating earthquakes that peaked in February, 2011, killing 185 people, injuring hundreds more and causing widespread and massive damage to infrastructure, land and building in the region. Crowdsourcing was used to gather a series of positive and negative photos from greater Christchurch to be employed in the subsequent experiment. Seventy-one Christchurch resident participants (51 women, 20 men) then took part in a vigilance task with the sourced images embedded to assess possible cognitive disruptions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: embedded positive pictures, embedded negative pictures, or embedded scrambled image controls. Task performance was assessed with signal detection theory metrics of sensitivity A’ and β’’. Individuals viewing the positive images, relating to progress, rebuild, or aesthetic aspects within the city, were overall more conservative or less willing to respond than those in the other conditions. In addition, positive condition individuals reported lower task focus, when compared to those in the control condition. However, indicators of cerebral activity (fNIRS) did not differ significantly between the experimental groups. These results combined, suggest that mind wandering events may be being generated when exposed to positive post-earthquake images. This finding fits with recent research which indicates that mind-wandering or day dreaming tends to be positive and future oriented. While positive recovery images may initiate internal thoughts, this could actually prove problematic in contexts in which external attention is required. While the actual environment, of course, needs to recover, support agencies may want to be careful with employing positive recovery imagery in contexts where people actually should be paying attention to something else, like operating a vehicle or machinery.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:22 14:46:13)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on the side of a building between Brighton Mall and Hawke Street. The artwork depicts images and messages in bubbles.

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 01

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the repaired Kaiapoi River footbridge, also known as Mandeville Bridge. This photograph was modelled off an image taken by a staff member from the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering at the University of Canterbury in September 2010.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:22 14:46:08)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a section of a piece of street art on the side of a building between Brighton Mall and Hawke Street. This section of the artwork depicts images and messages in bubbles.

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 18

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of St John's Anglican Church in Hororata. The spire of the church, which partially collapsed in the 4 September earthquake, has been boarded up in order to protect the building from rain. This photograph was modelled off an image taken by BeckerFraserPhotos in October 2010.

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 16

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of St John's Anglican Church in Hororata. The spire of the church, which partially collapsed in the 4 September earthquake, has been boarded up in order to protect the building from rain. This photograph was modelled off an image taken by BeckerFraserPhotos in October 2010.

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 17

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of St John's Anglican Church in Hororata. The spire of the church, which partially collapsed in the 4 September earthquake, has been boarded up in order to protect the building from rain. This photograph was modelled off an image taken by BeckerFraserPhotos in October 2010.

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 07

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the rebuilt Blackwell's Department Store on the corner of Williams Street and Raven Quay in Kaiapoi. The department store was rebuilt after the previous building was damaged in the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. This photograph was modelled off an image taken by BeckerFraserPhotos in September 2010.

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 06

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the rebuilt Blackwell's Department Store on the corner of Williams Street and Raven Quay in Kaiapoi. The department store was rebuilt after the previous building was damaged in the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. This photograph was modelled off an image taken by BeckerFraserPhotos in September 2010.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:21 12:43:35)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art in Sydenham.

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 19

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a page in The Record newspaper. The newspaper is on a table at the Hororata cafe.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:29 13:17:30)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on a transformer building in Waltham.

SCIRT and EQC Liquefaction Trial Video

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

A video filmed during the Liquefaction Trial detonation and immediately following (run time approximately one minute).

Rosalee Jenkin Photograph 20

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the front page of The Record newspaper. The newspaper is on a table at the Hororata Cafe.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:29 13:17:48)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on a transformer building in Waltham.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:29 13:17:33)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on a transformer building in Waltham.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:29 13:17:51)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on a transformer building in Waltham.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2015:03:22 14:40:13)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on a building in Brighton Mall.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 044

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 44 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 089

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 89 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 222

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 224 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 237

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 240 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 136

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 138 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 118

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 120 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 268

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 271 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 271

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 274 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 182

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 184 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 188

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 190 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 139

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 141 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.

Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book Page 040

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A scan of page 40 of the Townsend Telescope Visitors' Book.