Seat belts: Changing usage by changing beliefs.

Abstract

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.