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Perceptions of risk in motorcyclists: Unrealistic optimism, relative realism and predictions of behaviour

Rutter, Derek R., Quine, Lyn, Albery, Ian P. (1998) Perceptions of risk in motorcyclists: Unrealistic optimism, relative realism and predictions of behaviour. British Journal of Psychology, 89 (Part 4). pp. 681-696. ISSN 0007-1269. (doi:10.1111/j.2044-8295.1998.tb02710.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:17080)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1998.tb02710.x

Abstract

In the first phase of a prospective investigation, a national sample of motorcyclists completed a postal questionnaire about their perceptions of risk, their behaviour on the roads and their history of accidents and spills. fn the second phase a pear later, they reported on their accident history and behaviour over the preceding 12 months. A total of 723 respondents completed both questionnaires. Four sets of findings are reported. First, the group as a whole showed unrealistic optimism: on average, respondents believed themselves to be less at risk than other motorcyclists of an accident needing hospital treatment in the next year. Second, optimism was tempered by 'relative realism', in that respondents who were young and inexperienced saw themselves as more at risk than other motorcyclists, as did riders who reported risky behaviours on the road. Third, there was some evidence of debiasing by personal history, in that having a friend or a relative who had been killed or injured on the roads was associated with perceptions of absolute risk of injury or death-though there were no effects on comparative risk and no effects on any of the judgments of a history of accidents of one's own. Finally, there was good evidence that perceptions of risk predicted subsequent behaviour, though generally in the direction not of precaution adoption but of precaution abandonment: the greater the perceived risk at time 1, the more frequent the risky behaviour at time 2. The implications of the findings are discussed, and possible interpretations are suggested.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1998.tb02710.x
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Tara Puri
Date Deposited: 04 Jul 2009 11:57 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Mar 2023 11:31 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/17080 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Rutter, Derek R..

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Quine, Lyn.

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