Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The behavioral effects of cost and social influence on warning compliance were examined. Participants in several studies performed a chemistry laboratory task using a set of instructions that contained a warning directing them to wear a safety mask and gloves. Cost was manipulated by locating the masks and gloves in either an accessible location (low cost) or a less accessible location (high cost); social influence was manipulated by the presence of a confederate who either did or did not comply with the warning. The results showed reduced compliance with the warning when the cost was high and that the compliance rate was biased up or down depending on the behavior of the confederate. The results from a field study confirmed the social influence effect. Implications of this research for facilitating warning effectiveness and safety are discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Asch, S. E. (1955). Opinions and social pressure. Scientific American, 193, 31–35.

Chaiken, S. (1980). Heuristic versus systematic information processing and the use of source versus message cues in persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 752–766.

Cialdini, R. (1984). Influence. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Cunitz, R. J. (1981). Psychologically effective warnings. Hazard Prevention, 17, 5–7.

Eagly, A. H. , and Chaiken, S. (1984). Cognitive theories of persuasion. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 17, pp. 268–359). New York: Academic Press.

Latané, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist, 36, 343–356.

McCarthy, R. L. , Finnegan, J. P. , Krumm-Scott, S. , and McCarthy, G. E. (1984). Product information presentation, user behavior, and safety. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 28th Annual Meeting (pp. 81–85). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.

Peters, G. A. (1984). A challenge to the safety profession. Professional Safety, 29, 46–50.

Petty, R. E. , Cacioppo, J. T. , and Goldman, R. (1981). Personal involvement as a determinant of argument-based persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 847–855.

10.

Piliavin, I. M. , Piliavin, J. A. , and Rodin, J. (1976). Costs, diffusion, and the stigmatized victim. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 429–438.

11.

Strawbridge, J. A. (1986). The influence of position, highlighting and imbedding on warning effectiveness. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 30th Annual Meeting (pp. 716–720). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.

12.

Wagenaar, W. A. , and Groeneweg, J. (1987). Accidents at sea: Multiple causes and impossible consequences. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 27, 587–598.

13.

Wogalter, M. S. , Godfrey, S. S. , Fontenelle, G. A. , Desaulniers, D. R. , Rothstein, P. R. , and Laughery, K. R. (1987). Effectiveness of warnings. Human Factors, 29, 599–612.

14.

Wogalter, M. S. , McKenna, N. A. , and Allison, S. T. (1988). Warning compliance: Behavioral effects of cost and consensus. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 32nd Annual Meeting (pp. 901–904). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.

Effects of Cost and Social Influence on Warning Compliance

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References