SEAT BELTS: CHANGING USAGE BY CHANGING BELIEFS

A model to predict seat belt use, based on a linear combination of (a) beliefs about discomfort when wearing a seat belt and (b) beliefs about injury-reducing effects of seat belts, were tested. Employees of a large steel company (N=154), nonusers of seat belts, were randomly assigned to one of six groups receiving one or a combination of the following treatments: (a) verbal information stressing the role of seat belts in reducing injury; (b) nonverbal practice in seat belt use: (c) verbal information irrelevant to seat belt use; or (d) receiving no treatment. Groups receiving seat belt information had the most favorable posttest beliefs and displayed the greatest increase in seat belt usage, although the effects generally decreased over time. The Discomfort (D) factor and the model (D+E) were equally predictive, while the Effect (E) factor was predictive only at low values. A multiplicative model is discussed.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00219010
• Corporate Authors:

  American Psychological Association

  750 First Street, NE
  Washington, DC  United States  20002-4242
• Authors:
  • Fhaner, G
  • Hane, M
• Publication Date: 1975-12

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 589-598
• Serial:
  • Journal of Applied Psychology
  • Volume: 60
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: American Psychological Association
  • ISSN: 0021-9010

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Forecasting; Injuries; Manual safety belts; Mathematical models; Measures of effectiveness; Passenger comfort
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Models
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00133562
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-018 198
• Contract Numbers: No. 32
• Files: HSL, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 4 1983 12:00AM