Seat belts: Relations between beliefs, attitude, and use

Abstract

A sample of 368 car owners answered a mailed questionnaire constructed on the basis of a model of attitudes toward seat-belt use. A factor analysis yielded a belief pattern interpreted in terms of 5 factors-Discomfort, Worry, Risk, Effect, and Inconvenience. The model appeared useful since an independent measure of attitude to seat-belt use could be predicted (r = .84) from a linear combination of these factor scores. The correlation between the attitude measure and reported use of seat belts was .56, or about the same as that between the belief factor combination and reported use. The combination of the Discomfort and Effect factors gave near optimal predictions (r = .52). Results were replicated on a new sample of 105 drivers. A model of seat-belt use is suggested in which conceptions about discomfort of belt usage and effects of belts in an accident are regarded as determinants of usage. (16 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)