PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Frederick Norton

Industrial/Organizational
June 1990

Risk Perception and Seat Belt Use by Young Males

   
    Despite consistent evidence that seat belt use reduces the risk of injuries and fatalities in vehicle crashes, seat belt use rates remain low.  The purpose of this thesis was to study the relationships between seat belt use, risk perception and driving skill.  A second part of the thesis examined the relationship between risk taking and seat belt use.  Regression analysis was used.  The results indicated that risk perception and driving skill did not contribute significantly to variance in seat belt use.  Risk-taking behavior was show to contribute significantly to variance in seat belt use such that subjects who scored higher on risk taking reported using seat belts less frequently than low risk takers.  The factors of perceived comfort of seat belts and opinion on seat belt laws were also found to contribute significantly to variance in seat belt use rates.

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