What Does the Theory of Planned Behaviour Tell about Using a Cell Phone while Driving - Lab Report Example

Data Analysis Report with SPSS Software Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 2 Research Design 4 Analysis 6 Results 6 6 Simple Regressions 7 Multiple Regressions 9 Discussion 12 References 15 List of Tables Table 1: Reliability Test Results 7 Table 2: Descriptive Statistics 7 Table 3: Simple regression of intention and attitude ANOVA 8 Table 4: Simple regression of intention and attitude coefficients 9 Table 5: Simple regression of intention and subjective norm ANOVA 9 Table 6: Simple regression of intention and attitude coefficients 9 Table 7: Simple regression of intention and PBC ANOVA 10 Table 8: Simple regression of intention and PBC coefficients 10 Table 9: Model Summary 10 Table 10: Full Model ANOVA 11 Table 11: Full Model Coefficients 11 Introduction This study was conducted with the main aim of gaining a better understanding of the role and relative impact of a certain number of factors which form consumers’ opinions of using a mobile phone whilst driving. Legally, many countries charge a driver for using a mobile while driving if he/she has been involved in any accident. Further, there is general agreement that using push buttons and not holding the phone to receive a call is not punishable. Literature Review To gain a better understanding of the role and relative impact of a certain number of factors which form consumers’ opinions of using a mobile phone whilst driving, literature on factors leading to possible opinions was sought. The use of phone while driving is a behaviour that can be learned through attitudes, influence. As Ajzen (1991); Beck and Ajzen (1991), human behaviour towards certain phenomenon and norms (the use of phones) is guided by the existing believes about the expected results of the actual user, believes on the expectations of others on the use as well as the motivations to abide by such expectations and believes that there exist certain factors that may make it possible or which may affect the behaviour. According to Ajzen (1991); Beck and Ajzen (1991), believes about certain behaviours produce different attitudes toward the planned behaviour while believes which are normative give rise to perceived social pressure. Further, controlled believes result to perceived behavioural control. Generally, a more favourable attitude and greater perceived control leads to a higher probability of a person’s intention to execute the behaviour in question (Ajzen 1991). In this regard as Ajzen (1991) puts it, given more freedom for actual control over any behaviour, a person is expected to perform his/her intentions once an opportunity arises making intention the immediate behaviour. Attitude towards certain behaviour is the ability with which the perceived performance of the behaviour is valued (Ajzen 1991). Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is the most explicit theory of planned behaviour that can be used to explain personal habits on the use of mobile phone while driving as it utilises the reasoning abilities and actions based on through understanding of people’s intentions and wishes (Ajzen, 1991; Beck and Ajzen 1991; Dejoy and Wilson 1995; Heatherton et al. 1991). According to Ajzen (1991), the TPB has been considered in many instances as the best theory to explain human behaviour in cases where the individual has not any control or is not allowed to make any choices but in which the researcher can make inferences about his/her skills and opportunities as in the case of using phone while driving where the driver can get a text which requires instant reply. However, according to the expectancy value model, a person’s attitude toward certain behaviour is determined solely by a number of behavioural believes which link the perceived behaviour to the different outcomes/attributes. Behavioural expectations are normative when they combine with a person's motivation to abide by different situations often determine the prevailing subjective norm (McBride 1992). This is manifested in the way the person has to say whether he/she has been using a phone while driving. Specifically, according to McBride, the motivation to abide by different norms contributes a lot to the subjective norm proportionally to his/her subjective probability that he/she will perform according to the behaviour in question. On the other hand, subjective norm is said to be the perceived social urge to actively engage in certain behaviour. Further, control believes are concerned with the perceived factors that act like catalysts which facilitate and at times impede performance of certain behaviour (Ajzen 1991). TPB also takes into considerations individual attitudes inclined towards certain behaviours and the willingness to being subjective. The model further has the ability to take control of individual behaviours with much considerations put on the level of his/her socio-economic well being, existing opportunities and the existing conditions and situations (McBride 1992). To McBride further, people’s actions and believes are according to resources and opportunities and are in most cases inclined towards certain intentions and impact directly on one’s behaviour (Neter et al. 1989). To Neter et al. (1989), the perception of an individual towards certain behaviour significantly contributes to the way he/she performs and whether he/she will stop certain behaviour towards others. TPB has been employed in many instances and mostly in health research works to control the occurrence of certain diseases and physical body appearances e.g. weight and shape. Further, the model has been used in HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns as well as in high blood pressure diagnosis and cancer screening. Leisure activities line the use of phones while attempting different cores has been key in the advocacy of the model. For there to be recorded success, Neter et al. (1989) argues the importance of the TPB model saying that it is better placed to explain and individual better than other models as it takes into consideration past behaviours to explain future success behaviours. Past behaviours are considered as good measures of how best a certain individual does some chores and how often. For validity and reliability of behaviour change depends on different matters which include personalised habits although such habits are not easier to explain planned future behaviours if the individual has both negative and positive habits (Godin et al. 1993). To Godin et al., habits support planned behaviours and cannot be treated whatsoever as unique variables which significantly explains and individuals’ future behaviours. To According to Ajzen (1991), there exists a link between the various individual behaviours of interest and the expected results in that a behavioural belief offers uncertainty that the behaviour will result into a known outcome. A person normally has many behavioural believes associated to any behaviour but a small number of the believes are available once. This believes and the expected behaviours determine the attitudes to the planned future behaviour. To Ajzen (1991), evaluating each expected outcome has positive proportional contributions towards the attitudes and the actual outcome. According to Godin et al. (1993) and Neter et al. (1989), planned behaviour alternatives have a direct bearing on the actual planned behaviour. In any research involving the TPB, it is always advisable to give the participants all the alternatives in order to make choices. This research study report wishes to employ the use of TPB model to gain a better understanding of the role and relative impact of a number of factors on the formation of consumers’ opinions of using a mobile phone whilst driving. Research Design To gain a better understanding of the role and relative impact of a certain number of factors which form consumers’ opinions of using a mobile phone whilst driving Research, 140 participants were selected for the study and a questionnaire was used to collect the data for this research study. The questionnaire had mostly closed questions with likert scales to measure the level of agreement to the variable. Analysis The research study data was analyzed using SPSS. Tables and charts were mostly used to represent the results as they are easy to understand and comprehend. Results Table 1: Reliability Test Results All the Cronbach Alpha values for the reliability analysis for each of the TPB constructs shows that they are reliable in the TPB model since all the values are greater than 0.7 (see table 1). Reliability analysis involved the calculation of the average. Table 2: Descriptive Statistics N Mean Std. Deviation Int1 140 5.49 1.921 Int2 140 4.77 2.223 att1 140 2.32 1.353 att2 140 1.96 1.274 att3 140 1.89 1.170 att4 140 2.97 1.726 att5 140 2.89 1.645 att6 140 1.54 1.007 sn1 140 5.78 1.469 sn2 140 4.27 1.858 sn3 140 4.69 1.827 sn4 140 3.74 2.154 sn5 140 5.99 1.365 pbc1 140 3.60 2.128 pbc2 140 2.51 1.829 pbc3 140 5.96 1.625 pbc4 139 1.63 1.505 From table 2 above, the majority don’t intend to use my mobile phone to send a text whilst driving in the forthcoming month [M = SD = 1.921] and are not likely to use my mobile phone to send a text whilst driving in the forthcoming month [M = 4.77, SD = 2,223]. Further, majority agree that texting while driving is harmful, dangerous, bad, worthless, un-enjoyable and consider it a wrong thing to do [M Read More