Report 2:

My Understanding of Driving Psychology

By Mari Osakoda

Instructions for this report are at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/409a-g23-report2.htm

I am answering Questions 1, 2, 4, 7 and 10.

 

The Question I am answering is Question 1

Question 1:

(a) Consider Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4 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 Consult the article from which the Tables were taken.

Table 1 

Driver Behavior as Skills and Errors in Three Domains

 

SKILLS (+)

AFFECTIVE (+A)

COGNITIVE (+C)

SENSORIMOTOR (+S)

I've got to be careful here. Don't want to cut anybody off.

This person looks like he's in a hurry to get in. I better let him in.

(Waving and smiling:) Go ahead.

ERRORS (-)

AFFECTIVE (-A)

COGNITIVE (-C)

SENSORIMOTOR (S)

I wish I could give that guy a piece of my mind.

I don't think people like that should be allowed on the road

(Yelling:) "You stupid idiot, why don't you watch where you're going!"

Table 2

Behavioral Zones of Driving

 

Affective Responsibility
in Driving
A3 (+ or -)


Cognitive Responsibility

in Driving
C3 (+ or -)
 

Sensorimotor Responsibility
in Driving
S3 (+ or -)

(7) altruism and morality

vs.
(16) egotism and deficient conscience

(8 )positive dramatizations and mental health
vs.

(17) negative dramatizations and insanity

(9) enjoyment and satisfaction
vs.
(18) stress and depression

 

Affective Safety
in Driving
A2 (+ or -)

Cognitive Safety
in Driving
C2 (+ or -)

Sensorimotor Safety
in Driving
S2 (+ or -)

(4) defensive driving and equity
vs.
(13) aggressiveness opportunism

(5) objective attributions
vs.
(14) biased attributions

(6) polite exchanges and calmness
vs.
(15) rude exchanges and overreaction

Affective Proficiency
in Driving
A1 (+ or -)

Cognitive Proficiency
in Driving
C1 (+ or -)

Sensorimotor Proficiency
in Driving
S1(+ or -)

(1) respect for regulations and self-control
vs.
(10) disrespect for authority and deficient self-control

(2) knowledge and awareness

vs.
(11) untrained and faulty thinking

(3) correct actions and alertness

vs.
(12) faulty actions and inattention

Table 3

Two Stages of a Driving Personality Makeover Plan

 


Stage 1--Avoiding Being an Aggressive Driver
 


Affective Level
Overcoming my resistance to change

 

Cognitive Level
Learning to do rational analyses of traffic incidents

Sensorimotor Level
Acting out civil behavior

 

  • committing myself to inhibit or mitigate states of anger and retaliation
  • making it acceptable for passenger to complain or make suggestions
  • making it unacceptable for myself to ridicule or demean other drivers
  • activating higher motives within myself such as love of order and fair play, public spiritedness, charity, kindness to strangers

·          reasoning against  my attribution errors (It's always their fault.  It's never my fault)

·         counteracting my self-serving bias in how I view incidents

·         acquiring more socialized self-regulatory sentences I can say to myself

·         waving, smiling, signaling

·         not crowding, not rushing in, not swearing

·         not aggressing against passengers

·         pretending that I'm in a good mood even when not

 

 


Stage 2--Becoming a Supportive Driver
 

Affective Level
Maintaining a supportive orientation towards other drivers

 

Cognitive Level
Analyzing driving situations objectively

Sensorimotor Level
Behaving in a cooperative style

 

·        feeling responsible for errors and seeking opportunities to make reparations

·        feeling regret at my unfriendly behaviors and impulses

·        feeling good about behaving with civility or kindness

·        feeling appreciation when being given advice by passenger

·        being forgiving of others' mistakes and weaknesses

·        acknowledging and knowing my driving errors

·        planning and rehearsing the modification of those habits

·        analyzing other drivers' behaviors objectively or impartially

 

 

·        anticipating the needs of other drivers and being helpful to them

·        verbalizing nice sentiments

·        enjoying the ride and relaxing

 

 

 

 

Table 4

The AWM Approach in Driver Self-Modification

 

·        First step:  Acknowledging that I have this particular negative habit. (A)

·        Second step:  Witnessing myself performing this negative habit. (W)

·        Third step:  Modifying this habit. (M)

 

(b) Using your own words, describe the three behavioral domains and levels of a driver (nine cells).

            The three behavioral domains of driving are affective, which are a drivers feelings and motivations while driving.  Cognitive, the part of a driver that controls thoughts and reasoning; and finally sensori-motor which are the actions that people do while driving.  The three levels of a driver are proficiency, mastering the basic skills of driving.  Safety-thinking about the protection of the driver’s car and lastly responsibility, the realization that driving is an act in which drivers need to be caring, and altruistic.   

           

When a driver begins to drive their primary concern is efficiency in operating the car, following the rules of the road, and paying attention to what is going on around them.  Safety, is the second level of a driver, where the driver has interactions with other vehicles on the road but is still mostly concerned with the safety of their own vehicle.  The last level is responsibility, where a driver realizes that they are a part of a complex driving web in which the driver is considerate of the needs of other cars.  A responsible driver is also able to deal with aggressive drivers with optimism and restraint.  

 

Three Behavioral Domains of a Driver

Levels of a Driver

Affective

Cognitive

Sensorimotor

Responsibility

 

 

I realize that I am part of a much larger system of drivers and must act accordingly.  

I will let this person in because they have been waiting to merge. 

Waving, letting the driver know that they can go.

Safety

My car is the most important car on the road and I don’t care about the needs of others. 

I have to close this gap so the other car can’t get in. 

Following closely, not leaving space for other drivers.

Proficiency

There are so many things to remember while driving I hope I don’t forget anything.

I have to press the gas and brake, put on my blinker, and stay in my lane.

Gripping the steering wheel, sitting straight, not having the radio on. 

 

(c) Illustrate each domain with your own driving behavior skills and errors, or that of another driver you know well, or a driver in a particular movie.

           

When I started to drive all I could think about was don’t crash the car, don’t speed, and don’t follow too closely there were so many things to remember!  I remember feeling nervous every time I had to drive, I didn’t want to drive on the freeway or go on the on ramps.  I stayed on the surface streets and always followed the speed limit.  My palms were always sweaty and my right leg muscles were sore because I was so tense when I was driving. 

           

As I got to be a better driver I relaxed a little, I even turned on the radio so I could listen to music while I drove.  My focus shifted from following the rules of the road and not crashing to being aware of others on the road.  Although I was aware of the other cars I saw them as a danger to my safety and began to drive defensively.  Other cars were the enemy, they were the ones that were preventing me from changing lanes, they followed too closely, and they made me nervous. 

           

Now I think that I am somewhere in the middle of safe driver and responsible driver.  Now I try to let people merge and thank people when they are nice to me.  I am aware of the cars around me and, more importantly, of the people in them.  Every car has somewhere to go and they all have a right to do so safely.  I think of driving as a cooperative event in which masses of people must coordinate their actions to prevent accidents from occurring. 

           

I have not done a total turn around in my driving behavior, there are days where I am cranky, tired, and don’t feel like being such a nice driver.  I honk my horn at people and curse at drivers when they do reckless things.  I am aware of my behavior behind the wheel and I know that all of these things are wrong to do.  Everyone cannot be a responsible driver all of the time, it would be impossible.  That would only happen if we lived in a perfect world where there were no stress or distractions.

           

I think the most important thing to remember while driving is that there are not just cars on the road, but people too.  If drivers would look at each car and see the people inside of it they would be less prone to drive aggressively.  Every car on the road is just as important as all of the rest, no car has the right to impose on another car.    

(d) Make up a "driving personality makeover" plan for yourself (or another driver you know well), relating specifically to negative thoughts you have about other road users.

            I am very intolerant of people on the road who are in my own words, “stupid.”  These “stupid” drivers do a wide range of things, they don’t pay attention to the road, they tailgate, they speed, and they talk on their cell phones.  I realize that I let these drivers get to me and that my negative feeling towards them has a negative effect on my life.  I wish that I was not so irritated with these people and that I could just “let it go.”  So the focus of my driving personality makeover plan is to realize that there are things that I cannot control so I shouldn’t waste my time getting upset over them. 

Stage 1-Avoiding Being an Aggressive Driver

Affective level

Overcoming my resistance to change.

Cognitive level

Learning to do rational analyses of traffic incidents

Sensorimotor Level

Acting out civil behavior

·        Realizing that drivers make mistakes

·        Grasp that I make the same mistakes as the drivers who I am getting upset at

·        Being able to dismiss feelings of rage and hostility towards other drivers

·        Reminding myself that I am not the most important car on the road

·        Rationalizing behaviors that would cause me to become upset or impatient with other drivers

·        Taking an objective look from the other car’s point of view

·        Neutralizing my aggressive thoughts with concern for the other driver

·        Empathizing with the other driver

·        Smiling, waving, giving the shaka sign

·        Not making aggressive eye contact with other vehicles

·        Not honking my horn unnecessarily

 

 

Stage 2-Becoming a Supportive Driver

Affective Level

Maintaining a supportive orientation towards other drivers

Cognitive Level

Analyzing driving situations objectively

Sensorimotor Level

Behaving in a cooperative style

·        Accepting that other drivers are people who do not deserve to be aggressed upon

·        Forgiving drivers when they make mistakes

·        Be a helpful whenever possible

·        Being a supportive passenger

·        Giving the driver the benefit of the doubt

·        Realizing that the driver had a good reason for their actions

·        Recognizing that I am not a perfect driver and should not expect others to be perfect either

·        Smile, and make eye contact when another driver helps me out

·        Allow drivers to come into my lane when possible

·        Encourage others to look at their negative driving habits and give tools to modify their negative behavior

(e) Discuss the problems you anticipate in carrying out such a plan successfully. 

            I have witnessed both of my parent’s outbursts of anger while driving ever since I was a child.  My parents are usually calm, level headed people but when they drive something inside of them changes and they become angry and impatient drivers.  I am like that as well, usually calm and well mannered but when I drive something takes over me and I react without thinking.  My quick anger response leads me to become angry with other drivers.  This will be my biggest problem with my driving makeover. 

           

Another problem that I anticipate is I have problem thinking before I act, especially in regards to driving.  Anger and frustration are emotions where people often react without thinking and I hope this makeover will help me calm down and be able to react accordingly.  I need to take the time to evaluate the situation and realize that it is not worth getting upset over.  I have no control over other driver’s actions so I am wasting my time getting upset over something that I can’t control.   

(f) Any other comments you wish to make.

            I hope that this driving makeover works for me and that I become a better driver because of it.  I would like to have greater control over my anger because I would not want my children to see me reacting in such an inappropriate manner.  I would like to become a good role model for my children when I have them.  If this does work I hope to spread the word to my friends and family so they can become more understanding drivers as well. 

 

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.

 

Road Rage and Aggressive Driving was an enjoyable and informative book to read.  It was written in a way that kept the reader interested and gave valuable insight into the world of Driving Psychology.  The examples that are given in the book are easy to understand and are helpful in understanding what is being talked about.  It covers a wide range of topics from supportive driving to children and road rage. 

 

One thing that I really liked about the Road Rage book was that there were questionnaires that you could do while reading the book.  I think that helps the reader become actively involved in the book and helps them to become a better driver by realizing some of their bad habits.  The activities in the book help the concepts that are being talked about more real because the reader can evaluate their own behaviors and learn how to prevent them. 

 

Road Rage and Aggressive driving is a book that I am going to keep and encourage other people to read as well.  This book is a comprehensive guide to a variety of problems face while on the road and Dr. James and Dr. Nahl wrote the book in a way that is appealing to the general public.  I think reading this book has helped my driving skills and has made me aware of my thoughts while I drive. 

 

Driving Lessons:  Exploring Systems That Make Traffic Systems Safer is a more technical book to read.  It gives a lot of information on the three systems that all drivers come into contact with when they are driving.  There is the personal sub-system, institutional sub-system and finally the technical sub-system.   This book is good because it helped me realize that there are so many layers that are involved in the simple act of driving. 

 

Driving Lessons covered a wide range of topics ranging from the topic of older drivers to red-light cameras.  The studies in the book provided information that could be helpful in further studies of traffic safety.  J. Peter Rothe choose articles that encouraged readers to think about the complex web of everyday things that link driving together.  This book helped me realize that driving doesn’t just impact the people on the road but everyone in society.

 

The focus of this book is to make roads safer but because most of the research took place in Canada there is little to no mention of the safety measures being taken in America.  The book may have been more helpful if there were more studies in the book that took place in America.  A vast majority of the studies were conducted in Canada so I do not know how those results would translate onto American drivers. 

 

(b) Select one Chapter from each text and give a summary of it.

            In Road Rage and Aggressive Driving I am giving a summary of Chapter 7-Children and Road Rage.  I am doing this chapter because I never realized that the way that I behave in the car is a direct result of my upbringing.  I drive the same way as my parents do and play the role as a passenger just as they do. 

           

Children will copy everything they see and repeat everything that they hear.  Parents need to be aware of their behavior at all times especially in the car.  Parents sometimes forget that they are role models for their children, and when they forget they slip up and negative behaviors are learned. 

           

Parents can encourage their children to be good passengers by acknowledging their positive behavior in the car and reinforcing it with small rewards.  Verbal praise also works for encouraging positive behaviors.  The best thing that a parent can do to encourage their children to be good passengers is be a good example.  The important thing to remember is to be consistent, children need constant reminders and praise that they are doing a good thing. 

           

Parents also need to emphasize the importance of being good pedestrians to their children.  Children need to learn good habits, like crossing in the crosswalk and looking both ways before crossing the street.  Children need to learn that the road is a dangerous place and there are severe consequences for not following the rules.  Parents can help this process by stopping at stop signs and yielding to pedestrians crossing the street.     

           

In regards to the media parents should talk to their children about what they see on T.V., in movies, and in video games.  Children ought to realize that things they see in the media are not accurate portrayals of real life.  And that the people in shows and in the movies are only acting and the roads are filled with actors and professionals that are there to make sure no one gets hurt. 

           

Parents are a child’s first and most important teachers, it is their job to teach their children skills that will help them when they get older.  Teaching a child to be a good passenger, driver, and pedestrian seem like impossible tasks to parents but they can be taught with good role modeling and consistency.  I don’t want my children to drive like me so I will do my best to be a good role model for them. 

 

            In Driving Lessons: Exploring Systems That Make Traffic Safer I have selected Chapter 19 to summarize.  Is Using a Cell phone Like Driving Drunk?  discusses on several studies that calculate the risk of talking on ones cell phone while driving.  Talking on the phone while driving is a by-product of our “time is money” society.  People use their cell phones to call loved ones to tell them to start diner, make appointments, call the office, and for social purposes.  The question here is does talking on a cell phone as distracting as driving drunk? 

           

To find this out the authors of this chapter Donald Redelmeier and Robert Tibshirani looked at several older studies to see of there is a correlation to talking on the phone and car crashes.  When they looked at these studies they found that cell phone owners had fewer accidents then those who did not.  They also compared the accident rates of the same drivers before and after they bought cell phones.  The result was individuals had fewer accidents after they had bought a cell phone. 

           

Confused with these results Redelmeier and Tibshirani decided to do their own study.  In 1994-1995 drivers in Toronto who had been involved in an accident but not injured were studied.  The results were drivers were prone to accidents if they had made a cell phone call during the ten minutes before the accident occurred.  Furthermore, drivers increased their accident risk by 6.5 when they were using their cell phones.  They also studied the results of using hands-free handsets, and the risk for that is 5.9.  The authors concluded that the false safety that hands-free sets gives encourages drivers to talk on their phones for longer periods of time and increase their exposure risk. 

 

Redelmeier and Tibshirani also looked into the time of day to see if there were increased risks at certain times.  They also looked into see of the season affected the rate of accidents; there were no significant increases for either variable.  In conclusion, they found that cell phones might be a distraction and recommend that cell phones be used in moderation. 

 

In regards to the opening question if talking on a cell phone is equivalent to driving drunk the authors of the study say no.  The average cell phone call while driving is two minutes while alcohol stays in the body for several hours.  The question if talking on a cell phone is equivalent to drinking coffee, applying make-up or shaving has also been raised and the answer to that is also no.  Although no research has been done on these other driving activities drinking coffee takes only seconds as opposed to talking on the cell phone, which could take minutes. 

 

There are many distractions a driver must deal with while driving: the radio, other passengers, traffic, eating and drinking, the list goes on and on.  Distractions while driving are common and drivers have to focus on their primary task, which is driving.  More research needs to be done on how drivers deal with these distractions, not just the distractions themselves. 

 

(c) Discuss in what way will these ideas contribute to solving society's driving problems.

 

            Children will grow up to be drivers who will themselves have children.  Parents should provide good role models so their children will learn what is acceptable behavior in the car.  After children learn what is acceptable car behavior they have the knowledge and the tools to teach their own children the importance of vehicle safety behavior. 

           

If parents do not provide adequate examples as to how their children should behave in cars and on the streets road rage and aggressive driving will worsen.  There will be more incidents of road rage, more people will get hurt as a result of road rage and people will die.  Also, children who do not understand the importance of traffic safety put themselves at risk of being hit by cars. 

           

Parents should see the importance of driving safely and being good passengers so that their children will grow up to stop aggressive driving and road rage.  Aggressive driving and road rage are by-products of our society, which emphasizes violence.  Children must be taught the consequences of aggressive driving so they do not grow up and do it themselves. 

           

              Cell phones are here to stay, it is hard to find someone who does not have a cell phone.  They are distractions to driving, but so are other people in the car, the radio, eating and drinking.  Drivers who use cell phones need to be aware of the risk that cell phones pose so they can be smarter about choosing when to use their cell phones. 

           

All drivers want to be safe while driving, many do not see talking on their cell phone as something that can be dangerous.  More research needs to be conducted so cell phone manufactures, the police and legislators understand the effect that cell phones have on driving.  Without conclusive evidence it is premature to blame cell phones for accidents and to enact laws banning their use.  As more concrete evidence is found drivers can make a more informed decision about when to talk on their phones.  

(d) Any other comments you wish to make.

            I choose these two chapters because they have issues that I felt were important to the future of driving safety.  Children will grow up to be the next generation of drivers and I will do my part to make sure that my children will not be aggressive drivers.  Cell phones are another issue that affects the future of driving.  I hope that people will become more aware of how distracting cell phones are and use them with caution. 

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.

            All three of the below mentioned reports are on the Emotional Spin Cycle which refers to the positive and negative thoughts and the effect that they have on our actions.  The understanding of ones Spin Cycle is important if a person wants a feeling of more control or understanding of how their thoughts and actions are related. 

           

In the world today one of the main problems is not that people experience rage, anger, or depression; it’s that they don’t know how to deal with these emotions.  Realizing that a person does have an “Emotional Spin Cycle” can be an effective tool in dealing with ones negative emotions.  Through education and awareness of the “Emotional Spin Cycle” the public can be made aware of the triggers that cause them to experience these negative emotions.   

 

The Emotional Spin Cycle is a result of person’s upbringing; a child learns how to react to situations by observing their parents.  The parents are not aware of their negative reactions and pass them on to their children.  This is evident in the rise of rage and lack of self-control in our society today. 

 

I have chosen to summarize report 1:  http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/ahsing/report2.htm. 

Jennifer Ah Sing did Report 1 on the “Emotional Spin Cycle,” she used the Emotional Spin Cycle to better understand herself and to gain greater control over her emotions.   Jennifer decided that she would track her emotions for two weeks to see if she could recognize any patterns in her “Emotional Spin Cycle.” 

 

In her first week she took a baseline sample of her general feelings of rage and anger. She wrote down her feelings, thoughts, and reactions to things in her life that stressed her out.  Jennifer rated her feelings of stress, helplessness, anxiety and optimism on a scale of 1-10, 1 feeling stressed and helpless and 10 being relaxed and optimistic. 

 

In the second week she analyzed the data that she collected during the first week.  Jennifer realized that most of her negative feelings came from thinking about bigger projects, and thus stressing her out.  Her stress the smaller things in life caused her to become angry, frustrated, and enraged. 

           

At the end of the two weeks Jennifer acknowledged that she needed to stop and think about what was really bothering her and how if affected her interactions with other people.  In the end Jennifer realized that coping with her emotions, and not just reacting to them made her life a lot easier.  She also realized how helpful this method was and that she wanted to share it with others. 

 

            Second report that I summarized was:  http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/lukey/report2.htm. 

Like Jennifer, Natalia also did her report of the Emotional Spin Cycle that was covered in Dr. James’s class.  Natalia believes that through education that people can be in control of their emotions and can pass their good habits on to their children. 

           

Natalia chose to monitor her behavior at home for the next eight days; she chose her home because that is where she experienced most of her rage episodes.  She wanted to modify her threefold self- her cognitive, affective and sensory motor self to better understand herself.  

 

Along with the self-monitoring system and the three-step method Natalia also used something called the bridge technique.  The bridge technique focuses on the threefold self and its interactions with the self and others.  The bridge is divided into two parts, the self, (depicted in blue) and others (depicted in red).  The self and others are divided again into two parts: the negative and positive.  So there are four types of interactions:  positive blue or negative blue self-interactions and positive or negative red others interactions.

 

So the purpose of the bridge is to have the person cross over from the negative side to the positive side.  Natalia used the bridge to transform her negative thoughts into positive ones and she vowed not to let the small things in life impact her overall happiness.  So with the self-monitoring and integrating the bridge method Natalia began to realize how her feelings affect her thoughts, which can then influence her actions.

 

The self-monitoring helped Natalia realize that she is an emotional person and often reacts without analyzing her feelings and thoughts about the situation before reacting.  She doesn’t let life’s little annoyances get in the way of enjoying the rest of her day.  Now she hopes to pass this information on to her friends to help them deal with their negative emotions. 

 

The last report that I am summarizing is:  http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409bf2001/reaves/report2.html

Like Jennifer and Natalia, Nicole also did her report on the Emotional Spin Cycle.  Along with the self-monitoring and threefold self-Nicole focused on her negative feelings and how they relate to her daily life as well as her interactions with her son.  In her self-monitoring in week one I noticed a pattern, Nicole was most frustrated and upset when her son didn’t listen to her or made her late.  She said she yelled at her son a lot during the first week and that made her more upset and didn’t help the situation any.

 

During the second week Nicole acknowledged that yelling at her son would not help the situation and would try to modify the way she talked to him.  When Nicole didn’t yell she was amazed at how easily she son listened.  When Nicole was able to control her anger she found that everything went better for her.  The small things in life didn’t bother her as much and she was a more positive person.  Nicole successfully crossed over the bridge into the positive side.   

 

Image

(c) Add a General Conclusion Section in which you discuss your reactions to what they did –

 

(i) their ideas,

Jennifer’s ideas about the Emotional Spin Cycle were she thought that it was impor