Judged effectiveness of threat and coping appraisal anti-speeding messages

•Most effective message type was threat appraisal combined with any coping appraisal phrase.•Most effective threat appraisal phrases were severity-based.•Most effective coping appraisal phrases were response cost-based.•Sequential presentation judged more effective than simultaneous message presentation.•Compared with males, females rated some message combinations as more effective.•Males and females perceived message effectiveness for self as higher than for others.

PurposeUsing a young driver sample, this experimental study sought to identify which combinations of threat-appraisal (TA) and coping-appraisal (CA) messages derived from protection motivation theory (PMT) participants would judge as most effective for themselves, and for other drivers.MethodThe criterion variable was reported intention to drive within a signed speed limit. All possible TA/CA combinations of 18 previously highly-rated anti-speeding messages were presented both simultaneously and sequentially. These represented PMT’s three TA components: severity, vulnerability, and rewards, and three CA components: self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response costs. Eighty-eight young drivers (34 males) each rated 54 messages for perceived effectiveness for self and other drivers.ResultsMessages derived from the TA severity component were judged the most effective. Response cost messages were most effective for females. Reverse third-person effects were found for both females and males, which suggested that combining TA and CA components may increase the perceived relevance of anti-speeding messages for males.DiscussionThe findings have potential value for creating effective roadside anti-speeding messages, meriting further investigation in field studies.