Reducing optimism bias in the driver’s seat: comparing two interventions
Reducing optimism bias in the driver’s seat: comparing two interventions
Optimism bias combined with sensation-seeking and risky driving have been proposed to be the main contributing factors to young drivers’ involvement in road traffic collisions. The present study aimed to evaluate how two brief interventions, one based on an unambiguous definition of “good” driving and the other on a hazard perception test, might reduce young drivers’ optimism bias. One hundred and twenty-eight university students were randomly allocated to one of three groups: standard definition, hazard perception or control. Measures evaluating optimism bias were completed before and after the intervention, and questions regarding their sensation-seeking and past risk-taking tendencies were asked at follow-up. Both brief interventions reduced optimism bias levels, but hazard perception had the strongest effect. The effectiveness of the two interventions also differed across individuals depending on their sensation-seeking and past risky driving tendencies. The results provide evidence for the effectiveness of brief interventions to reduce optimism bias.
Young drivers, optimism bias, road safety, risky-driving behaviours, hazard perception
207-217
Cutello, Clara
7aa0524b-66e6-4e7b-abad-e83933c9c472
Walsh, Clare
1f2c3067-ffd2-4b7e-8a48-55a1af2b0c46
Hanoch, Yaniv
3cf08e80-8bda-4d3b-af1c-46c858aa9f39
Hellier, Elizabeth
3a28992b-fe5f-4789-ac2b-38628f13c8c4
April 2021
Cutello, Clara
7aa0524b-66e6-4e7b-abad-e83933c9c472
Walsh, Clare
1f2c3067-ffd2-4b7e-8a48-55a1af2b0c46
Hanoch, Yaniv
3cf08e80-8bda-4d3b-af1c-46c858aa9f39
Hellier, Elizabeth
3a28992b-fe5f-4789-ac2b-38628f13c8c4
Cutello, Clara, Walsh, Clare, Hanoch, Yaniv and Hellier, Elizabeth
(2021)
Reducing optimism bias in the driver’s seat: comparing two interventions.
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 78, .
(doi:10.1016/j.trf.2021.02.013).
Abstract
Optimism bias combined with sensation-seeking and risky driving have been proposed to be the main contributing factors to young drivers’ involvement in road traffic collisions. The present study aimed to evaluate how two brief interventions, one based on an unambiguous definition of “good” driving and the other on a hazard perception test, might reduce young drivers’ optimism bias. One hundred and twenty-eight university students were randomly allocated to one of three groups: standard definition, hazard perception or control. Measures evaluating optimism bias were completed before and after the intervention, and questions regarding their sensation-seeking and past risk-taking tendencies were asked at follow-up. Both brief interventions reduced optimism bias levels, but hazard perception had the strongest effect. The effectiveness of the two interventions also differed across individuals depending on their sensation-seeking and past risky driving tendencies. The results provide evidence for the effectiveness of brief interventions to reduce optimism bias.
Text
OB Manuscript-accepted 022020
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
OB Manuscript-accepted 022020
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 15 February 2021
Published date: April 2021
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords:
Young drivers, optimism bias, road safety, risky-driving behaviours, hazard perception
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 447064
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/447064
ISSN: 1369-8478
PURE UUID: 713b10f5-3eaa-450c-aab1-c9c573fe1ab6
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Date deposited: 02 Mar 2021 17:32
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:21
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Contributors
Author:
Clara Cutello
Author:
Clare Walsh
Author:
Yaniv Hanoch
Author:
Elizabeth Hellier
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