Psy 409a - Driving Psychology, April 28, 2006
Driving: Symbols and Rules
Tiare MacDonald
REF 14: The Social Psychology of Driving
Instructions for this
activity are found at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/g24-oral1.htm
Instructor: Dr. Leon James
· Driving is a commonality most Americans have with one another.
· Drivers should be constantly aware of the dangers of driving and follow the laws of the road.
· The Driver’s License is used as the primary form of identification that people use.
o Identifications are often used to prove that one is an “adult.”
· Having emotional intelligence means that one has the capability to predict other drivers’ behavior and discipline one’s affective and cognitive selves.
o Humans are capable of this because they are higher-order animals with very complex mental abilities.
· The laws of the road are intended to make drivers’ actions predictable.
o When people break these laws, they upset other drivers because the drivers were not able to predict their actions.
o However, people’s actions are determined by their motives, which are frequently not apparent.
· Certain people are attracted to certain cars.
o Certain types of cars tend to influence the manner in which people drive them.
· Teenagers view getting their license as a representation of freedom.
o This may be a reason why teens engage in risky driving behaviors.
· Driving and social identity are intertwined.
· Some theorize that particular personalities are prone to particular driving styles.
o Some also believe that people’s genuine personalities surface in the social isolation of their cars.
· Driving becomes an automatic task because it is a routine behavior.
· Laws on the road become internalized and many abide by them.
o For example, driving down the street in the correct direction.
§ However, there are norms that people have established that do not reflect lawful behavior.
· For example, almost running red lights and driving 10 miles/hour over the speed limit.
· The increase in vehicle speed does not mean human brains can process information faster.
· Vehicles are not just for practicality.
o They carry psychosocial implications.
· Many organizations and groups have formed around car-related issues (e.g. MADD, car clubs), from hobbies to political protests.
RELATED LINKS:
1. Status Symbol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_symbol
I picked this link because it talked about Status Symbols and related this topic to society. This website talked about how in “commercial societies” material goods are valued. It listed status symbols in “western societies,” which included the following: trophy wives, expensive cars, homes, boats, designer clothes, education from an Ivy league school, designer jewelry and accessories, and pricey things like a home theatre. Reading about status symbols was very interesting.
2. Luxury Vehicles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_car
I picked this website because the Status Symbol entry in wikipedia had a link to “luxury cars” which I thought would be fascinating. What constitutes a luxury car? This article goes over the various categories and subcategories of luxury car-ness and the lines have become pretty blurry. For the most part, however luxury cars are characterized by their aesthetic quality versus their pragmatics.
3. Identifying the Accident Prone
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1100347.stm
I picked this article because it talked about how certain personalities may be more likely to get into car accidents. It addressed three characteristics: Openness (being open to change), Agreeableness (not being aggressive), and Dependability (having ethical behavior). Dependability and Agreeableness seemed to be correlated with a lower risk of getting into an accident. Someone possessing high levels of openness was more likely to be in an accident because openness often goes along with being easily distracted.
My Homepage: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2006/macdonald/macdonald-home.htm
Class Homepage: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm