Abstract
The Internet has been exploited successfully in the past as a medium for behavioral research. This paper presents a series of studies designed to assess Internet-based measures of drivers’ risk-taking behavior. First, we compared responses from an Internet sample with a traditional pencil-and-paper sample using established questionnaire measures of risk taking. No significant differences were found. Second, we assessed the validity of new Internet-based instruments, involving photographs and photographic animations, that measured speed, gap acceptance, and passing. Responses were found to reflect known demographic patterns of actual behavior to some degree. Also, a roadside survey of speeds was carried out at the locations depicted in the photographic measure of speeding and, with certain exceptions, differences between the two appeared to be constant. Third, a between-subject experimental manipulation involving the photographic animation measure of gap acceptance was used to demonstrate one application of these techniques.
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This research was supported by the Nuffield Foundation (No. NUF-URB99).
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Horswill, M.S., Coster, M.E. User-controlled photographic animations, photograph-based questions, and questionnaires: Three Internet-based instruments for measuring drivers’ risk-taking behavior. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 33, 46–58 (2001). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195346
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195346