Effects of Perception of the Use of Helmets among Motorcyclists - Assignment Example

A Study on the Effects of Perception of the Use of Helmets among Motorcyclists - Use of helmets among young group of motorcyclists who would considerit as cool and trendy Introduction In this research proposal, the argument will be based on the following hypothesis that ‘if motorcyclists thought that wearing helmets as being cool, more riders would wear them‘. The hypothesis would suggest that if motorcyclists or consumers consider a particular trend fashionable, then it would become popular and there would be more consumers using them. The title is explained as research based on a population of motorcyclists and riders who regularly use their motorbikes and motorcycles as a means of commuting to school, work or office or even simply to the market for shopping or other leisure activities such as clubbing and sports (Ferrera et al, 1996). The study will thus be based on a population of motorcycle users, riders and consumers and will be 21-40 year olds so generally a young population would be considered and studied here. Considering present changes in the behaviour of motorcyclists and requirements on the road, the wearing of helmets have been considered as necessary and even mandatory to prevent road accidents that could in most cases lead to head injury for motorcyclists. However wearing of helmets should be considered as ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’ or sporty at the same time rather than old fashioned and only then more consumers could be persuaded to wear helmets to protect themselves with a head gear while on the road and driving or riding a vehicle. In case of motorcyclists, brain damage or head injury is the likely consequence of accidents and accidents are common for such drivers. The focus is thus on the methods to raise awareness among motorcyclists so that they can wear helmets regularly as a means to protect themselves and the other riders from any serious head or other kinds of injury due to any road accident. Rationale This research is based on the argument that if motorcyclists are shown that using helmets is trendy and even useful, then this will help to raise awareness about its necessity which is to primarily prevent injury from accidents and also make the use of helmets more popular among motorcyclists and other riders and drivers (Dickson et al, 2008). Sample The sample on whom this research project will be conducted consists of young 21-40 year old motorcyclists or riders and their use of helmets and perceptions towards a use of helmets will be studied to understand the attitudes that they hold about the use of helmets while driving or riding motorcycles and how these attitudes are positive or negative or are changed due to change of awareness or due to social perceptions. Perception of social trends and attitudes developed due to awareness of the use of such helmets that could either enhance or decline the popularity of such headgear used for motorcyclists are taken into consideration while conducting this study. Aims and Objectives The aim of the research would be to understand current trends in perception or attitudes toward head gear and helmets that motorcyclists seem to have and measuring these attitudes qualitatively and quantitatively through mixed design (Keppel, 1989) could bring out perceptual trends among the motorcyclists and what their attitudes are and how these attitudes could be changed so that greater and more frequent helmet use could be promoted. The purpose of the study is not just to understand consumer notion and perception or attitudes regarding helmet use but also to make motorcyclists aware of the use of helmet thereby making it more popular so that motorcyclists and other riders think it is cool and contemporary to use helmets that are well designed and useful for their rider and also protective and necessary rather than a head gear that is old fashioned, cumbersome and unnecessary. The location will be based on a city or town so an urban population is considered and especially urban young people of both the genders who regularly use motorcycles as means of transport for their daily activities are considered as samples for this study. The variables are based on studying the effects of perception or attitudes in the use of helmets so perception or attitudes serve as independent variables on the dependent variable of the use of helmets. Here independent variables could also be how use of helmets as a concept or idea is promoted among motorcyclists and if the promotion is positive, the motorcyclists will also have a positive attitudes towards the use of helmets and use the helmets more frequently and regularly than when they have negative perceptions of the use of helmets. So thinking that using helmets is cool is an important aspect and necessary for increasing the rate of use of helmets among riders and motorcyclists. The sample population considered to measure and test the variables is urban young population of motorcyclists of both the sexes and who are actively involved in outdoor work and use motorcycles as the primary means of their daily transport and commuting. Recent regulations in road transport safety and management have emphasized on the use of helmets and all riders and motorcyclists are required to sue helmets in most advanced nations and European countries. In some developing nations this may not be mandatory but laws and regulations are being increasingly made stricter so that motorcyclists will be fined or not allowed to rider until they actually wear a helmet while riding or driving. Of course, legal mandates are in place to encourage and almost force riders and motorcyclists to use protective head gear and helmets but it is also essential to note whether the motorcyclists themselves would in any case use this head gear to protect themselves even without legal obligations and mandates. The voluntary use of helmets could be studied with the help of surveys as opposed to involuntary or forced use of helmets suggesting whether attitudes could play a role in the use of head gear and if they did, would many people still be using the helmets and what are the measures that could help in improving positive attitudes towards helmets or increase awareness of the use of the use of helmets and its advantages of use among riders and motorcyclists. Goals and Purposes The goals and purposes of the project is thus to understand consumer behaviour and attitudes towards wearing helmets and how these attitudes or social perceptions are formed and how fashion, trend and social acceptability of style and whether it is contemporary play a role in the use of helmets and other safety gear while driving. Usability as opposed to contemporary styles and whether using helmets is trendy and cool among young urban population would be some of the determining factors that would explain why wearing or not wearing helmets would be popular or contemporary among the motorcyclists or riders. The legal implications could be taken a closer look suggesting the literature or legal structures that would make it necessary for motorcyclists to wear helmets and the reasons for which there could be voluntary rejection of the idea of wearing helmets despite its advantages would also be examined. There have been several research studies in recent years on the use and advantages of headgear and helmets for motorcyclists and this study will build upon previous research studies to promote the idea of the use of helmets to show whether using helmets is trendy, useful, protective and how the use of helmets could be advertised, promoted so that there is an increased awareness on the use of helmets in saving motorcyclists and riders from major risks of accidents (Quine et al, 2001). Literature Review Thus recent literature of using helmets for riding or driving motorcycles could be analysed against the legal background of using helmets while driving as it is according to statutes across the world. The research gaps would be the balance drawn between involuntary or legal requirements and voluntary needs or social perceptions that could lead to use of helmets by motorcyclists (Gielen et al, 2001). A comparative analysis of using helmets voluntarily and due to legal reasons could be done here which has not been studied extensively as comparisons of voluntary and involuntary social trends have been done but very few with regard to using of helmets. A study by Gielen et al 2001, highlighted the importance of social perceptions and psychosocial issues in use of helmets. Thus considering the very little amount of work and research done on the area of comparing social trends against legal mandates, this research project could be unique as it will highlight different dimensions of the trend including legal, social and psychological (Gielen et al, 1996). The legal aspects highlight legal obligations, mandates and statutes that necessitate the wearing of helmets and head gear among motorcyclists and riders. The social aspects deal with social trends and whether it is contemporary, cool or fashionable to wear helmets and thus deal with trend in wearing of helmets and how this could influence perceptions and practices. Another study by de Nooijer et al (2004) suggested that individual decisions of using or not using helmets and protective gear are influenced by social perceptions and intentions. The psychological dimensions of the problem deal with individual perceptions and how one feels about wearing headgears and helmets. All the three dimensions could add up to explaining whether individuals would be interested to wear helmets and if they are not interested or reject the practice altogether what could be the reasons and what could be the possible risks and consequences. In a study by Quine et al 2001, children and young people have been persuaded to use helmets by changing their belief systems. There are expected to be several research gaps in the topic and this will be identified in the literature review of the project. The literature review will be done by considering published papers acquired through google search and on google scholar or journal databases such as ingenta. A thorough study of major published papers in the last five years will be specifically done so that even comparisons of the results of the study could be done on a results table. At least 10 such studies could provide sufficient background information about the use of helmets among motorcyclists and riders and how this practice is a modern trend or simply a legal requirement. Research Problem The research problem is based on the determination of the reasons for which motorcyclists may or may not prefer helmets as a protective gear when they drive or ride motorcycles. The reasons of using or not using helmets could be many and these are determined following a survey questionnaire given to young motorcyclists in cities who use the motorcycle as their regular means of transport. The research problem is thus based on the advantages of using helmets and the attitudes or perceptions of using such protective gear and determining the social perceptions of the use of helmets. Hypothesis The research hypothesis that will be tested is based on the argument that motorcyclists and riders will continue to remain interested in helmets as long as they see it trendy and cool. In fact more motorcyclists could be in favour of using helmets if they think it is socially fashionable to wear such headgear. The hypothesis of the report thus suggests that as opposed to usability and effectiveness, the social perception of the use of a particular equipment could be more important in determining whether motorcyclists and consumers would like to use it. In fact thinking of something as cool, effective, socially acceptable and trendy makes it more popular among consumers and this is tested within this research context. The variables are thus using or not using or mode and frequency of helmet use and how this is affected by social attitudes and perceptions. The attitudes and perceptions will be considered as independent variables that have an impact on the use of helmet and behaviour of motorcyclists considered as dependent variables for this design. The measurable outcomes expected are measures or survey results that would suggest the positive and negative attitudes to wearing of helmets while driving or riding motorcycles. The research design will be based on a survey that will be provided in the form of a questionnaire given to 20 participants who regularly use the motorcycles as means of transport for their daily commuting. They will be asked questions on whether they prefer using helmets and the reasons for their choice and habits when they do or do not use helmets during their commute. In most cases legal considerations will be kept in mind when participants are asked these questions and all dimensions of the study including social perceptions, legal regulations, psychological considerations and personal preferences will be considered for this study while questionnaires are presented. Research Design and Settings The research will be exclusively conducted outdoors and a two group survey design will be used for the study (Ross, 1994). The study will focus on social perceptions and attitudes between two groups of motorcyclists, one group consisting of members who regularly use helmets and the other group will be made of participants who do not use helmets on a regular basis, especially when they ride in the local area and do not visit the highway or main streets. The two groups of 10 participants each will be asked several questions that will gauge their social perceptions regarding the perception of social trends, use of helmets as safety gear and general attitudes towards trends, fashion, law and road safety. The settings will be primarily urban and the participants will be from the cities and the research design is a two group survey design with the experimental group (Ross, 1994) being presented with questions on how social trends could have an impact on their decisions of using helmets and the control group would be made of participants who do not use helmets regularly and even if they use it, it is purely due to legal reasons. Thus before the experiment is conducted there will be some sampling to differentiate participants who could be on the experimental and control groups. 10 participants would be selected for each group. Thus there is no random assignment of participants in the two groups suggesting a two group quasi experimental survey design as the most appropriate in this case (Ross, 1994). This particular research design has been chosen because this is the most appropriate as it helps to study and differentiate helmet users who use it for fashion and trend and other users who use the helmet for legal reasons. The scores of each of the groups would indicate which group has a stronger opinion with regard to the use of helmet and this would justify whether wearing of helmet seen as a trend or as socially acceptable has a stronger case than wearing of helmets due to legal reasons. The answers of both the groups will be compared to find out the stronger or dominant social perceptions as far as use and wearing of helmets is concerned (deNooijer et al, 2004). This will then conclusively indicate whether wearing of helmets and the use and popularity of helmets in general could be increased by making helmet wearing more socially acceptable, hip, cool and trendy. Thus instead of emphasizing on legal aspects of helmet wearing, the social aspects could be highlighted in a marketing campaign for road safety if results of the test are studied accordingly (Harris, 1997). The research question being based on whether social perceptions and attitudes have a role to play in people’s choice of using helmets while they ride or drive a motorcycle, suggest that there could be the independent variable of social attitudes and dependent variable of the habit or behaviour of using helmets. The sampling process is systematic and exclusionary criteria is using helmets as a legal obligation or using it as personal choice. The group of participants are then compared for their attitudes. The instrument of measurement will be survey questionnaires and the results on these questionnaires will be compared to measure the basic difference in attitudes towards wearing helmets as found in these two groups. The scores attained in the groups could indicate whether the opinions about importance of social trends is more dominant when compared with opinions about legal regulations. This indicates the relative strength of social perceptions in influencing people to develop certain patterns of social behaviour and habits. Data Collection The data would be collected from 20 participants who are all necessarily motorcyclists or ride motorcycles and mostly use helmets due to legal or social reasons. The results would be obtained as survey scores on a scale of one to five and all questions in the questionnaire will be measured on the basis of 1 to 5, or lowest to highest score. Each questionnaire will comprise of 20 questions and all participants will be required to complete the full questionnaire. The questions will ask the participants to indicate how important they would think are legal obligations to wearing helmets and how important are social trends and the scores of the two groups will be compared and the comparison would suggest whether there is any significant difference of scores between the two groups and which are the questions on which they seem to differ. The level of significance will suggest whether there is substantial difference between the two groups in terms of their attitudes towards wearing helmets and this could reveal a lot about social perceptions and attitudes and its correlation with trend setting. The difference between the scores of two groups of participants would indicate that either legal or social trends could be more effective as reasons for certain social behaviour. Thus the data obtained could have practical implications and direct applications to society as if it is known conclusively that motorcyclists are more interested in social trends rather than legal regulations for following certain behaviour, especially behaviour related to road and personal safety, then all safety campaigns could also be themed and geared towards reaching out to motorcyclists in a way that would be most effective. Thus if wearing helmets is cool, then the social message that would be transmitted to the riders is that they should be wearing helmets as it is trendy, fashionable, hip, contemporary and even safe and protective. This could be complemented with a short legal reminder that helmets are legally mandatory, thus highlighting and emphasizing social trends and downplaying the legal requirements which can increase consumer confidence and user awareness and make the marketing campaign and message more effective (Harris et al, 1997). This study is thus completely based on understanding social perceptions and how it is affected by social trends and in turn can change social behaviour. The research process will be comprised of setting the research problem and identifying research objectives, drawing out the questionnaires, studying the background of research, arranging the samples and group design, administering questionnaires and analysing results. The results will then be subject to generalization if the results are applicable for use to discuss social trends and social behaviour. Although the sample size being small, a major generalization as the study explaining motorcyclists behaviour and use of helmets in general could be avoided considering the trend as mainly restricted to a particular locality or region. Time Period for the Project This will be based on the Gnatt chart Bibliography Dickson, Tracey; Gray, Tonia; Downey, Greg; Saunders, Jeni; Newman. 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