Os efeitos da utilização de mensagens persuasivas na forma de condução no trânsito

Abstract

The use of fear appeals in persuasive messages has been explored and proven effective in the issues surrounding smoking. However, there are not many studies relating persuasive messages that appeal to fear and their influence on driving intention in traffic, mainly in Brazil. Considering that traffic accidents appear as the tenth leading cause of death worldwide and the first one when considering people aged between 15 and 39 years old, the importance of analyzing this topic is clear. Therefore, the objective of this research was to examine the effects of using fear appeals in persuasive messages for driving intention in traffic. With this purpose, a research using the experimental method was conducted, and the fear appeal in the message (high or low) was analyzed. We evaluated the different levels of fear appeal in two campaigns conducted by DETRAN/RS. The research, which also considered the mediating effect of fear appeal in driving intention, had 108 legitimate responses. The results clearly show that fear appeal influences driving intention, and that individuals perceive themselves more used to a behavior considered to be more adequate in traffic mainly after family members are involved in traffic accidents. Nevertheless, when the respondents themselves were involved in traffic accidents, the difference in driving intention in traffic is not significant. It was identified that the dimensions ‘negative self-esteem related to the act of driving’, ‘self-efficacy’ and ‘fear appeal’ are presented as the most significant in explaining driving intention in traffic. And finally, it was confirmed that there is a strong relationship in the mediation conducted by fear appeal between the persuasive message and driving intention in traffic. The findings of this study can be used as a support for the development of public policy campaigns and can assist in managing social marketing activities related to human and social behavior, directing resources more productively and therefore having more effective consequences, regarding behavior in traffic. It is suggested that the campaigns should also present recommendations, besides warning about the imminent danger related to the behavior which is being curbed, in order to stimulate the self-efficacy sense of individuals, so that they are aware that in adopting what is suggested by the campaigns they will be changing the current scenario. Another possibility suggested is the use of videos involving family or suggesting family closeness - as the results indicate there is a clear more prudent driving intention in traffic when family members were involved in accidents than when the respondents themselves were involved.