PSY 409a, October 16, 2005

My Third Outline of Assigned Readings

By Karis Amano

Road Rage from an Early Age

Dr. James, Leon, Dr. Diane Nahl. Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare. New York: Prometheus Books, 2000. Pages 151-167.

Instructions for this activity are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/409a-g23-oral.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

Concept 1 – The Backseat: A Road Rage Nursery

a) Children observe the aggressive behaviors of those close to them. Kid’s personalities are shaped by those who they spend a lot of time with.

b) Children often feel that the main male figure in their lives, usually their father, is superman, indestructible and capable of anything. This may result in cheering dad on in times of conflict. On page 152 of “Road Rage and Aggressive Driving,” after watching their father showing hostile behavior to another driver, the to young children want their father to hurt the opposing driver. This will probably reflect in the children’s behavior as drivers when they become adults.

c) I feel that this concept also ties with a major debate in psychology, nature vs. nurture. Clearly the environment of which the children grew up in have a strong influence on their own beliefs and actions. All parents want what is best for their children and teach them long lasting values but some, especially older siblings do not realize how big of an impact their actions have. It is difficult for children to learn what is right when their parents tell them one thing but do another.

Concept 2 – Verbal Rewards

a) Spoken positive reinforcement for good behavior.

b) Young children want to please their parents and by receiving verbal rewards for their good behavior, they feel pride, accomplishment and will try to achieve that again. They want to feel appreciated so it is good to thank them and let them know you value what they do instead of just punishing them when they are bad. Too much punishment could lead to resentment and rebellion.

c) If I were the parent, I would much prefer verbal over tangible rewards. Children start feeling that the only reason to be good is to get a prize or a present. I believe it is important for kids to want to be good and helpful. The feeling of being appreciated is their own reward them they will want to behave good for their own benefit.

Concept 3 – Sidewalk Rage

a) When children, as pedestrians, intentionally cause drivers to have road rage.

b) Some children take pride in causing hostility. When crossing a street in front of waiting cars, they know the cars cannot do anything so they take their sweet time to cross. They feel in control of the road, it is now theirs, “everyone else must stop just for me.” Children are born with the thinking that the universe revolves around them. When they are babies, their guardians tend to the baby’s needs before anything else. As they get older, they have to learn to realize that their initial views are not true and should be compassionate and considerate to those around them.

c) As a driver I can sometimes be impatient with pedestrians and bicyclists. I realize I do not own the road but I get the feeling that they think they do. As a pedestrian crossing a street, I tend to walk quicker or almost jog across and make it a habit to give a wave of gratitude for letting me pass. I would not want to wait forever to let someone cross and I would think they feel the same.