title: Experimental examination of the effects of televised motor vehicle commercials on risk-positive attitudes, emotions and risky driving inclinations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the short-term effects of risky driving motor vehicle television commercials on risk-positive attitudes, emotions and risky driving inclinations in video-simulated critical road traffic situations among males and females, within an experimental design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly assigned to one of three televised commercial advertising conditions embedded in a television show: a risky driving motor vehicle commercial condition, a non-risky driving motor vehicle commercial condition and a control non-motor vehicle commercial condition. Participants subsequently completed the Implicit Attitude Test (IAT) to measure risk-positive attitudes, Driver Thrill Seeking Scale (DTSS) to measure risk-positive emotions and the Vienna Risk-Taking Test - Traffic (WRBTV) to measure risky driving inclinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ANOVA analyses indicated that type of commercial participants watched did not affect their performance on the IAT, DTSS or WRBTV. However, a main effect of heightened risk-positive emotions and risky driving inclinations was found for males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite public and governmental concern that risky driving motor vehicle commercials may increase the likelihood that people exposed to these commercials engage in risky driving, this experimental study found no immediate effect of brief exposure to a risky driving motor vehicle commercial on risk-positive attitudes, emotions or risky driving inclinations. Subsequent research should examine the effects of cumulative exposure to risky driving motor vehicle television commercials and print advertisements.
authors.affiliation: Population and Community Health Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 2710 Dr. Don Rix Clinical Skills Building, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada. Electronic address: evingili@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vingilis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: James E W
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Roseborough
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Wiesenthal
authors.affiliation: Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vingilis-Jaremko
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nuzzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Labour, Institute for Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Regulatory Policy Section, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D000067088:Direct-to-Consumer Advertising; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D000067656:Optimism; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Driver Thrill Seeking Scale; Experimental design; Implicit Attitude Test; Motor vehicle advertising; Vienna Risk-Taking Test – Traffic