Phone-Based Feedback Made College Students Think Driving High Is More Dangerous
In a pilot trial of 77 college cannabis users, those who received personalized feedback plus text messaging perceived driving after cannabis use as significantly more dangerous 3 months later.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Compared to an informational control, participants who received personalized feedback plus interactive text messaging (PFT) showed significantly greater increases in perceived dangerousness of driving after cannabis use at 3-month follow-up, though personalized feedback alone (PF) was not significantly different from control.
Key Numbers
77 participants; 65.8% women; average age 21.2; 88.3% Caucasian; PFT condition showed significantly greater increases in perceived dangerousness vs control; PF alone not significant; 3-month follow-up.
How They Did This
Proof-of-concept randomized pilot trial of 77 college cannabis users who endorsed driving after cannabis at least 3 times in 3 months, comparing personalized feedback plus text messaging (PFT), personalized feedback only (PF), and informational control (IC) conditions over 3 months.
Why This Research Matters
Driving after cannabis use is one of the riskiest cannabis-related behaviors, and the finding that a brief mobile intervention can shift risk perceptions suggests a scalable approach to reducing impaired driving.
The Bigger Picture
The additional benefit of interactive text messaging over feedback alone suggests that sustained engagement, not just one-time information delivery, is needed to change deeply held beliefs about cannabis and driving.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Very small sample; proof-of-concept design; predominantly White college sample; 3-month follow-up may not capture sustained behavior change; perception change does not necessarily translate to behavior change.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does increased perceived dangerousness actually reduce driving after cannabis use?
- ?Would this intervention work in more diverse populations?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Personalized feedback plus text messaging shifted risk perceptions about driving while high
- Evidence Grade:
- Small proof-of-concept pilot providing preliminary evidence requiring larger replication studies.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021.
- Original Title:
- A mobile phone-based brief intervention with personalized feedback and interactive text messaging is associated with changes in driving after cannabis use cognitions in a proof-of-concept pilot trial.
- Published In:
- Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 29(2), 203-209 (2021)
- Authors:
- Teeters, Jenni B(2), King, Shelby A(2), Hubbard, Sterling M(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03571
Evidence Hierarchy
A small preliminary study to test whether a larger study is feasible.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can you change people's minds about driving high?
This pilot study found that a mobile phone intervention combining personalized feedback with text messaging significantly increased how dangerous college students perceived driving after cannabis use to be, compared to information alone.
Did people actually drive high less?
This study measured perceptions, not driving behavior. Whether increased perceived dangerousness translates to reduced driving after cannabis use would need to be tested in a larger trial.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03571APA
Teeters, Jenni B; King, Shelby A; Hubbard, Sterling M. (2021). A mobile phone-based brief intervention with personalized feedback and interactive text messaging is associated with changes in driving after cannabis use cognitions in a proof-of-concept pilot trial.. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 29(2), 203-209. https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000442
MLA
Teeters, Jenni B, et al. "A mobile phone-based brief intervention with personalized feedback and interactive text messaging is associated with changes in driving after cannabis use cognitions in a proof-of-concept pilot trial.." Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000442
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A mobile phone-based brief intervention with personalized fe..." RTHC-03571. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/teeters-2021-a-mobile-phonebased-brief
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.