Gender differences in psychosocial predictors of texting while driving. (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Struckman-Johnson, Cindy; Gaster, Samuel; Struckman-Johnson, Dave; Johnson, Melissa; May-Shinagle, Gabby
• Is Part Of: Accident analysis and prevention. Volume 74(2015)
• Page Start: 218
• Page End: 228
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Texting while driving -- Gender -- Cell phone dependence -- Risk assessment; Accidents -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Accident Prevention -- Periodicals; Accidents -- Prévention -- Périodiques; 363.106
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2014.10.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0001-4575

Abstract

Highlights: College men and women engaged in TWD at the same level, but on average, women sent shorter texts than men. The best predictors of more TWD for men were lower levels of feeling distracted by TWD and higher levels of cell phone dependence. The best predictors of more TWD for women were higher levels of cell phone dependence and higher levels of risky behavior. The most effective ways to get men and women to quit TWD were police arrest, a car accident, and lower insurance. The authors recommend that driver safety programs be tailored to men's and women's psychosocial motives to TWD. Abstract: A sample of 158 male and 357 female college students at a midwestern university participated in an on-line study of psychosocial motives for texting while driving. Men and women did not differ in self-reported ratings of how often they texted while driving. However, more women sent texts of less than a sentence while more men sent texts of 1–5 sentences. More women than men said they would quit texting while driving due to police warnings, receiving information about texting dangers, being shown graphic pictures of texting accidents, and being in a car accident. A hierarchical regression for men's data revealed that lower levels of feeling distracted by texting while driving (20% of the variance), higher levels of cell phone dependence (11.5% of the variance), risky behavioral tendencies (6.5% of the variance) and impulsivity (2.3%) of the variance) were significantly associated with more texting while driving (total model variance = 42%). A separate regression for women revealed that higher levels of cell phone dependence (10.4% of the variance), risky behavioral tendencies (9.9% of the variance), texting distractibility (6.2%), crash risk estimates (2.2% of the variance) and driving confidence (1.3% of the variance) were significantly associated with more texting while driving (total model variance = 31%.) Friendship potential and need for intimacy were not related to men's or women's texting while driving. Implications of the results for gender-specific prevention strategies are discussed.