Drinking and driving: A
prospective assessment of the relation between risk cognitions and risk
behavior
Frederick X. Gibbons,
(2002) Risk & Decision
Policy, 7(3), 267-283.
This study examined the
relations between risk cognitions and risk behavior. Adolescents' perceptions of the risks
associated with driving after drinking (DAD) and their perceptions of the
prevalence of this behavior among their peers were assessed, and these
perceptions were used to predict their DAD behavior. Results provided evidence of a type of
cognitive social influence: the more common adolescents thought the behavior
was, the less risk, both personal and general, they attributed to it. As expected, however, this relation was
significant only for those who were high in a tendency to engage in social
comparison. Perceptions of risk, in
turn, were prospectively related to risk behavior for all participants. Specifically, low perceived risk, especially
personal risk, was associated with an increase in DAD behavior. Implications of the results for DAD
interventions are discussed.