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Self-Determination Theory and Risk Behavior in a Collectivistic Society: Preventing Reckless Driving in Urban Nepal
Yerina S Ranjit1, Leslie B Snyder2,3, Mark A Hamilton2,4
1a Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , Connecticut , USA.
Journal of Health Communication
|July 29, 2017
Summary
Directive messages in road safety campaigns are more effective than autonomy support for influencing driver behavior in Nepal. This study found that directive language enhances perceived value, susceptibility, and severity, leading to stronger behavioral intentions for road safety.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Traffic Safety
Background:
- Road traffic accidents are a major cause of mortality globally and in Nepal, exacerbated by inadequate driver education and lax enforcement of traffic regulations.
- Effective public safety campaigns are needed to improve driver attitudes and behaviors, but optimal persuasive strategies remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of different persuasive strategies in road safety messages for Nepali drivers.
- To test the impact of collective vs. individual appeals and autonomy support vs. directive language in video messages.
- To propose an expanded behavior change model incorporating value identification.
Main Methods:
- A post-only experimental design was employed with 199 Nepali college students.
- Participants were exposed to a short video message varying in persuasive appeals (collective/individual) and language style (autonomy support/directive).
- Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the influence on identified regulation, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and behavioral intention.
Main Results:
- Directive messages, compared to autonomy support, significantly influenced identified regulation (seeing value in the behavior).
- Identified regulation positively impacted perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and behavioral intention.
- A behavior change model was proposed, adding a value identification stage before 'cues to action' influence threat perception.
Conclusions:
- Directive language in road safety campaigns can be more effective in promoting behavior change by fostering value identification.
- The findings support an expanded Health Belief Model that includes an explicit stage for message value identification.
- This research offers insights for designing more effective road safety interventions in contexts with similar challenges to Nepal.
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