Measured Impact of a Mandated Warning on User Behavior

Abstract

Two groups of expectant first-time mothers were asked to examine an automobile infant restraint and its instruction label, then to install the restraint in an automobile. The label for one group was presented in a warning format, as now required by federal regulation, while the label for the other group was not. Error rates were higher for the warning-label group, although the difference was not statistically significant. Most subjects rated the labels as “Good” or “Very Good”, whether or not they installed the restraints correctly. Results illustrate that, in some situations, clear and direct instructions can be at least as effective as a warning in eliciting the desired behavior, and that subjective ratings of labels are not necessarily valid predictors of impact on behavior.