Abstract
In the course of designing warnings a manufacturer of residential swimming pools, American Institutes for Research (AIR) conducted several surveys of potential pool users to determine whether threatening (i.e. morbid, disturbing, or fear-arousing) or non-threatening warnings were more appropriate for the residential environment. This study focused on determining (1) how effective both types of warnings would be in preventing serious pool injuries and (2) the likelihood that a pool owner would post the warnings. The warnings addressed the two major swimming pool hazards, as determined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) statistics: (1) diving accidents involving teenage males and (2) drowning accidents involving children under the age of 5 years. We conducted an initial survey of 15 potential pool users to assess the pool manufacturer's existing warnings. Then we surveyed 27 potential pool users to determine their preferences from several design alternatives. Finally, we validated comprehension of the pictographs with a survey of 135 subjects. During these surveys, a substantial proportion of the subjects indicated that people might have reservations about posting a threatening warning. The final warning designs reflect the conclusion that it is better to provide warnings that do not offend people's sensibilities. This increases the chance that pool owners will post the warnings in a residential environment.
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