Improving self-report measures of speeding
Soole, David W., Lewis, Ioni M., Fleiter, Judy J., Newnam, Sharon A., & Watson, Angela (2011) Improving self-report measures of speeding. In Proceedings of the Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth, WA.
There is continuing debate regarding the psychometric properties of self-report measures of behaviour, particularly in road safety research. Practical considerations often preclude the use of objective assessments, leading to reliance on self-report measures. Acknowledging that such measures are likely to remain commonly used, this pilot project sought not to argue whether self-report measures should continue to be used, but to explore factors associated with how individuals respond to self-reported speeding measures. This paper reports preliminary findings from a qualitative study (focus groups and in-depth interviews) conducted with licensed drivers to explore the operational utility of self-reported speeding behaviour measures. Drawing upon concepts from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) and Agency Theory (Bandura, 2001), we identified four dimensions of self-reported speeding: including timeframe, speed zone, degree over the speed limit and, overall frequency of the behaviour, and examined participants’ perceptions of the operational utility of these factors. Issues related to comprehensibility, perceived accuracy, response format and layout were also explored. Results indicated that: heterogeneity in the timeframe of behavioural reflections suggests a need to provide a set timeframe for participants to consider when thinking about their previous speeding behaviour; response categories and formats should be carefully considered to ensure the most accurate representations of the frequency and degree of speeding are captured; the need to clearly articulate “low-level” speeding on self-report measures; and, that self-reports of speeding behaviour are typically context-irrelevant unless stipulated in the question. Limitations and directions for further research are discussed.
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|Item Type:||Conference Paper|
|Keywords:||road safety research, speeding behaviour, psychometric properties|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > COMMERCE MANAGEMENT TOURISM AND SERVICES (150000) > TRANSPORTATION AND FREIGHT SERVICES (150700) > Road Transportation and Freight Services (150703)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > PSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES (170000) > PSYCHOLOGY (170100)
|Divisions:||Current > Research Centres > Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety - Qld (CARRS-Q)
Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Faculty of Health
Current > Institutes > Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation
Current > Schools > School of Psychology & Counselling
|Copyright Owner:||Copyright 2011 [please consult Authors]|
|Deposited On:||17 Nov 2011 23:27|
|Last Modified:||21 Apr 2012 17:29|
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