title: Experiential exposure to texting and walking in virtual reality: A randomized trial to reduce distracted pedestrian behavior.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Distracted pedestrian behavior is a significant public health concern, as research suggests distracted pedestrians have significantly higher risk of injury compared to fully attentive pedestrians. Despite this, efforts to reduce distracted pedestrian behavior are scant.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Using a repeated measures experimental research design, we implemented a behavioral intervention to reduce distracted pedestrian behavior in the high-risk environment of an urban college campus and simultaneously monitored behavior on a control urban college campus not exposed to the intervention. We had two primary aims: reduce perceived vulnerability to injury among individual pedestrians and reduce distracted pedestrian behavior in the environment through a change in community-based norms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The hallmark of the behavioral intervention was a week-long opportunity for community members to experience personally the risks of distracted pedestrian behavior by attempting to cross a virtual pedestrian environment street while text-messaging. This was supplemented by traditional and social marketing and publicity through various campus partners. A sample of 219 individuals completed self-report surveys about perceived vulnerability to distracted pedestrian injury before experiencing the distracted virtual street-crossing and again after 2 weeks and 5 months. Observational assessment of distracted pedestrian behavior was conducted at a busy intersection on the campus as well as at a control campus not exposed to the intervention at baseline, post-intervention, 10 weeks, and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention achieved mixed results. Individuals exposed to texting within a simulated pedestrian environment reported changes in their intentions to cross streets while distracted and in perceived vulnerability to risk while crossing streets, but we did not witness evidence of changed community norms based on observed rates of distracted pedestrian behavior before and after the intervention compared to a control campus not exposed to the intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention created some change in self-reported intentions and thoughts but did not create significant behavior change on the campus exposed to it. Further efforts to develop interventions that will yield a reduction in distracted pedestrian behavior are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, CH 415, Birmingham AL 35294 United States. Electronic address: schwebel@uab.edu.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Schwebel
authors.affiliation: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.affiliation: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States.
authors.forename: Bryan E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069636:Pedestrians; D012306:Risk; D012449:Safety; D040241:Social Marketing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging; D013850:Thinking; D014495:Universities; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Distracted walking; Intervention; Pedestrian; Texting; Virtual reality