Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Technology, Engineering, Industrial, Operations Research & Management Science, Engineering, Safety instructions, Safety norm, Safety attitude, Sensation seeking, Type A personality, SENSATION SEEKING, BEHAVIOR, PREDICTORS, ACCIDENTS, STRESS, OIL, 09 Engineering, 11 Medical and Health Sciences, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Human Factors, 40 Engineering, 42 Health sciences, 52 Psychology

Abstract:

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Previous studies have demonstrated that reading and following safety instructions, such as warning labels and product manuals, may serve as a defense against hazards and can prevent injuries. This paper examines the predictive value of four factors that might determine whether students read and follow safety instructions: students' safety norm, students' safety attitude, the sensation seeking trait and type A personality. Our investigation was carried out with 172 university students (mean age. =. 20.01, SD=. 1.56) who participated in a paper-and-pencil survey. Regression analyses revealed that students' safety norm and attitude were positively related to reading and following safety instructions, while sensation seeking was inversely related. Type A personality had no predictive value. Our statistical findings further revealed that female students read and follow more safety instructions than male students. Based on these research results, recommendations are formulated.