A Behavioral Economic Analysis of Demand for Texting while Driving

• Published in: The Psychological record Vol. 69; no. 2; pp. 225 - 237
• Main Authors: Hayashi, Yusuke, Friedel, Jonathan E., Foreman, Anne M., Wirth, Oliver
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Automobiles; Behavior; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Behavioural Psychology of Cell Phone Use; College students; Demand analysis; Driving; Economic aspects; Economic conditions; Motor vehicle drivers; Novels; Original Article; Psychology; Social aspects; Social interaction; Supply and demand; Text messaging; Texting while driving; Distracted driving; Texting while driving; College students; Demand analysis; Behavioral economics; behavioral economics; demand analysis; distracted driving; college students
• ISSN: 0033-2933; 2163-3452
• DOI: 10.1007/s40732-019-00341-w

The overarching goal of the present study was to determine whether a behavioral economic framework of demand analysis is applicable to texting while driving. To this end, we developed a novel hypothetical task in which participants receive a text message while driving, and they rated the likelihood of replying to a text message immediately versus waiting to reply until arriving at a destination when the fine for texting while driving ranged from $1 to $300. The scenario presented two delays to a destination (15 min and 60 min). For drivers who self-reported a higher frequency of texting while driving the demand for social interaction from texting was more intense and less elastic. Demand was also more intense and less elastic under the 60-min delay condition. The results of this proof-of-concept study suggest that behavioral economic demand analyses are potentially useful for understanding and predicting texting while driving.