The prototype willingness model: An application to adolescent driver speeding

Many young drivers are involved in crashes due to speeding. Some studies have used the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) to explain the risky driving behavior of young people. However, many have measured PWM constructs in a manner inconsistent with its formulation. The PWM asserts that the social reaction pathway is underpinned by a heuristic comparison of oneself with a cognitive prototype of someone who engages in a risky behavior. This proposition has not been comprehensively examined and few PWM studies specifically examine social comparison. The current study investigates intentions, expectations, and willingness to speed by teen drivers using operationalizations of PWM constructs more aligned with their original conceptualizations. Additionally, the influence of dispositional social comparison tendency on the social reaction pathway is examined to further test the original propositions underpinning the PWM.

Two hundred and eleven independently driving adolescents completed an online survey including items measuring PWM constructs and social comparison tendency. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to investigate the influence of perceived vulnerability, descriptive and injunctive norms, and prototypes on speeding intentions, expectations, and willingness. A moderation analysis examined the effect of social comparison tendency on the association between prototype perceptions and willingness.

The regression models explained substantial amounts of variance in intentions (39%), expectations (49%), and willingness (30%) to speed. There was no evidence that social comparison tendency influences the relationship between prototypes and willingness.

The PWM is useful for predicting teenage risky driving. More studies should confirm that social comparison tendency does not moderate the social reaction pathway. However, there may be need for further theoretical development of the PWM.

The study suggests that it may be possible to develop interventions to reduce adolescent driver speeding based on manipulation of PWM constructs such as speeding driver prototypes.