Concealed texting while driving: What are young people’s beliefs about this risky behaviour?

Gauld, Cassandra S.; Lewis, Ioni; White, Katherine M. · 2014 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2013.12.017

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Summary

This study investigates the psychological beliefs underlying "concealed texting while driving" among young adults, a behavior defined as making a conscious effort to hide phone use from external observers. Motivated by the high prevalence of mobile phone use among drivers aged 17–25 and the associated increased crash risk, the research addresses a gap in literature regarding this specific, illegal sub-behavior. The authors utilized the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to identify salient behavioural, normative, and control beliefs that predict intention to engage in concealed texting, aiming to inform targeted public safety interventions. The research employed a two-phase design. Phase 1 involved focus groups with 12 young drivers to elicit and define salient beliefs regarding concealed texting. Phase 2 utilized a questionnaire administered to 171 participants aged 17–25 who held current driver’s licenses. The questionnaire measured behavioural beliefs (perceived advantages/disadvantages), normative beliefs (perceived approval from referent groups), and control beliefs (perceived barriers/facilitators), alongside intention to engage in the behavior over the next week. Participants were categorized as low or high intenders based on their intention scores. Results indicated that concealed texting was more common than concealed talking in this sample. Significant differences emerged between low and high intenders across behavioural and control beliefs. High intenders were significantly more likely to believe that concealed texting allowed them to share information with others and use time effectively. Regarding control beliefs, high intenders were less likely to perceive free-flowing traffic as a factor preventing them from texting, suggesting they felt greater control in low-demand driving conditions. No significant differences were found between groups regarding normative beliefs, although both groups perceived low approval from parents and police. The findings suggest that interventions targeting young drivers should challenge specific cognitive distortions rather than relying solely on general risk awareness. Specifically, campaigns could address the misperception that concealed texting is an efficient use of time or that it facilitates social connection without consequence. The study highlights the importance of targeting behavioural and control beliefs, such as the false sense of control in free-flowing traffic, to reduce engagement in this risky behavior. Future research is recommended to explore moral norms and compare concealed texting with concealed talking to further refine safety strategies.

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Topics

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• passenger effects
• mobile phones
• distraction laws

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model