Testing an implementation intention intervention to reduce speeding behaviour

Elliott, Mark A. and Brewster, Sarah E. and McCartan, Rebecca and Kelly, Stephen W. (2016) Testing an implementation intention intervention to reduce speeding behaviour. In: 31st International Congress of Psychology, 2016-07-24 - 2016-07-29.

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Abstract

Half of all speed limit offenders intend to comply with speed limits and need help implementing (i.e., converting into action) their generally safe intentions (Elliott & Armitage, 2007). A randomized controlled experiment (N=243) was therefore conducted to test a new intervention to help drivers form implementation intentions (IMPS) to avoid speeding. The experimental group specified IMPS using a volitional help sheet (Armitage, 2008). One month later, this group self-reported exceeding the speed limit less often than did the control group. IMPS also attenuated the past-subsequent behavior relationship and augmented the intention–subsequent behavior relationship. The findings were replicated in another randomized controlled experiment (N=65) in which speeding was measured objectively, using a driving simulator. The findings imply that IMPS reduced speeding by weakening habit (past behaviour), thereby allowing drivers to convert desirable intentions into action. The volitional help sheet was an effective tool for promoting IMPS to reduce speeding

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