Outline 4 of My Required Weekly Outlines

Outline 5 of My Required Weekly Outlines

Drivers education for the young and old

Is Good Driving a Gender Issue?

By: Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl; Published by Prometheus Books, 2000,

pg. 57-66

By: Kyle Takeshima

Instructions for this oral presentation are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/g22-oral.htm

I. The effect of gender on road rage

A. Aggressive driving is more prominent in men than in women.

a. Men experience negative emotions like anger, violence, and impatience more than women, whereas women experience emotions like compassion for other drivers.

b. But, the aggressiveness of women on the road is increasing also, probably in relation to the growing number of women in the workplace.

B. Example

a. When I drive, I get angry if someone cuts me off and I want to swear at the other driver or flip him off.

b. If my girlfriend is driving, she is more likely to say something like, “That’s okay, the person is probably late for work or something.”

C. Opinion

a. I think that males do probably express more aggressive behavior (behind the wheel as well as in other daily activities) because that is how males in our society are taught to react and think. Females are socialized to be more compassionate and worry about other people’s feelings.

II. Driving under the influence

A. Driving under the influence of physical and emotional impairment can add to road rage while driving.

a. Alcohol, drugs, medication, and fatigue are important physical factors that contribute to road rage of the individual or other drivers on the road.

b. Some emotional factors include anger, fear, depression, disrespect for the law, and stress that also contribute to road rage.

B. Example

a. There have been times when I have driven home after drinking at a bar or a friend’s house and I know that I shouldn’t, but I do anyway because I am tired and I want to go home and sleep.

C. Opinion

a. I think physical factors are just as important as emotional factors in contributing to road rage.

b. Sometimes it is hard to control these factors (like stress or depression) and I think many people do not realize what a big influence it can be on their driving performance.

III.Controlling your emotions while driving

A. To be able to control our emotions, we have to learn “self-appraisal” and “self-regulation.”

a. We have to watch our emotions and how we express them, as well as being able to control how we express these emotions.

b. It is hard for many people to gauge their mood and it allows negative thoughts to take over and make bad decisions.

B. Example

a. When I am driving home after a long day at school or work, I sometimes feel angry and impatient, but I do not recognize it; instead I will just try to get home as fast as possible and if someone gets in my way, I project my anger onto them instead.

C. Opinion

a. I think it is hard for many people to express and control their emotions in any situation, including on the road. If we could learn to deal with our emotions better, I think it would help us to be better drivers.

My Home Page:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2005/takeshima/homepage.htm