Intra-individual differences in offenders’ motivation and behavioral change after a driver rehabilitation program

Although many studies have applied the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to predict a variety of risky behaviors, only a few of them have examined changes in TPB variables after a driver rehabilitation (DR) program. Moreover, drawing from the educational and training transfer literature, the present paper aims at investigating motivational variables related to DR program in order to understand more accurately the process of behavioral change. Due to the heterogeneity of drinking-driving offenders, the study examined intra-individual differences in the patterns of participants’ training motivation and assessed the impact of this diversity on success of a DR program. This study included a sample of 200 offenders arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) who were enrolled in a DR program. Their participation was the consequence of a proposal by a prosecutor or a judge as an alternative to classic penal sanctions. Using a two wave panel data, questionnaire data were collected at the beginning and at the end of a DR program. A cluster analysis was used to classify DUI offenders according to their pre-training motivation (i.e. perception of mandatory enrollment and a priori subjective task value) and past behaviour. Results revealed six clusters representing different combinations of pre-training motivation and past behaviour. Moreover, analyses of variance showed that these profiles of DUI offenders differed on motivational variables and behavioral change process. The practical implications of this centered-person approach for DR program and possible avenues for further research are discussed