Safe driving communication: A regulatory focus perspective

This research article examines the effects of self-regulation on adolescents' aggressive driving tendencies and their attitudes toward safe driving communication. Two experimental studies demonstrate that an individual's regulatory orientation is a good predictor of aggressive driving tendencies and that self-regulation plays a moderating role on the effects of safe driving messages on recipients' attitudes. Specifically, the findings reveal that promotion-oriented (vs. prevention-oriented) individuals are more likely to demonstrate aggressive driving tendencies. In addition, promotion-oriented individuals show more favorable attitudes toward gain-framed safe driving messages than loss-framed messages. Prevention-oriented individuals show the opposite pattern. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.