PSY 409A Driving Psychology, April 23, 2006

Dream Car and Driving Realities

By: Melanie Baldueza

 

Leon James and Diane Nahl (2000). Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare. (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books) Pages 254-268.

 

Instructions for this outline:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/g24-oral1.htm

 

I.                    Types of Cars people liked

  1. An experiment done in 1986 discovered the types of car people wanted unconsciously
  2. Compared responses to what people wanted in a normal state and then in a hypnotized state. 
  3. In the normal state
    1. People in their normal state listed attributes that were ordinarily important to car owners

                                                               i.      Price

                                                             ii.      Reliability

                                                            iii.      Comfort

                                                           iv.      Appearance

  1. In the hypnotized state
    1. People had a sense of freedom that their consciousness was let loose

                                                               i.      They expressed that seat belts were unnecessary

                                                             ii.      Driving in traffic is a pleasant and interesting experience

                                                            iii.      The types of cars that they wanted drastically changed

1.      Ultrafast

2.      Amphibious

3.      Powerful

4.      With luxury features

  1. In reality none of these people owned a car that they described in their hypnotic state. 
  2. Car commercials try to expose our hidden desires and fantasies to draw us in. 
    1. Buyers are influenced by commercials because it gives the owner an image. 
  3. Self-witnessing reports of drivers frequently associate the car’s appearance with its driver.
    1. When people see a luxurious or unusual car, the owner of the car also takes on these characteristics

                                                               i.      Rich

                                                             ii.      Educated

                                                            iii.      Competent

                                                           iv.      Good-looking

                                                             v.      Well dressed

    1. When people see an old and unattractive car, the owner of the car is likely to be:

                                                               i.      Unkempt

                                                             ii.      Lazy

                                                            iii.      Unreliable owners who have been involved in accidents

II.                 Accessories in the car that might distract you from the road

a.       Dashboard dining

                                                               i.      Cars of today are being equipped for safer and comfortable eating experiences

1.      Mini-microwaves

2.      Refrigerated glove boxes

3.      Coolers designed for different types of cars

4.      Trays that fold down, so you can eat comfortably

5.      Cup holders

                                                             ii.      Fast food restaurants are now designing their food so that a driver can eat and drive at the same time

1.      Restaurants are now designing their food so it can be eaten with one hand. 

2.      This still can be risky because the attention of the driver is not solely on the road, but is divided between eating and driving

a.       This can lead to accidents

b.      Other drivers on the road will feel uncomfortable when this is happening.

b.      Car phones

                                                               i.      The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there will be 80 million cell phone users by the end of 2000. 

                                                             ii.      1% of traffic accidents will be caused by phone use

                                                            iii.      Several countries have laws that restrict drivers from using cellular phones while driving. 

                                                           iv.      Obvious, that if the driver is not comfortable driving and talking at the same time

1.      The driver is distracted from the road

2.      This may cause an accident or near-misses

 

Related Links:

 

1.  http://www.kzntransport.gov.za/reading_room/research/general/AdvertisingPresentation.pdf - A study on car advertisements. 

I chose this website because it is a study that wanted to explore the car ads that are out there.  The experimenter wanted to see if the public really wanted to do want the commercial really did or was it an image that they wanted to obtain when they bought the car.  

 

2.  http://www.dietitian.com/danger.html - Dangers of eating and driving

I chose this website because they stated that eating is more dangerous than using a cell phone.  They listed a number of foods that a lot of drivers eat behind the wheel.  With each of the food items listed, they tell you what is dangerous and what might go wrong while you are behind the wheel.  

 

My Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2006/baldueza/baldueza-home.htm

 

G24 Class Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm