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Threat appeals reduce impulsive decision making associated with texting while driving: A behavioral economic approach

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  • Yusuke Hayashi
  • Anne M Foreman
  • Jonathan E Friedel
  • Oliver Wirth

Abstract

The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of threat appeals in influencing impulsive decision making associated with texting while driving. The participants in the treatment group were exposed to a threatening message about the danger of texting while driving, whereas those in the control group were exposed to a non-threatening message. Following the exposure to either message, the participants completed a delay-discounting task that assessed the degree of impulsive decision making in a hypothetical texting-while-driving scenario. A comparison between the groups revealed that the threat appeals reduced the degree of impulsive decision making associated with texting while driving. In addition, the threat appeals led to greater anticipated regret from texting while driving, less favorable attitudes toward texting while driving, and decreased intentions to text while driving in the future in the treatment group. These results suggest that video-based threat appeals are promising intervention strategies for the public health challenge of texting while driving. Implications from the behavioral economic perspective are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Yusuke Hayashi & Anne M Foreman & Jonathan E Friedel & Oliver Wirth, 2019. "Threat appeals reduce impulsive decision making associated with texting while driving: A behavioral economic approach," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-19, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0213453
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213453
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    Cited by:

    1. Laura Šeibokaitė & Rasa Markšaitytė & Auksė Endriulaitienė & Justina Slavinskienė & Dainora Šakinytė & Gerda Tamajevaitė, 2021. "Targeting Smartphone Use While Driving: Drivers’ Reactions to Different Types of Safety Messages," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-11, November.

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