Psychology 409a,
Family and Friends
By Melissa Mills
Instructions for
this activity are found at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/g25-oral1.htm
Instructor: Dr. Leon James
Peter Rothe, editor (2002).
Driving Lessons: Exploring Systems That Make Traffic Safer. (
I. Components of Cybernetics (cybernetics meaning an approach in understanding traffic and related safety issues)
A. Intimate Social Life
1. Social interactions taking place while one is operating a car.
a. can often be overlooked as a cause of a car crash.
2. How we operate an automobile and with whom and under what circumstances we operate an automobile.
3. Usually bound or limited to a restricted set of participants
B. Mixed or Confounding Social Forms
1. The way the meanings of interaction are organized according to what people take for granted as appropriate for a given situation.
2. Combining the world of intimacy with the routine of operating a car.
a. listening to a friend’s story while driving
3. Combining the rules of driving with the rule of being young can be very dangerous. (formal and intimate rules)
a. formality and informality clash (distraction)
II. Survey Findings
A. A telephone survey was conducted from a random sample group
1. Conducted to measure actions, knowledge and attitudes toward local traffic situations and behaviors.
2. Profile of who is driving, what they are usually thinking while driving and who admits that driving is problematic to them.
B. Summary of Youthful drivers
1. They are at risk for crashes
2. Their perspective on driving reflects their abilities and involvement in social life with peers.
3. They tend to be more preoccupied with social activities.
4. They are less likely to require that their passengers wear a seatbelt and are more likely to use a cell phone while driving.
5. They are more likely to “cruise” all over town and oppose road blocks for intoxicated drivers.
6. They engage in multiple types of social interactions while driving which cause them to be less safe.
My Homepage:
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409af2006/mills/mills-home.htm
Class web page:
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/classhome-g25.htm