Bournemouth University experts warn current water safety messages may not be effective

Bournemouth University experts believe that current water safety messages may not be fully effective.

In a new study published by the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, “Fighting Instinct: The Brain, Emotions and Decision Making in the Water,” the researchers argued that for many people, the human brain does not process warning signs that depict the open water as a dangerous place.

This is because the warning signs conflict with the sense of enjoyment people feel by the water.

Co-author of the paper and Senior Lecturer in advertising and marketing communications at Bournemouth University, Dr Jill Nash, said: “Unlike road safety messages, where the dangers are clear and obvious to everyone, we look at the water differently because it helps us feel calm and relaxed and we are more likely to ignore the signs telling us about dangers. This means a different approach is needed for people to understand the risks.

“Just telling people not to go into the water because it’s dangerous doesn’t work.  Understanding the emotional factors that impact how we make decisions around the water is crucial for developing safety campaigns that improve our behaviours.”​

Dr Nash, along with co-author Dr Sam Hills from the university, are using their findings to collaborate with the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the RNLI to help frame messages for future safety campaigns.

The study also involved trialling smart glasses to monitor young men’s real-time reactions to watching water safety campaigns to understand which types of messages evoked emotional engagement and potentially make safer decisions around the water.

Dr Nash presented the preliminary findings at a recent RoSPA conference on drowning prevention.

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These findings revealed that messages with clear safety instructions, as well as an intense emotional load, were most likely to stick in the participants’ minds afterwards.

A Drowning Prevention Research Group has now been set up at Bournemouth University.

It will bring together colleagues with expertise in emergency life support, public health, and public communication to build on the work that has already taken place.

Dr Nash explained that: “Globally men are eighty percent more likely to drown than women, and the figures show middle-aged men and teenage boys have the highest risk. No one’s ever properly explored why that is so I really wanted to shine a light on why gender matters and understand what’s going on in the minds of boys.

“As a coastal university, we are in a prime position to lead research into what is a major public health issue. As summer approaches we hope our work with RoSPA and local authorities will help more people enjoy the water environments in our area and around the country as safely as possible.”

The full findings will be published later this year.

Featured image via Bournemouth University