Report 2:
My Understanding of
Driving Psychology
By Kristen Masuoka
Instructions for this
report are at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/409a-g23-report2.htm
I am answering Questions 2, 3, 4, 5
and 7
The Question I am answering is
Question 2
(a) Give a brief review of
our two textbooks: Road Rage and
Aggressive Driving (James and Nahl) and Driving
Lessons: Exploring Systems That Make Traffic Safer (Peter Rothe, Editor). The
reviews should be between 3 and 6 paragraphs for each text.
(b) Select one chapter from
each text and give a summary of it.
(c) Discuss in what way will these ideas contribute to solving society's driving
problems.
(d) Any other comments you
wish to make.
(a) Brief Reviews
The book Road Rage
and Aggressive Driving written by Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl focuses
on the dangerously important concept of road rage. This book is very informative and highly
detailed in expressing to the readers the different aspects of road rage, and
how to prevent it. This book can be
extremely helpful to all drivers because it not only discusses the negative
aspects of road rage and why it occurs, but also highlights on new and
innovative techniques that drivers can follow in order
to become safer, more supportive drivers.
Road Rage and Aggressive Driving
is split up into three main parts and consists of twelve chapters.
Part one of the book is called The Conflict Mentality. This
section basically talks about the phenomenon of road rage and the different
facets which contribute to people acting aggressively on the road. It depicts road rage as an increasingly
dangerous problem all over the world. It
also focuses on how mental health, the media, gender, and emotional
self-control can all contribute to the level of aggressiveness a person
displays while behind the wheel.
Further, this section reveals some of the important causes of danger and
hostility on the road, such as the stress of traffic congestion, peer pressure,
and the basic unpredictability of drivers behind the wheel.
Part two of the book is labeled Driving Psychology. This
section mainly focuses on the psychological aspect of driving and road rage,
and talks about different methods to help prevent aggressive behavior behind
the wheel. The Three-Step Driver
Self-Improvement Program is introduced in this section. This program gives drivers specific instructions
on how to stop being aggressive and to start being more supportive on the
road. This section also focuses on
having a lifelong driver’s self-improvement program and gives sufficient
information on how to become a supportive driver.
Part three of Road
Rage and Aggressive Driving is called The
Future of Driving. This section
highlights what the future brings for driving and road rage. It mentions the different steps being taken
by the government and other agencies to help the fight against road rage. It also talks about the ever popular problem
of speeding and what is being done to try to stop this behavior. Finally, the last part of this section talks
about the effects of advanced technology and the different luxury devices being
added on to cars, and how these new additions can factor into how safely we
drive.
The book Driving
Lessons edited by J. Peter Rothe, is a
compilation of many articles written by numerous individuals. All of these contributing authors shared one
main goal: to make traffic safer. The
main purpose of this book is to think outside of the box when it comes to ways
of promoting traffic safety. Driving Lessons aims to provoke new and
innovative approaches and solutions to the many dangers involved with driving
today. This book tries to prevail over
traditional methods which have failed to produce adequate results in making the
roadways a safer place. Driving Lessons is broken up into three
main sections and consists of 20 chapters.
The first section of this book is called Personal Sub-Systems. This section focuses on the mental and social
factors of drivers that can contribute to the way we behave behind the
wheel. It talks about how neuropsychology could be very beneficial if studied with
regards to driving. This section also
talks about different driving identities, rural vs. urban driving, risky
vehicles, and how your intimate relationships such as family and friends can
contribute to dangerous driving.
The second section of Driving
Lessons is called Institutional
Sub-Systems. This section mainly
focuses on driving as a whole, rather than talking about single individuals
differences. It touches on such subjects
as the political aspect of driving safety, driving skills and how this affects
roadway behaviors, and how participatory action research could be a great way
to learn driving safety in a more meaningful and connected way.
The third section of the book is called Technical Sub-Systems. This section basically focuses on the
different ways in which technology could potentially make the roadways a safer
place. It talks about technologies such
as techno-policing, and how photo-radar and red-light cameras could serve as a
tool to stop drivers from using risky behaviors. It also mentions the potentials of geographic
information systems and how an integrated systems approach could lead to safer
roadways.
(b) Chapter Summaries
Chapter six of the book Road Rage and Aggressive Driving is
called the Three-Step Driver
Self-Improvement Program. This
chapter introduces readers to the Driver Self-Improvement Program which
consists of three specific steps to ultimately stop aggressive driving
behavior. The first step in this program
is acknowledgment. Drivers first need to
acknowledge and understand that they do act aggressively on the road before
they can do anything to stop this behavior.
The second step is witnessing.
After acknowledging their aggressive tendencies, drivers then need to
witness themselves in the actual act of performing these risky behaviors. The final step in this program is
modification. This is when drivers
actually modify the aggressive behaviors that they want to change. This three-step program is meant to be used
over and over again, each time targeting a different habit or skill which needs
to be changed.
Chapter six of Driving
Lessons is called Rural versus Urban Driving and is written by J.
Peter Rothe.
This chapter talks about how a person’s social and cultural life can be
a strong indicator of how they behave as drivers. The chapter mainly focuses on the differences
between rural and urban lifestyles, and how these differences affect their
daily lives, attitudes, and driving behaviors.
To further examine this topic, drivers throughout
(c) Contributions to
Society’s Driving Problems
Chapter six of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving greatly contributes to society’s driving
problems because it actually gives drivers specific steps on how to stop their
aggressive behaviors on the road. The
Three-Step Driver Self-Improvement Program gives drivers detailed descriptions
on how to break bad driving habits in a very effective way. It teaches drivers to internalize their wrong
behaviors so that they have just cause to change them. This chapter provides very useful information
which aims to change society’s driving personalities for the better.
Chapter six of Driving Lessons contributes towards helping society’s driving
problems because it displays the diversity of cultures on the roads. It
explains how and why diverse drivers might have differing behaviors behind the
wheel. It examines how rural and urban
drivers differ in their behaviors and suggests that we all need to be more
aware of each others cultural differences in order to make the roads a safer
place. This chapter aims to change
society’s self-centered view of driving into a more open and accepting view
which accommodates others’ differences.
(d) Other Comments
The books Road Rage and Aggressive
Driving and Driving Lessons are
both great sources of information to better understand the phenomenon of road
rage. Although they are two very
different books, they both work to teach drivers the dangers of road rage and
to ultimately try and stop this form of risky behavior. I personally found both books to be very
informative and helpful. Although, I did
find that Road Rage and Aggressive
Driving was not only easier and more appealing to read, but it also gave me
more incentive to actually change my driving behaviors as opposed to the Driving Lessons book.
The
Question I am answering is Question 3
(a)
Discuss these two Web sites: drivers.com
vs. drdriving.org by first describing
their overall appearance and purpose.
(b)
What are their main differences? Be sure
to consider at least these areas:
(i) content of articles
(ii) content
and tone of newsletters, when present
(iii) style of
the site
(iv) probable
audience
(v) public
relations or policy, etc.
(vi) advertising
(if any)
(vii) size
(number of files or links)
(viii) ranking
(see Google or Alexa)
(ix) other
sites that link to each
(c) Any other
comments you wish to make.
(a) Overview of sites
Drivers.com appears to be a very
professional looking site. The site’s
homepage is divided up into two different topics, “Computer Drivers” and “Auto
Drivers”. The right side of the homepage
consists of a list of ads which makes the site look very business-like. Once you get into the “Auto Drivers” site,
there is a list of different driving related topics. Each topic leads you to a number of different
links and articles related to that specific subject matter. The main purpose of drivers.com is to provide
readers with various articles and related web-links involving specific driving
topics. The site offers a vast array of
information dealing with today’s top driving issues and concerns.
Drdriving.org seems to be very clean
and simple in appearance and has a friendly and inviting homepage. The site displays a main directory of driving
related topics. Each of these topics
contains important information about the driving issue, much of which are provided by Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl. The site is
very easy to navigate to and from, although the homepage contains much
information to scroll down and look through.
The main purpose of drdriving.org is to educate people about the dangers
of road rage and aggressive driving. The
site also aims to provide solutions to solving these driving problems.
(b) Main
differences
(i) Content of articles
The content of the articles from the
two sites are very different. The
articles from drivers.com seem to mainly focus on current driving issues as
opposed to driving in general. The
articles provide information about recent studies and statistics and focuses on
today’s most popular driving topics. The
articles from drdriving.org mainly focus on the dangers of
driving and often gives tips on how to become a safer and more
supportive driver. A lot of the articles
talk about road rage and how to change your attitudes behind the wheel. Drdriving.org contains more helpful and
functional articles on driving, while drivers.com provides more information on
contemporary driving issues.
(ii)
Content and tone of newsletters
The newsletters from drivers.com
require a subscription via email. The newsletters are sent out several times per year and provides
information on any new or up-coming developments dealing with the site. I did not find any newsletters from
drdriving.org.
(iii)
Style of the site
The overall styles of these two
sites are very different. The
drivers.com site is very professional looking because of its many distinct
borders and menus. It is obvious that
this site was created by a professional web designer. Drivers.com has a more business-like feel to
it, especially with its noticeable advertisements. Drdriving.org on the other hand, is a much
simpler and straightforward site. It has
a cute cartoon picture at the top of the page which makes the site seem a lot friendlier. The site is also less structured, which makes
it seem more personal and welcoming in my opinion.
(iv) Probable audience
The probable audience for
drivers.com includes those individuals who are interested in the more popular
culture of driving. It is for people who
want to hear about the latest car technologies, driving regulations, accident
statistics, etc. This site is a
collection driving articles and links, which are appealing to those who want to
keep up with current driving issues. The
probable audience for drdriving.org includes people who are very concerned with
the issue of driving safety. These
people could include scholars, driving educators, parents, teachers, or any
person who wants to become safer driver in general.
(v)
Public relations or policy
Drivers.com contains an online
bookstore, email newsletters, and discussions boards as a part of their public
relations. The online bookstore sells
three particular books relating to important driving issues. The email newsletter gives out general
information about the site itself, and the discussion boards provide a means
for motorists to voice their driving concerns, ask questions, and basically
talk about any driving issue they wish to bring up. Drdriving.org provides an email address and
telephone number in which people can ask questions and
arrange interviews with Dr. James or Dr. Nahl.
(vi) Advertising
The drivers.com site contains a lot
more blatant advertisements than drdriving.org.
Drivers.com lists a bunch of advertisements from Google
on its homepage, along with displaying many sponsored links on its other
pages. This site seemed to focus a
little too much on advertising for my taste.
The only advertisement I found in drdriving.org was to buy Dr. James and
Dr. Nahl’s own book, Road Rage and Aggressive Driving.
This advertisement is obviously very important and necessary in order to
help spread the main ideas and goals of the site itself.
(vii)
Size (number of files or links)
It is difficult to determine whether
drivers.com or drdriving.org is larger in size.
However, it seems that drdriving.org contains a lot more original
information on its site than drivers.com does.
Drivers.com seems to contain a lot of links to articles and to different
sites, but it lacks size in regards of its own information.
(viii)
Ranking
According to Alexa, drivers.com has
a much higher ranking as compared to drdriving.org. Drivers.com has an average traffic rank of
91,519 for the past three months. It is
a relatively fast site with an average loading time of 0.9 seconds per
page. Drdriving.org has a lower traffic
ranking of 389,384. It is a slightly
faster site with an average loading time of 0.8 seconds.
(ix)
Other sites that link to each
Drivers.com is a much more largely
distributed site as compared to drdriving.org.
It is linked to 130 other sites, while drdriving.org is only linked to
18 other sites.
(c) Other
comments
I personally prefer drdriving.org
to drivers.com because I think it is a much more quality driven site. Drdriving.org is focused towards teaching driving
safety, while drivers.com seems to be more of a commercial site with all of its
links and advertisements. Although
drivers.com is a much more popular and well-known site, I found that
drdriving.org was a lot more helpful and interesting to me as a driver.
The
Question I am answering is Question 4
(a)
Select three of the following student reports from Generation 15:
1. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/ahsing/report2.htm
2. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/chun/report2.htm
3. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/lukey/report2.htm
4. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409bf2001/morreira/Report2.htm
5. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409bf2001/shellgirl/report2.htm
6. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409bf2001/reaves/report2.html
7. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/sophie/report2.htm
(b)
Summarize each of the three reports. Be
sure you put a link to the report you are referring to.
(c)
Add a general conclusion section in which you discuss your reactions to what
they did: (i) their ideas, (ii) their method, (iii) their explanations.
(d)
What did they gain from doing their reports?
(e)
How do their ideas influence what you yourself think about these issues?
(f)
Any other comments you wish to make.
(a) Chosen reports
1. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/chun/report2.htm
2. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/reaves/report2.htm
3. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/sophie/report2.htm
(b) Report Summaries
The first report I chose was written by Alyssa Chun. This report starts off by introducing the
emotional spin cycle, including what this cycle is used for and also what it
represents. Chun then goes on to
describe the societal significance of the spin cycle, the various happenings
which comprise it, and discusses the future of the emotional spin cycle. The report also talks about the Three-Fold
Self which is comprised of the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor
domains of each person. The report then
goes on to explain the Three-Step Method of acknowledgment, witnessing, and
modification which is needed to help control and change a person’s emotional
reactions.
The remainder of Chun’s paper mainly
focuses on her own design and experimentation with using the emotional spin
cycle herself. Chun’s experiment lasted
two weeks. The first week, she kept a
diary of certain feelings she had experienced over the week, and jotted down
her personal thoughts which accompanied those particular feelings. The second week, Chun kept track of her
feelings in the same way, but this time she used the emotional spin cycle to
try to counteract her negative feelings.
She then went on to describe certain situations in which the spin cycle
worked, and times when it did not.
Overall, Chun concluded that the emotional spin cycle helped her to
become better aware of her own feelings and taught her how to deal with these
feelings in a more effective way.
The second report was written by Nicole
Reaves. This report begins by
describing the emotional spin cycle and its domains. Reaves describes the negative and positive
sides of the cycle and also talks about what the four zones and twelve settings
represent within the cycle. She then
touches upon how people’s understanding of their own emotional spin cycle could
very positively affect society and that of future generations. Reaves also talks about the Three-Step Method
and how these steps are crucial to changing ones behaviors.
Reaves then analyzed her own emotions
and behavior using the same two-week design as described above in Chun’s
paper. Reaves did a great job in
describing her results as she included specific detailed samples of her
findings from both week one and week two.
These samples included how she felt at certain times of the day, what
specific events led to these feelings, and it also included her global ratings
of each day sampled. After the two
weeks, Reaves found herself being much more capable of moving from the negative
side of things, to the positive side using the emotional spin cycle. She found this to be very fulfilling and beneficial,
especially in her relationship with her son.
The third report I chose was written by
Sophie. This report starts off by explaining the
daily emotional spin cycle, including the four different zones: the two red
zones and the two blue zones. It then
talks about the importance of self-witnessing and introduces the Three-Step
Method of acknowledging, witnessing, and modifying. Sophie also focuses on bridges as an essential
way for the three-fold self to transition from a negative emotional state to a
positive emotional state.
Sophie then conducted her own data
analysis using the same two-week design as described previously. She also added a section explaining the possible
errors and disadvantages involved with self-sampling. These errors included the denying of being
emotionally charged, having a biased opinion of oneself, and so on. Sophie’s results from her two-week
experimentation consisted of three very detailed descriptions of situations in
which she attempted the use of the emotional spin cycle. She was successful in crossing to the
positive side on two of the three instances described. Overall, Sophie found the emotional spin
cycle to be a great tool for people to establish a positive thinking routine.
(c) General
Conclusion
(i)
I
thought that all three reports contained very logical and intelligent ideas
about the concepts mentioned, and their effectiveness. I definitely agreed with their ideas on how
the emotional spin cycle could be useful to all types of people and how it
could ultimately have a positive effect on society as a whole. I found Chun’s ideas about society’s
ignorance towards our emotional spin cycles to be very interesting as
well. She actually puts some of the
blame for our negative states on society and our educational systems, which I
can definitely relate to.
(ii)
I found the methods used for their data
analysis to be very informative and well thought out. I liked the fact that the first week of their
data collection consisted of only documenting their feelings and thoughts. This is a very important step which involves
acknowledging and witnessing your emotions and behaviors before any modification
can be made. It was also very
interesting to see the change in events documented in week two when they
actually got to implement the emotional spin cycle into their daily lives. I also found the global ratings to be very
interesting because it gave me a good sense of what that particular person was
feeling at a particular day and time, and also allowed for comparisons between
feelings from week one and from week two.
(iii)
I thought that the three reports were
very informative and effective in describing the emotional spin cycle. Merely looking at the daily emotional spin
cycle can be confusing, so the explanations included in these reports helped me
to gain a very good understanding of this process and how it works. They did a good job in incorporating the
Three-Step Method in with the emotional spin cycle which helped me to gain a
greater understanding of how I could use these methods myself.
(d) What they
gained from their reports
All three students reported
gaining a positive effect from their experiences with the emotional spin
cycle. They were all able to learn and
grow from their experiences in different ways.
Chun placed an importance on her gaining of insight from the emotional
spin cycle. She reported being much more
aware of her emotions during certain situations and learned how to use this to
change her negative behaviors. Reaves
stressed the importance of practice on making the emotional spin cycle
work. She suggested daily practice in
order to help make positive feelings and behaviors become habits. Sophie focused on the importance of changing
negative feelings into positive ones by reducing the negative zones of the
emotional spin cycle. All three students
seemed very supportive of the emotional spin cycle and its effects.
(e) Influences
on my thoughts on the issues
I think that by reading the three
reports, my personal thoughts on these issues were inclined towards agreeing
with them. I found that I agreed with
almost all of the ideas presented in these three reports. I thought that the reports were all well
written and that the students’ ideas were sufficiently justified by the
information given. I personally agree
with their thoughts about how the emotional spin cycle can be a very effective
tool in helping to change our negative feelings and behaviors into positive
ones. If I were to participate in the
same two-week experiment as these three students have, I think I would come up
with a relatively similar set of conclusions towards the emotional spin
cycle.
(f) Other
Comments
Until now, I have only thought of
the Three-Step Method as a good tool for changing aggressive driving
behaviors. But after reading these
reports and learning about the emotional spin cycle, I have learned that this
method can be used to alter any negative emotions or behaviors that we
encounter in our everyday lives. These
reports helped me to broaden my thinking on this issue. It made me re-evaluate my daily behaviors and
brought consciousness to some of my negative feelings that are harmfully
affecting my life.
The
Question I am answering is Question 5
(a)
Consider Table 5 in the Lecture Notes, in the section on Driving Psychology
Theory and Charts at www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/409a-g23-lecture-notes.htm#Charts.
(b)
Consult the article from which the Table was taken.
(c)
Copy and paste the table into your file.
Now delete the examples in each cell and replace them with your own examples
that you make up.
(d)
Discuss why driving is such a big problem in all societies and why no effective
solutions have yet been found for them.
(e)
Discuss the solutions offered by Dr. Leon James (www.DrDriving.org). What likelihood is there that his approach
will be adopted? Explain.
(c) Table 5
|
Driver Competence Skills |
Aggressive |
Supportive |
|
Not |
Emotionally |
|
|
1. Focusing on self vs. blaming others or the situation |
“This person
doesn’t want to let me cut into their lane.
What a jerk!” |
“Shucks, I waited too long to try to cut into that lane. Next time I’ll know better.” |
|
2. Understanding how feelings and thoughts act together |
“That was so scary…I
could have gotten into a serious accident.
What a stupid driver!” |
“I felt very
scared by this incident. I am unsure
of what happened, but thank goodness everything is OK.” |
|
3. Realizing that
anger is something we choose vs. thinking it is provoked |
“I am so angry that everyone is driving so slowly.” |
“I get myself so worked up and angry when I am not able to drive as fast as I want.” |
|
4. Being concerned about consequences vs. giving in to impulse |
“I just want to ram into this car that just cut me off!” |
“I need to calm
down before I do something stupid that will just make matters worse.” |
|
5. Showing respect for others and their rights vs. thinking only of oneself |
“These tourists in front of me are driving so slow! They better figure out where they’re going before I give them a piece of my mind.” |
“It’s not their
fault that these tourists don’t know exactly where they’re going. I’ve been in situations like this before
myself.” |
|
6. Accepting traffic as collective team work vs. seeing it as individual competition |
“I change lanes a
lot during traffic to try to get to my destination as fast as possible. I feel like I’m beating out other drivers
this way.” |
“I stay within my
assigned lane throughout traffic situations because I don’t want to cause
chaos. Everyone just needs to wait
their turn.” |
|
7. Recognizing the
diversity of drivers and their needs and styles vs. blaming them for what they
choose to do |
“This old lady
needs to step on the gas! Doesn’t she
know how slow she is driving?” |
“This old lady is
driving a little slow, but it is probably a good thing. I wouldn’t want to rush her and get her
stressed out.” |
|
8. Practicing positive role models vs. negative |
“Oh, come on…the
light just turned yellow. That car
should have just gone through!” |
“Wow, that car stopped at the first sign of a yellow light. I should practice safe driving habits like that too.” |
|
9. Learning to inhibit the impulse to criticize by developing a sense of driving humor |
“These cars keep
on letting the whole world cut into our lane.
It’s not fair…we’ve been waiting longer!” |
“Great…let all
these cars into my lane…the more the merrier right?” |
|
10. Taking driving seriously by becoming aware of one’s mistakes and correcting them |
“I’m such a better driver than any of these fools out here.” |
“I realize that I make mistakes on the road, I’m human. But I always try to correct them and learn from them so that it does not happen again.” |
(d) Driving
problems in all societies
I think that driving is such a
big problem in all societies because people everywhere tend to care and look-out
just for themselves, and not other drivers around them. Most drivers are very selfish on the
road. They want to drive to where they
are going as fast as possible, and they get angry when things don’t go their
way. This anger caused by a driver’s own
selfish needs, is what causes aggressive driving and road rage. If drivers would just be more supportive and
cooperative with one another, much less accidents and fatalities would occur on
the roads. Drivers need to realize that
every aggressive thought, emotion, or action that they make on the road could
possibly harm themselves and other motorists around them.
I think that no effective
solutions for these driving problems have been found because most drivers are
not inclined to change. So many people
out there on the roads know that they are aggressive drivers, but they have no
motivation whatsoever to change their ways.
Road rage is such a huge societal norm, that it has become a part of our
driver’s education. Even the youngest of
children can learn bad driving behaviors from riding with their parents. So it is no surprise that when these children
grow up and start driving themselves, they display the same kinds of aggressive
behaviors that they have witnessed throughout their lives. I think that the vast majority of drivers
today are aggressive and that is why this type of behavior is so hard to
change.
(e) Solutions
by Dr. Leon James
Dr. Leon James offers a very
strong set of solutions to solve our driving problems. He specifies that all drivers need be trained
to acquire emotional intelligence behind the wheel. Dr. James proposes to start teaching driver’s
education to young children in elementary schools. This way, children can grow up with the right
tools for being safe and supportive drivers.
Dr. James also promotes the Three-Step Driver Self-Improvement program
which he created. This program gives
drivers the three specific steps of acknowledgement, witnessing, and
modification to help them change their aggressive driving behaviors. Dr. James also stresses the importance of
people being “supportive drivers”. A
supportive driver is one who is cooperative and understanding of all other
drivers on the road. If everyone behaved
as supportive drivers, the roadways would be a much safer and friendlier place.
I truly believe that Dr. James’
solutions could be very effective.
However, these solutions are very difficult to implement and
enforce. It does not seem like our
society or the government is very concerned with our roadway issues. Therefore, I do not see the possibility of
conducting driver’s education in elementary schools anytime soon. I do however think that his ideas and concepts
would be very beneficial if taught in regular driver’s education classes, for
people who are just about to get their licenses for the first time. This could be a great start in implementing
these road rage solutions to the world.
The
Question I am answering is Question 7
(a)
Our textbook Road Rage and Aggressive
Driving has checklist exercises in several chapters. Do the following exercises:
(i) Exercise
on How Passenger-Friendly Are You (p. 184-5)
(ii) Exercise on Witnessing Your
Aggressive Driving (p. 140-3)
(iii) Exercise on Your Road Rage Tendency
(p. 40-42)
(iv) Exercise on
Your
(b)
What were your reactions to each exercise?
(c) Discuss
how these exercises help you to become more aware of yourself as a driver.
(d) Do some of
the exercises with another driver you know.
How do they help you to understand some principles of driving psychology
mentioned in the book? Discuss and
illustrate.
(e) Any other
comments you wish to make.
(a) Exercises from Road Rage and Aggressive Driving
(i) How Passenger-Friendly Are You? (p. 184-85)
How many of these items are true of you
as a driver?
1. ___
I always consider my passenger’s feelings.
2. ___
I adjust my driving to accommodate to my passenger’s comfort.
3. ___
I let my passengers influence my driving for the better.
4. ___
I want my passengers to think of me as a good and safe driver.
5. _X_
I try to avoid making driving mistakes even more when I have passengers.
6. _X_
I think that passengers should just sit back, relax, and leave the driving to
me. But if they feel more comfortable
participating, I let them if it’s safe.
7. ___
My passengers can control the air conditioning and
widows.
8. _X_
Passengers have the right to criticize the driver’s behavior.
9. _X_
I want my passengers to be grateful and show appreciation, but if they don’t I
won’t resent it or hold it against them.
10. _X_
My passengers can select the music.
(ii) Witnessing Your Aggressive Driving (p. 140-3)
Witnessing Your Emotions:
1. _X_
Getting angry when forced to brake by another
motorist.
2. _X_
Feeling insulted and furious when a driver revs the engine in passing.
3. _X_
Feeling hostile when your progress is impeded by congestion.
4. _X_
Being suspicious when a driver doesn’t let you change
lanes.
5. _X_
Feeling justified in retaliating when another driver insults you.
6. ___
Enjoying thoughts of revenge and torture.
7. ___
Enjoying the role of being mean behind the wheel.
8. _X_
Feeling satisfaction when expressing hostility against other drivers.
9. ___Fantasizing
racing other road warriors.
10. _X_
Enjoying stereotyping and ridiculing certain drivers.
11. _X_
Constantly feeling like rushing, even when you’re not
late.
12. _X_
Striving to get ahead of every car.
13. _X_
Being pleased when getting away with breaking traffic
laws.
14. ___
Enjoying the feeling of risk or danger when moving
fast.
Witnessing Your
Thoughts:
1. _X_
Justifying rejection of the law that every lane change must be signaled.
2. ___
Thinking that it’s up to you to choose which stop
signs should be obeyed.
3. ___
Thinking that there is no need for speed limits.
4. ___
Being ignorant of safety rules and principles (e.g., who has the right of way).
5. _X_
Thinking that it’s not necessary to figure out the
route before leaving, when it is.
6. _X_
Not leaving early enough; thinking you can make up
time by driving faster.
7. _X_
Thinking that some drivers are fools, airheads,
rejects, and so on.
8. _X_
Thinking that other drivers are out to get you.
9. _X_
Believing that passengers have fewer rights than
drivers.
10. _X_
Thinking you can handle drinking and driving due to
your special ability to hold your liquor.
11. ___
Thinking you can use in-car communication systems
safely without having to train yourself.
12. ___
Believing that pedestrians shouldn’t have the right of
way when jaywalking.
13. _X_
Believing it’s OK not to wear a seat belt since you
probably won’t need it.
14. _X_
Thinking it’s best to get ahead of others even if you
cause them to slow down.
Witnessing
Your Actions:
1. _X_
Not signaling when required by law.
2. _X_
Lane hopping to get ahead rather than going with the flow.
3. _X_
Following too close for the speed.
4. _X_
Gap closing to prevent someone from entering your lane.
5. ___
Turning right from the middle or left lane.
6. ___
Blocking the passing lane, not moving over as soon as
possible.
7. _X_
Speeding faster than the flow of traffic.
8. ___
Shining high beams to annoy a driver.
9. _X_
Honking to protest something when it’s not an
emergency.
10. _X_
Gesturing insultingly at another driver.
11. _X_
Speeding up suddenly to make it through a yellow
light.
12. _X_
Making rolling stops when a full is required.
13. _X_
Threatening pedestrians by approaching them quickly.
14. ___
Illegally parking in a marked handicap space.
15. ___
Parking or double-parking where it’s illegal.
16. ___
Playing the radio loudly enough to be heard by other
drivers.
17. _X_
Taking a parking space unfairly or opportunistically.
18. ___
Driving under the influence or alcohol or medication.
19. _X_
Bad mouthing other drivers when kids are in the
vehicle.
20. _X_
Ignoring the comfort of passengers or verbally
assaulting them when they complain about your driving.
21. ___
Failing to yield.
(iii) Your Road Rage Tendency (p. 40-42)
For each statement, answer “Yes” if it
applies to you, or “No if it does not.
1. I
swear a lot more in traffic than I do elsewhere. – YES
2. I
normally have critical thoughts about other drivers. – YES
3. When
a driver in a parking lot tries to steal the space I’ve been waiting for, I get
furious. – YES
4. I
fantasize about doing violence to other drivers (e.g., using guns or blowing
them up or sweeping them aside)—but it’s just fantasy.
– YES
5. When
drivers do something really “stupid” that endangers me or my car, I get
furious, even aggressive. – YES
6. It’s
good to get your anger out because we all have aggressive feelings inside that
naturally come out under stressful situations. – NO
7. When
I’m very upset about something, it’s a relief to step on the gas to give my
feelings an outlet. – NO
8. I
feel that it’s important to force certain drivers to behave appropriately on
the highway. – YES
9. Pedestrians
shouldn’t have the right to walk slowly in crosswalks when cars are waiting. –
NO
10. Pushy
drivers really annoy me so I bad-mouth them to feel better. – YES
11. I
tailgate when someone drives too slow for conditions
or in the passing lane. – YES
12. I
try to get to my destination in the shortest time possible, or else it doesn’t feel
right. – YES
13. If
I stopped driving aggressively, other would take advantage of my passivity. –
YES
14. I
feel unpleasant emotions when someone beats me to the light or when someone
gets through and I’m stuck on red. – YES
15. I
feel energized by the sense of power and competition I experience while driving
aggressively. NO
16. I
hate speed bumps and speed limits that are set too slow. – YES
17. Once
in a while I get so frustrated in traffic that I begin to drive somewhat
recklessly. – YES
18. I
hate large trucks and I refuse to drive differently around them. – NO
19. Sometimes
I feel that I’m holding up traffic so I start driving faster than feels
comfortable. – YES
20. I
would feel embarrassed to “get stuck” behind a large vehicle on a steep road. –
NO
(iv) Your
Check each statement that could be
something you say to yourself:
1. _X_
Hey fool, get out of the way!
2. _X_
What’s wrong with this driver? I can’t believe how slow he’s going!
3. _X_
Nope, I won’t let you sneak into my lane.
4. _X_
Hey, what’s the big rush? Don’t be so
pushy!
5. ___
I’d like to see you squirm, you pushy geek.
6. ___
Did that scare you?
Good. I hope it teacher you a
lesson.
7. ___
I’m tailgating you now. Pay you
back. So who’s the smart one, huh?
8. _X_
Figures, it’s a woman. Women can’t drive
for #%*! (also works for different social class,
orientation, ethnic identity, and age groups).
9. _X_
I hope you break your neck!
10. _X_
Who do you think you are, creep?
11. _X_
Get a life!
12. _X_
Look, that airhead left his blinker on!
(b) Reactions
After finishing the “How
Passenger-Friendly Are You?” exercise, I realized that I am not a very
passenger-friendly driver at all. I was
somewhat embarrassed about my selfishness behind the wheel. After being able to only check off 5 of the
10 items listed, I realized that I really do not take my passengers’ feelings
into consideration most of the time. I
seem to drive with the mentality of, “this is my car, this is how I drive…and
if you don’t like it, then you don’t have to ride with me”. This of course, is a very wrong and dangerous
mindset to be in. I now know that I
should be much more open and considerate to the feelings of my passengers whom
are all at risk when I am driving.
I thought that the “Witnessing Your
Aggressive Driving” exercise was very effective because it focused on the
witnessing of your emotions, thoughts, and actions behind the wheel. I was very surprised at how many items I
checked off during this exercise. It was
sort of a wake-up call to see just how aggressive I am on the road. I could relate to doing, thinking, or feeling
a vast majority of the aggressive behaviors mentioned in this exercise. Some of the thoughts or behaviors mentioned
seem so stupid and silly when you read them on paper, but I was surprised to
see that I could relate to so many of them.
After completing the “Your Road Rage
Tendency” exercise, I found out that my driving behavior is actually very
dangerous and aggressive. My score from
this exercise said that my road rage tendency was “out of control”. This was somewhat of a shock to me because I
never really thought of myself as a truly aggressive driver. I used to think that my actions behind the
wheel were normal and completely justified, but now I realize that they are not
so. After reading back all of the
dangerous behaviors I had said “Yes” to, I became very aware of the many risks
I put myself and others through.
The “Verbal Road Rage Tendency”
exercise brought my attention to how badly I verbalize my aggressions towards
others on the road. This made me realize
how I always attribute negative qualities to other drivers, instead of trying
to be understanding and patient with them.
I often find myself yelling in the car because of my irritations towards
other drivers. I know that this is not a
healthy way to deal with my aggressions, but it is all that I’ve learned how to
do. I realize now that verbal road rage
does not resolve any issues. Instead, it
seems to only heighten my aggressive sensations.
(c) My driver
awareness
These four exercises from the Road Rage and Aggressive Driving book
definitely helped me to become more aware of myself as a driver. The exercises helped me to consciously
examine all of the aggressive behaviors I display while behind the wheel. It served as a hard-copy of all my negative
thoughts, emotions, and actions that occur during my everyday driving
experiences. I think that becoming aware
of my aggressive behaviors on the road is a very important step for me to start
changing these behaviors. I am now fully
aware that I am an aggressive driver, and I definitely want to change this for
the safety of myself, my passengers, and others around me.
(d) Exercises
done with another driver
I had my mom do all of the four
exercises listed above to compare and contrast our differences. My mom is a much more calm and conservative
driver than myself, and this definitely showed in her results from the
exercises. She only admitted to a few of
the aggressive thoughts and behaviors mentioned. When asked why she doesn’t get more upset at
other drivers, my mom responded by saying that she tries to treat other drivers
the way that she herself would want to be treated.
I found that my mom illustrated much
of the characteristics described in the book for being a “supportive
driver”. She seems to try to give other
drivers the benefit of the doubt in traffic situations instead of getting angry
and upset. I think that my mom’s
supportive attitude on the road actually helps her to be a much happier driver
as compared to myself. She drives with a
positive attitude and tries not to get caught up in the aggravations of traffic
situations. I definitely want to learn
from my mom how to become a more supportive driver rather than being an
aggressive one.
(e) Other
Comments
I found the completion of these four
exercises to be very beneficial. It
helped me to become much more aware of my faults as a driver, and gave me the
motivation to change my attitudes and behaviors. I would definitely recommend any driver to
participate in this sort of exercise. I
think that this could be a very effective tool to help trigger the fight
against road rage.
My
Report on the Previous Generation
1.
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2005/bergeron/409a-g22-report2.htm
Leanna
Bergeron’s Report 2 was well written along with being very clear and
organized. She answered questions 1, 3,
4, 5, and 7, reported on three of her fellow classmates’ presentations, and
gave very useful tips for future generations who take this course. It was very easy to follow because she
incorporated all of the necessary tables into her report, and also used a color
scheme for her text to emphasize important section headings and bits of
information. The section of Bergeron’s
report that stood out most to me was her “Advice to future generations”
section. This section was written in
large, pink, and italicized text to emphasize her strong feelings about this
topic. She was very blunt and
opinionated in her evaluation of the course and her tips for future students
were very honest and useful in my opinion.
2.
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2005/santos/409a-g22-report2.htm
Kyle Santos also answered questions
1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 for his Report 2, as well as reviewing three oral
presentations from his generation and offering useful advice for future
students. I really liked how he wrote
out his “driving personality makeover” in the form of a chart. This made his information much easier to read
and understand because of its clear organization. Overall, I thought his report was clear, to
the point, and also easy to read. I
especially thought that his “Report on current generations” section was very
detailed and informative in not only giving a brief summary of the oral
presentations themselves, but also giving his own
personal opinions about the topics which were presented.
3.
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2005/lacy/409a-g22-report2.htm
Jessica Lacey’s Report 2 consisted
of answering questions 1, 3, 4, 7, and 10.
She also reported on three of the oral presentations from her
generation, and gave sound advice to future students about saving their work on
a regular basis. One thing that I
noticed rather quickly about her report was that it wasn’t as clear and
organized as the other two reports I had read.
This is largely due to the fact that she did not separate the answers to
her questions into specific sections (a, b, c, d, etc.). This made the entire paper somewhat difficult
to follow. However, the information that
Lacey did provide was well thought-out and very detailed, despite its lack of
organization.
Advice
to Future Generations
The most important thing I can tell
future students taking this course is: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! I know that this is a very difficult task for
most students, but it will save you a lot of stress and sleepless nights. This is not the type of course you can slide
through by doing work at the very last minute.
The work in this course takes time to do. It is a bit tedious at times, but if you just
pace yourself by starting early and doing small amounts of work at a time, then
you’ll do great!
Being able to follow specific
instructions accurately is also a very important skill used often in this
course. You should always read each
question out thoroughly at least twice before doing anything. If you don’t do this, you might end up
forgetting something or doing something wrong, which can cost you points in the
end. Dr. James likes to have everything
very neat and organized. You should
always remember this in doing your work for this class.
Overall, I think that this is a very
good course. Don’t be intimidated by the
course workload – it’s not as bad as you think.
I wish you all the best of luck!!!
Class
Home Page:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/classhome-g23.htm
My
Home Page:
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409af2005/masuoka/home.htm