@article{ref1,
title="Normative misperceptions of peer seatbelt use among high school students and their relationship to personal seatbelt use",
journal="Traffic injury prevention",
year="2014",
author="Litt, Dana and Lewis, Melissa A. and Linkenbach, Jeffrey W. and Lande, Gary and Neighbors, Clayton",
volume="15",
number="7",
pages="748-752",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: This research examined gender-specific perceptions of peer seatbelt use norms among high-school students and their relationship with one's own seatbelt use. We expected that students would underestimate the seatbelt use of their peers and that these perceptions would be positively associated with their own seatbelt use. <br><br>METHODS: High-school students from 4 schools (N = 3,348; 52% male) completed measures assessing perceived seatbelt use and personal seatbelt use. <br><br>RESULTS: Findings demonstrated that students perceived that others engaged in less seatbelt use than they do and that perceived norms were positively associated with one's own seatbelt use. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Peer influences are a strong predictor of behavior, especially among adolescents. Ironically, adolescents' behaviors are often influenced by inaccurate perceptions of their peers. This research establishes the presence of a misperception related to seatbelt use and suggests that misperception is associated with own behaviors. This research provides a foundation for social norms based interventions designed to increase seatbelt use by correcting normative misperceptions among adolescents.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1538-9588",
doi="10.1080/15389588.2013.868892",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2013.868892"
}