Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access originally published online on June 25, 2006
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2007 32(3):343-353; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsl009
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The Influences of Demographics and Individual Differences on Children’s Selection of Risky Pedestrian Routes
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Benjamin K. Barton, Department of Psychology, MacKinnon Building, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1. E-mail: bbarton{at}uoguelph.ca.
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Abstract |
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Objective Thousands of American children under the age of 10 are injured annually as pedestrians. Despite the scope of this public health problem, knowledge about behavioral factors involved in the etiology of child pedestrian injury remains sparse. The present study considered the roles of age, gender, ethnicity, family income, and inhibitory control on children’s selection of safe pedestrian routes. Methods Children’s selections of risky pedestrian routes were examined in two laboratory analogue tasks. Multiple behavioral and self-report methods were used to measure temperamental inhibitory control. Results Children from lower-income families, children of ethnic minority background, younger children, and those with less temperamental control selected riskier pedestrian routes. Conclusions Prevention efforts might be tailored to focus on children at higher risk for pedestrian injury, such as younger, undercontrolled children.
Key words: child injury; inhibitory control; pedestrian safety; route selection.
Received October 31, 2005; revision received March 23, 2006; accepted May 31, 2006