Do drivers differ in their attitudes on speed limit compliance between work and private settings? Results from a group of Nigerian drivers

Existing evidence suggests that drivers, particularly those who work in companies with strong road safety cultures exhibit different sets of speeding attitudes and behaviours in work and private driving. Using Ajzen and Fishbein’s (1980) Theory of Planned behaviour (TPB) and on-road driving experiments, this study examined the self-reported and objective behaviour of driving within posted speed limits for a sample of fleet drivers. The findings show that the TPB explained up to 24% of the variance in intention to comply with speed limits. Drivers’ attitude emerged as the most significant predictor and strongest correlate with intentions to comply with the speed limit in both work and private vehicle.Further analysis revealed participants had a higher intention to comply with speed limits in their work than private vehicle. Also, investigation of the relationship between TPB variables and observed speeding behaviour suggests that participants with higher intention to comply with the speed limit or high perceived behavioural control (PBC), exceeded the speed limit less often than those with lower intention to comply with the speed limit or low PBC. The findings have important theoretical and applied implications for development of better speed limit compliance interventions to improve driving behaviour, and road safety in general.     

Identifying Beliefs and Cognitions Underpinning Commuters' Travel Mode Choices

Interventions to reduce car use have shown limited success, in part due to limitations in models of transport choices. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) has provided a useful predictive model of car use but the specific beliefs that underpin TPB‐specified cognitions are less well understood. In this study, 229 university employees responded to a questionnaire and then reported their commuting choices 1 week later. Intention and perceived behavioral control (PBC) predicted car use (R² = .79). Intention was predicted by attitude, subjective norm, PBC, and moral norm (R² = .56). Beliefs could not be differentiated into attitudinal and PBC constructs, but seven beliefs predicted TPB cognitions. A similar model was tested for public transport use. The results identify key targets for future interventions.     

Investigating the motivational factors influencing drivers intentions to unsafe driving behaviours: Speeding and overtaking violations

Achieving road safety depends on driver attitudes and behaviours in handling the vehicle on roads. The availability of good road, improvement of vehicle designs and drivers experience lead to reduction in crashes but not prevention of crashes. The study aims to predict the drivers’ intentions towards speeding and overtaking violations when under the influence of motivational factors using belief measure of TPB and DBQ variables. To achieve this, questionnaires were randomly administered to a sample of Ghanaian drivers (N = 354) who held valid driving licenses. This study applied regression techniques. The result shows that the components of TPB and DBQ variables were able to predict drivers’ intentions towards speeding and overtaking violations. The study further shows that components of TPB made larger contributions to the prediction of divers’ intentions to speeding and overtaking than the DBQ. Further analysis revealed that, in the prediction of drivers’ intentions, speeding attitude was the most frequent violations compared to overtaking. The drivers tend to involved in overtaking violations when they perceived the driving motivations would enhance the performance of the behaviour. Additionally, control belief has been the strongest predictor of drivers’ intentions under the influence of motivations to speeding and overtaking violations. It appeared that the drivers who intended to involve in speeding and overtaking violations had strong beliefs in the factors and are more likely to violate based on their beliefs. The practical implications of the findings for the development of interventions to promote road safety and positive changes are also discussed.     

Promoting drivers' compliance with speed limits: Testing an intervention based on the theory of planned behaviour

The efficacy of a theory of planned behaviour (TPB)‐based intervention to promote drivers' compliance with speed limits was tested. Participants (N=300) were randomly assigned to an experimental condition, and received persuasive messages designed to change beliefs as specified in the TPB, or a control condition. Baseline and follow‐up (1 month post‐baseline) measures of TPB variables and behaviour were collected using postal questionnaires. Results showed that the intervention had a significant effect on one control belief, and significantly increased perceived behavioural control and reported behaviour. Mediation analyses confirmed that the control belief change generated the perceived behavioural control change and that the perceived behavioural control change generated the behaviour change. Implications for promoting road safety are discussed.     

Intentions to participate in counselling among front-line,at-risk Irish government employees: an application of the theory of planned behaviour

ABSTRACT

The study set out to examine intentions to engage in counselling among at-risk Irish government employees and the differential utility of two alternative theory of planned behaviour (TPB) models of behaviour to explain intentions to participate in counselling. Individuals (N=259) employed in a front-line, at-risk occupation for the Irish government completed a TPB-based questionnaire. Quantitative analyses revealed that participants held positive to neutral intentions to participate in counselling, irrespective of gender. The original TPB model explained 49.9% of variance in intentions whereas an alternative TPB model, splitting the perceived behavioural control (PBC) construct between its internal and external control components, explained a further 8.9% of variance. Furthermore, self-efficacy was found to be the strongest predictor of intentions. This study therefore supports the use of the TPB in understanding counselling-seeking behaviour.     

Predicting People’s Intention to Donate Their Body to Medical Science and Research

Predictors of people’s intention to register with a body bequest program for donating their deceased body to medical science and research were examined using standard theory of planned behavior (TPB) predictors (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control) and adding moral norm, altruism, and knowledge. Australian students (N = 221) at a university with a recently established body bequest program completed measures of the TPB’s underlying beliefs (behavioral, normative, and control beliefs) and standard and extended TPB predictors, with a sub-sample reporting their registration-related behavior 2 months later. The standard TPB accounted for 43.6%, and the extended predictors an additional 15.1% of variance in intention. The significant predictors were attitude, subjective norm, and moral norm, partially supporting an extended TPB in understanding people’s body donation intentions. Further, important underlying beliefs can inform strategies to target prospective donors.     

Organ donation intentions and behaviors: application and extension of the theory of planned behavior

Organ donation intentions and behaviors were investigated using a traditional and extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). In study 1, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were associated with intentions to engage in donation behaviors in a student sample (all p ≤ .02), and intentions significantly predicted behavior 2 months later (p < .001). Study 2 utilized a community sample of Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim individuals. Measures of affect and religious attitudes were added to the traditional TPB, increasing the variance in intentions accounted for by the model, F(7, 181) = 6.94, p < .001. The studies support the use of an extended TPB in predicting donation‐related intentions and behaviors and suggest potential targets of interventions to promote donation.     

To share or not to share: A theoretically guided investigation of factors predicting intentions to use fully automated shared passenger shuttles

This study applied the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to assess individuals’ intentions to use fully automated shared passenger shuttles when they become publicly available. In addition, perceived trust was assessed to examine the extent to which this variable could account for additional variance in intentions above the TPB constructs of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control (PBC). Further, and also guided by the TPB, the study explored the differences in behavioural, normative, and control beliefs between individuals who reported high intentions to use automated passenger shuttles in the future (high intenders) and individuals who reported low intentions to use fully automated shared passenger shuttles in the future (low intenders). Participants (N = 438; 64% female) aged between 17 and 84 years (Mage = 35.42 years) were asked to complete an online questionnaire which took approximately 15 min. The findings revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC were significant positive predictors of intentions to use fully automated shared passenger shuttles when they become publicly available. When perceived trust was added to the hierarchical regression, this variable was shown to account for additional significant variance in intentions above the TPB constructs and was shown to be a significant positive predictor of intentions. Further, the results revealed significant differences in beliefs held by high and low intenders. Specifically, high intenders held significantly more positive beliefs towards fully automated shared passenger shuttles than low intenders. In turn, low intenders held significantly more negative beliefs towards these vehicles than high intenders. Overall, these findings provide support for the utility of the TPB in examining individuals’ intentions to use fully automated shared passenger shuttles when they become publicly available.     

Assessing the feasibility of the theory of planned behaviour in predicting drivers’ intentions to operate conditional and full automated vehicles

Guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study examined the beliefs underpinning, and feasibility of the factors in predicting, individuals’ intentions to use a conditional (Level 3) automated vehicle (AV) and a full (Level 5) AV. Australian drivers (N = 505) aged 17–81 years (Mean age = 33.69, SD = 18.79) were recruited and completed a 20 min online survey which featured both quantitative and qualitative items. For the quantitative data, two linear regressions revealed that the TPB standard constructs of attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control (PBC) accounted for 66% of the variance in intentions to use a conditional AV and 68% of the variance in intentions to use a full AV. Of the TPB constructs, attitudes and subjective norms were significant positive predictors of future intentions to use conditional and full AVs. For the qualitative data, some differences emerged for the underlying behavioural beliefs that underpinned intentions to use conditional and full AVs. For example, having beliefs about control over the conditional AV was identified by many participants as an advantage, while not being in full control of the full AV was identified as a disadvantage. For underlying control beliefs, participants identified similar barriers for both vehicle types, including; high costs, lack of trust, lack of control over the vehicle, lack of current legislation to support the mainstream introduction of these vehicles, and concerns of safety for self and for other road users when operating AVs. Overall, these findings provide some support for applying the TPB to understand drivers’ intended use of AVs. However, while the current study showed that the constructs of attitudes and subjective norms might reflect intended use of AVs, more research is required to further examine the role of PBC. Additionally, the findings provide initial insights into the underlying behavioural and control beliefs that may motivate drivers to use AVs and highlight the similarities and differences in drivers’ perceptions towards two levels of vehicle automation.     

Predictors of Young People's Charitable Intentions to Donate Money: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective

An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to predict young people's intentions to donate money to charities in the future. Students (N = 210; 18–24 years) completed a questionnaire assessing their attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), moral obligation, past behavior, and intentions toward donating money. Regression analyses revealed that the extended TPB explained 61% of the variance in intentions to donate money. Attitude, PBC, moral norm, and past behavior predicted intentions, representing future targets for charitable‐giving interventions.     

Resolving the theory of planned behaviour's ‘expectancy-value muddle’ using dimensional salience

The theory of planned behaviour is one of the most widely used models of decision-making in the health literature. Unfortunately, the primary method for assessing the theory's belief-based expectancy-value models results in statistically uninterpretable findings, giving rise to what has become known as the ‘expectancy-value muddle’. Moreover, existing methods for resolving this muddle are associated with various conceptual or practical limitations. This study addresses these issues by identifying and evaluating a parsimonious method for resolving the expectancy-value muddle. Three hundred and nine Australian residents aged 18–24 years rated the expectancy and value of 18 beliefs about posthumous organ donation. Participants also nominated their five most salient beliefs using a dimensional salience approach. Salient beliefs were perceived as being more likely to eventuate than non-salient beliefs, indicating that salient beliefs could be used to signify the expectancy component. The expectancy-value term was therefore represented by summing the value ratings of salient beliefs, an approach that predicted attitude (adjusted R ²?=?0.21) and intention (adjusted R ²?=?0.21). These findings suggest that the dimensional salience approach is a useful method for overcoming the expectancy-value muddle in applied research settings.     

Implementation of automatic speed enforcement: Covariation with young drivers’ reported speeding behaviour and motivations

IntroductionSpeeding represents one of the main causes of road crashes worldwide, particularly among young drivers who are over-represented in road-crash statistics. For promoting road safety in France, an automatic speed enforcement (ASE) system was introduced late 2002.ObjectiveIn order to examine its efficiency on speeding and its motivations, we compared young drivers’ intentions and beliefs about speeding between the introduction of ASE (T1) and its completion in 2005 (T2) via a large survey based on the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). We assumed the introduction of the ASE would covariate with a reduction in intention to speeding between T1 and T2 and a change in the extended TPB factors according to gender and driving experience.MethodOne thousand one hundred and ninety-two young participants (49.7% men) divided into novice, beginner, and more-experienced drivers filled in a questionnaire based on the extended TPB about their driving behaviour and history at T1 and 24 months later (T2).ResultsMen, beginner and more-experienced drivers expressed more intention to speeding within the next 12 months at T1 and showed a higher decrease in intention between T1 and T2 as compared to women and novice drivers. The extended TPB accounted for 59% of the variance in the decrease of the intention to speeding. Its main predictors were: lower perceived behavioural control over speeding, less social pressure, lower perceived similarity with the prototypical deviant driver, and higher comparative optimism. Secondly, slightly more positive behavioural beliefs and more negative outcome evaluations predicted this decrease.ConclusionPractical implications of the findings for road safety are discussed.     

Predicting the Use of Complementary Medicine: A Test of the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior1

The present study employed the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and its extension, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), to investigate the factors underlying intentions and actual use of homeopathy over a 1‐month period. The study was prospective in design; 349 respondents completed a TPB questionnaire during the first phase of data collection, and 139 respondents were contacted (by telephone) in Phase 2 to provide information regarding their use of homeopathy. The findings provided support for the TPB as a predictor of intentions and use of homeopathy, and demonstrated that the model significantly enhanced the predictive utility of the TRA. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control emerged as significant predictors of intention (R²= .49), while intention predicted behavior (R²= .56). In addition, past behavior significantly contributed to the prediction of intention and behavior.     

Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Review and Avenues for Further Research

This paper describes and reviews the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The focus is on evidence supporting the further extension of the TPB in various ways. Empirical and theoretical evidence to support the addition of 6 variables to the TPB is reviewed: belief salience measures, past behavior/habit, perceived behavioral control (PBC) vs. self-efficacy, moral norms, self-identity, and affective beliefs. In each case there appears to be growing empirical evidence to support their addition to the TPB and some understanding of the processes by which they may be related to other TPB variables, intentions, and behavior. Two avenues for expansion of the TPB are presented. First, the possibility of incorporating the TPB into a dual-process model of attitude–behavior relationships is reviewed. Second, the expansion of the TPB to include consideration of the volitional processes determining how goal intentions may lead to goal achievement is discussed.     

The effect of self‐identity alongside perceived importance within the theory of planned behaviour

Self‐identity often predicts behavioural intentions after standard theory of planned behaviour (TPB) components are accounted for. However, it has been claimed this is due to conceptual similarity between self‐identity and perceived importance of the behaviour. We examined this claim within the context of recycling food waste. Participants (N = 113) completed questionnaires assessing intentions, attitude, perceived behavioural control, perceived norms, perceived importance, self‐identity, and past behaviour. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that self‐identity and perceived importance were distinct constructs. Further, after accounting for TPB components and perceived importance, self‐identity explained a significant amount of additional variance in intentions. The present findings therefore do not support this particular argument against the predictive utility of self‐identity.     

Drivers' compliance with speed limits: an application of the theory of planned behavior

The theory of planned behavior (TPB; I. Ajzen, 1985) was applied to drivers' compliance with speed limits. Questionnaire data were collected for 598 drivers at 2 time points separated by 3 months. TPB variables, demographic information, and self-reported prior behavior were measured at Time 1, and self-reported subsequent behavior was measured at Time 2. In line with the TPB, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control were positively associated with behavioral intention, and intention and perceived control were positively associated with subsequent behavior. TPB variables mediated the effects of age and gender on behavior. Prior behavior was found to moderate the perceived control-intention and perceived control-subsequent behavior relationships. Practical implications of the findings for road safety and possible avenues for further research are discussed.     

Predicting job seeking for temporary employment using the theory of planned behaviour: The moderating role of individualism and collectivism

Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the role of behavioural, normative, and control beliefs and individualism/collectivism was examined in the context of job seeking for temporary employment. Data were collected in a two‐wave longitudinal design, using a culturally diverse sample of 138 temporary workers in The Netherlands. Results supported the TPB‐relationships, with the exception of the role of perceived behavioural control (PBC). Of the behavioural beliefs, sense of security, work–life balance, and status were most strongly related to intentions to seek temporary employment. Further, hypothesized moderating effects of collectivism were confirmed such that people low on collectivism were more strongly motivated by their personal attitudes about job seeking and less by perceptions of social pressure than people high on collectivism. Thus, the TPB was demonstrated to work somewhat differently depending on people's cultural value orientations.