PSY 409a January 26, 2007

Outline of Lecture Notes Tables 1, 2, & 3

By Samantha Sovde

Instructions for this activity found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy26/g26-oral1.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

James, Leon (2007). Driving Psychology Lecture Notes for G26. Tables 1-3.

Online at www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy26/409a-g26-lecture-notes.htm

I. Table 1: Driver Behavior as Skills and Errors in Three Domains

A. Skills (+)

1. Affective (+A)

a. Feeling the need to be careful because you don’t want to violate driving rules.

2. Cognitive (+C)

a. Being passive because other drivers might be in a hurry.

3. Sensorimotor (+S)

a. Being passive and letting other drivers to get around you.

B. Errors (-)

1. Affective (-A)

a. Feeling of hatred towards others.

2. Cognitive (-C)

a. Not wanting “bad” drivers to be allowed on the road.

3. Sensorimotor (-S)

a. Being aggressive and yelling obscenities at other drivers.

II. Table 2: Behavioral Zones of Driving

A. Affective

1. Responsibility in Driving

a. There is a motive to be held accountable for injuring others.

2. Safety in Driving

a. There is a motive to avoid getting into trouble.

3. Proficiency in Driving

a. Trying to stay calm and be aware.

B. Cognitive

1. Responsibility in Driving

a. Need for creating “prosocial” rather than “antisocial” thought processes.

2. Safety in Driving

a. Being able to identify and problem-solve troubling spots.

3. Proficiency in Driving

a. Paying attention to what’s going on around you.

C. Sensorimotor

1. Responsibility in Driving

a. No matter what ones feelings are, there is a need for quality of life.

2. Safety in Driving

a. Taking actions that affect oneself and the other driver

3. Proficiency in Driving

a. Coordination of the body to keep the car in check

III. Table 3: Two Stages of a Driving Personality Makeover Plan

A. Stage 1: Avoiding Being an Aggressive Driver

1. Affective level

a. Overcoming resistance to change.

i. Making it okay for passengers to complain or make suggestions.

ii. Making it not okay for myself to ridicule or demean other drivers

2. Cognitive level

a. Learning to rationally analyze traffic situations.

i. Reasoning against my errors, “It's always their fault. It's never my fault.”

3. Sensorimotor level

a. Acting out civil behavior

i. Giving thanks, waiving, smiling, etc.

ii. Pretending that to be in a good mood even when not.

B. Stage 2: Becoming a Supportive Driver

1. Affective level

a. Maintaining a supportive orientation towards other drivers.

i. Feeling regret at unfriendly behaviors and impulses.

ii. Feeling appreciation when getting advice from passengers.

2. Cognitive level

a. Objectively analyzing driving situations.

i. Being able to know and acknowledge driving errors.

3. Sensorimotor level

a. Behaving in a cooperative style.

i. Verbalizing nice sentiments.

ii. Enjoying the ride and relaxing.