6 Results – Study 2
6.4 Comparisons within driver groups
Using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA), the differences in the beliefs of those who held strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving and who owned and did not own a hands-free mobile phone kit were examined. In addition, given that the participant characteristics of age and driving purpose emerged as significant predictors of intentions to use a mobile phone while driving, additional analyses were conducted to explore differences in beliefs of age groups and driving purpose groups for those with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving. Given the large sample size, we controlled for Type 1 error rate by adopting a more stringent alpha level of .001 to interpret significant results.
6.4.1 Differences in beliefs of those with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
Table 11 displays the MANOVA results for the whole sample of participants with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone for any purpose while driving. There were significant multivariate effects found for behavioural beliefs, F(6, 757) = 60.83, p < .001; normative beliefs, F(6, 764) = 28.31, p < .001; and control beliefs, F(6, 766) = 8.99, p < .001.
As shown in Table 11, examination of the univariate effects revealed that participants with weak and strong intentions to use a mobile phone while driving differed on specific behavioural, normative and control beliefs. Specifically, for behavioural beliefs, participants with strong intentions were more likely to believe that using time effectively and receiving information were advantages and being distracted from driving was a disadvantage of using a mobile phone while driving, than those with weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving. Those with strong intentions to use a mobile phone while driving were also more likely to perceive that all normative referents would approve of them using a mobile phone while driving, than participants with weak intentions to perform this behaviour. Finally, participants with strong intentions to use a mobile phone while driving were less likely to believe that risk of fines, risk of an accident, lack of a hands-free kit, and heavy traffic would be likely to prevent them from engaging in this behaviour, than participants with weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving.
Table 11: Mean differences in beliefs of participants with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
Behavioural belief
Weak Int n = 358
Strong Int n = 406
Using time effectively 2.57 4.98***
Being distracted from driving 3.58 4.33***
Being involved in a crash 2.99 3.23
Receiving information (e.g., directions, important news) 2.72 4.47***
Receiving assistance in an emergency 3.22 3.46
Being caught and fined by the police 2.90 3.09
Normative belief n = 361 n = 410
Friends 2.54 4.22***
Family members 2.26 3.67***
Partner/boyfriend/girlfriend 2.37 3.95***
Work colleagues 2.55 4.26***
Other drivers 2.20 3.45***
Police 1.83 2.47***
Control belief n = 363 n = 410
Risk of fines 5.24 4.29***
Demanding driving conditions (e.g., weather, changing lanes) 5.72 5.29
Risk of an accident 5.69 4.96***
Police presence 5.66 5.35
Lack of hands-free kit 4.93 4.32***
Heavy traffic 5.31 4.60***
*** p < .001
Note. Scaled from 1 = extremely unlikely to 7 = extremely likely.
6.4.2 Differences in beliefs of those with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving according to mobile phone handset, age, and driving purpose groupings
To determine where differences in intentions may lie within each mobile phone handset (hands-free kit vs. hand-held mobile), age (younger: 17-25 years vs. older: 26+ years), and driving purpose grouping (business vs. personal purposes), separate MANOVA analyses were conducted (see Appendix E for results of the analyses and Table 30 for a summary of the differences across groups).
The significant differences in beliefs of participants with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving in each group are presented below.
Differences in beliefs of hands-free mobile phone kit owners with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
• Strong intenders were less likely to believe they would be involved in a crash or caught and fined by the police than weak intenders.
• Strong intenders were more likely, than weak intenders, to believe that family members would approve of them using a mobile phone while driving.
• Strong intenders were less likely view police presence as a deterrent than weak intenders.
Differences in beliefs of hand-held mobile phone kit owners with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
• Strong intenders were more likely, than weak intenders, to believe that using time effectively and receiving information were advantages. They were also less likely to believe that they were would be distracted from driving and caught and fined by police than weak intenders.
• Strong intenders were more likely to believe that all normative referents (except police) would approve than weak intenders.
• Strong intenders were less likely to believe that the risk of being fined or having an accident and lack of a hands-free kit would prevent them from using a mobile phone than weak intenders.
Differences in beliefs of younger (17-25 years) participants with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
• Strong intenders were more likely, than weak intenders, to believe that advantages were using time effectively and receiving information.
• Strong intenders were more likely, than weak intenders, to perceive that friends, their
partner/boyfriend/girlfriend, and work colleagues would approve of their using a mobile phone while driving.
• Strong intenders were less likely, than weak intenders, to believe risks of fines or an accident and lack of a hands-free kit would prevent them from using a mobile phone.
Differences in beliefs of older (26+ years) participants with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
• Strong intenders were more likely, than weak intenders, to believe that advantages were using time effectively and receiving information, whilst a disadvantage was being distracted from driving.
• Strong intenders were more likely to perceive approval from all normative referents for using a mobile phone while driving than weak intenders.
• Strong intenders were less likely, than weak intenders, to believe that being fined, having an accident, and heavy traffic would prevent them from using a mobile phone while driving.
Differences in beliefs of participants driving for mostly business purposes with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
• Strong intenders were more likely, than weak intenders, to believe that advantages were using time effectively and receiving information and a disadvantage was being distracted from driving.
• Strong intenders were more likely to perceive normative approval from all identified referents (except police) than weak intenders.
• Strong intenders were less likely to believe that risk of fines or an accident would prevent them from using a mobile phone than weak intenders.
Differences in beliefs of participants driving for mostly personal purposes with strong and weak intentions to use a mobile phone while driving
• Strong intenders were more likely to believe that advantages were using time effectively and receiving information than weak intenders.
• Strong intenders were more likely to perceive normative approval from all referents (except police) than weak intenders.
• Strong intenders were less likely to believe that risk of fines and lack of a hands-free kit would stop them from using their mobile phone than weak intenders.