Risk-perception and dangerous driving among adolescents: Outcome- and behavior-focused questions yield opposite results

O'Brien, Fearghal and Gormley, Michael (2016) Risk-perception and dangerous driving among adolescents: Outcome- and behavior-focused questions yield opposite results. Journal of Adolescence, 52. pp. 89-94. ISSN 0140-1971

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Abstract

While some studies have found that those who perceive a behavior to be more risky are less likely to engage in it, others have found that those who engage in more risky behaviors see themselves as being more at-risk. Using an online questionnaire we investigated whether such conflicting findings may be due to the types of risk-questions employed in past studies. We assessed risk-perception using outcome-focused questions (e.g. the likelihood of being in an accident) and a behavior-focused question (the riskiness of speeding). Participants who reported engaging in more risky driving gave higher estimates of their chances of experiencing a negative outcome. However, those same participants gave lower estimates of the general riskiness of risky driving. Drivers may think about the risks of risky driving in different ways depending on the focus of the questions.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology
Divisions:	School of Business > Staff Research and Publications
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	30 Nov 2016 15:16
Last Modified:	30 Nov 2016 15:16
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/2457

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