Annotated Bibliography Report

By Tyree Woodruff

Fall 2002-Generation 17

Introduction

For the first section of my annotated bibliography report, I chose to research the topic of the differences between men and women in how they handle relationships. I chose this topic because this seems to be the underlying question that everyone wants to know about the opposite sex. Why are men so insensitive? Why are women so dramatic and needy? The truth is, is that men and women are not only different biologically, but because of their gender, they are raised to act in a way that is gender appropriate. Men are supposed to be macho and competitive, while women are supposed to be dainty and fragile. The way in which men and women are raised leads to the major difference between them, their communication styles. Communication problems between couples are the number one cause of the demise of their relationships. In order to attain a truly healthy relationship, both partners must learn to tackle these communication differences and learn to be flexible and understanding to the others’ needs and wants.

Throughout this report, I will be guiding you through various sources I found on this topic. I will give a detailed summary of the source, tell you my reaction to it, give my opinion on it, and tell you how I found it. I hope you enjoy the journey I have put together for you, and hopefully, you can learn some tips on how to brush up on your communication skills with your partner and learn ways to maintain your relationship.

1. Men and Women Are From Two Different Planets

A. Summary

This research article was about a study comparing the gender differences and similarities in relationships. Stated in this article were a lot of interesting viewpoints about the differences in men and women’s beliefs about love and romance. The study was conducted on North American men and women and Chinese men and women. It found that North American men were more willing to marry without love, and were less likely to view emotional satisfaction as important in the maintenance of marriage. Chinese men were found to be more likely to view physical pleasure as important for the maintenance of marriage.

Basically, this study portrays what women already know about men, that they are more focused on the physical aspects of relationships, than on the emotional. It even shows the similarities of men’s thinking and viewpoints across cultures.

B. Reactions

Right away, the name of the journal in which this article was in caught my eye because it was titled “Sex Roles”. Since I am taking a women’s studies class right now, we are always studying the differences in gender roles and the ways in which we are raised to act to reflect our gender. I was surprised, however, to see that North American men were fairly similar in their views as compared to Chinese men. I had thought that Chinese men would be far less romantic and emotional because of the lowered status of women there. Instead, they were pretty much the same as the North American men, which is surprising because women here have many more rights and are more of an equal status to men than in China.

The title of the article also caught my eye because it had the famous book title “Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus” in it. From the title, it made it seem as if the article would be somewhat satirical, but it wasn’t at all. Perhaps some humor could’ve made it more interesting to read and make the reading go more smoothly.

C. Opinions

Overall, I think that this article was pretty informative about men and women’s beliefs about love and romance. However, it would’ve been even more interesting if they would’ve stated the measuring procedures used to gather the information rather than just state the findings. This was the first article I came across that compared two different cultures’ viewpoints about relationships. When I chose this topic, I was mainly thinking about North American men and women, and didn’t even take into account that there could be similar viewpoints about relationships in different cultures around the world.

I think that this article is useful because it has some actual data findings, rather than just opinions which are usually gender biased by whoever wrote them. It would’ve been more interesting if some humor was put in the article to make it more fun to read, rather than just displaying the results.

D. Search Methods

I found this research article by going to the scholarly database libweb.hawaii.edu/uhmlib/index.htm This database is the homepage for University of Hawaii Libraries. I then clicked on the icon that said electronic journals, newspapers and e-books. Then from there I came across the article when I typed in men and women in relationships in the topic box. When I first went to the database and typed in men and women in relationships, no articles on this subject came up, so it took me awhile to find the right web site that covered this subject. I finally came across the site www.ingent.com and that’s where this article was in a journal called “Sex Roles”.

I found that trying to find topics at these scholarly databases was pretty difficult. I couldn’t find many and had to keep trying to look in other places for them or type in different search words to find articles relating to this topic.

2. Men and Women’s Perceptions of Time

A. Summary

This is a response comment regarding men, women and relationships, which was written by a female. She addresses the issue of the difference between men and women’s perception of time, saying that men live in the “here and now” and women live in the “now and then”. These two different perceptions then lead up to the difference in communication styles. She talks about how men don’t think about tomorrow or the future when it comes to relationships, but rather that they are more interested in satisfying their needs at that given moment. Women, on the other hand, are always thinking ahead and about the morning after instead of impulse reactions.

She then ties in the theory about the two genders perceiving time differently to how our bodies work. She says that women are always thinking about time because that’s the way the female body works. They have to keep track of their periods, their fertile dates, how many days their periods will last, how long they will be pregnant for, how long they will be breastfeeding for etc. Men’s bodies are more impulsive, for example, they don’t need much foreplay to get excited.

After she explains this theory of the difference in time perception, she tries to come up with a solution to it all. She says that everyone should try and reverse the time perceptions, so that women are thinking in the “here and now” and men in the “now and then”. She goes on to say that the two partners can get along better if they can both think of the various differences between them due to their different sex characteristics.

B. Reactions

I was really interested to read this comment because I had never heard the proposed theory about the differences in time perception that she talks about. It was as if a whole new reason was proposed to why men and women are so different in relationships. Before this theory, I had mostly just heard the usual explanations for the big difference between men and women, which is communication styles. I was drawn towards this comment because it was written by a female, so I wanted to see her thoughts on the time perception theory.

I initially thought that men would be more likely to agree with this theory because it seems like an easy way out, instead of combating bigger problems like lack of emotion and sensitivity. I was surprised to see that a female agreed with this theory, I mean it does make sense and seems logical, but it seems so minute when compared to the other problems that arise in relationships between men and women.

C. Opinions

Overall, I feel that this message could be useful to readers interested in finding out more about their partners. I don’t really agree with her generalizing about the way men and women perceive time. It’s true that the female body has a lot more to do with time management, such as remembering when you’re going to start your period, but she made it sound as if men don’t think about the future at all because their bodies don’t rely on time cycles as much as women’s do.

I think that her message is good for those who have tried many different strategies to communicate better and make their relationships last. It gives a different perspective to why men and women think and act the way they do, and I like how she gave advice on how to try and overcome these time perception differences. I agree with her advice, to have each partner understand and recognize that their bodies make them view time differently, and to try and view time as their partner does in order to make things go over easier.

D. Search Methods

I found this chat group at www.google.com/grphp?hl=en&ie=UTF-8 From there, I typed in men and women in relationships in the google search box and came across a number of comments regarding this topic. I chose this particular comment message because it was longer than most the others and I liked how she was writing about the theory of men and women’s perception of time.

Once I got to the google groups search page, it wasn’t hard to find comments based on this topic. I was surprised at how many there were actually. Going to this site was probably the easiest because I didn’t even have to refine my search by typing in more specific words in the google search box. It took me a matter of seconds to find a number of comments on this subject and once I read through a few of them, it took me only a matter of minutes to choose the one that I wanted to write about.

3. Power and Love

A. Summary

This site covers the various differences between men and women. It starts off by first stating that each of us has biological sex characteristics, either male or female, and sexual personality characteristics, either masculine or feminine. Then it goes on to compare masculine and feminine personality characteristics, such as the differences in the way men and women relate to fidelity, intimacy and power, and the differences between men and women in sharing, respect and affection.

The site talks about the fidelity issue and says that fidelity goes against the male instincts, but is a basic instinct in females. Fidelity goes against male instincts because in order for the males genes to survive, he must impregnate as many women as he can. The site goes on to say that men take advantage of women because they are vulnerable to the promises that men make to them. And that the only reason why men maintain monogamous relationships is to please women.

Next, the site covers the topic of intimacy and says how men are mostly independent so they seek a sexual and domestic partner who doesn’t compromise his independence. The site talks about how men aren’t naturally romantic, but that they go along with the women’s need for romance in order to please them. While women want their men to be more like their girlfriends so that they can share their feelings and be more romantic, men want their women to be more like their male buddies so that they can be more independent and not as needy and clingy.

The way in which men and women relate to power is covered in this site as well. Men are more competitive and need rules and a higher order, whereas women don’t necessarily need rules and would rather share equal responsibility. Men think it’s every man for himself, so that makes it difficult when they get into a relationship where compromise needs to be met. The site states how men want respect, and women want affection, and this affects how they handle power in relationships.

B. Reactions

What initially caught my eye to this site was the topic of power in relationships. There is often power struggles within couples because men feel as if they need to be in control at all times and handle all the business matters in order to “wear the pants in the relationship”. Since men are naturally more competitive and independent than women, I wanted to see what this site had to say about the differences in the way men and women relate to power.

I was at first shocked to read the differences in the way men and women relate to fidelity, but I’m not sure why. I’ve heard it before, that men’s instincts are to “spread their seeds” as much as possible in order to have their genes survive, but it’s always shocking to read how vulnerable women are to men because of men’s lack of sensitivity and emotionality. It’s amazing to see it in writing that men take advantage of women by making promises in order to get what they want. What does all this stem from? Why are men so heartless?

C. Opinions

This site was very informative and interesting to read, even though it was brief. It could’ve expanded a little bit more on the comparisons of the personality characteristics, but even though it was short, it was amusing to read. Even though I was shocked at some of things that were stated, it wasn’t like I didn’t know those things before. It’s just that it always seems to surprise me when men’s blatant lack of compassion is displayed right before my eyes.

I agree with the statements made in this site, because they are pretty much true. Even though there’s always an exception to the rule, most of today’s society falls into the characteristics that were talked about here. I think that this site is useful in trying to find out why men and women think so differently, however, no tips were given to try and combat the differences. I think that if there were some helpful hints to readers that told them ways in which to try and relate to their partner more on the same wavelength, that the site would have been much more useful, but overall, it was very informative.

D. Search Methods

I found this site by going to the search engine www.search.msn.com Then, in the search box, I typed in differences of men and women in relationships. There were a lot of websites that came up after I made my search, but I had to sift through them because the majority of them were websites for singles seeking other singles. I chose this site because the title was exactly what I had typed in for my search, differences between men and women.

The difficulty in finding this site wasn’t that hard. It’s just that there were tons of sites to pick from, and only some were actually on the exact topic that I wanted. I wanted to find one that wasn’t just somebody’s opinion, but rather more research based, so that made my search a little more difficult, but it still didn’t take long to find this site.

4. Healthy Relationships

A. Summary

This site was an informative site written by a female licensed psychologist. She talks about various relationship skills to help maintain a healthy relationship. This site was a counseling site on relationship issues. First, she writes that sharing thoughts, feelings, and needs is the best way to become emotionally close to someone. The concept of respect in brought up quite a bit when engaging in conversations with your partner. Respect the other by listening to them, offer support and advice when needed, and avoiding to criticize them.

Dr. Wesson then goes on to give some helpful ideas when asking questions while spending time together. She says to use “I” statements, and to not evade questions about yourself or joke about it and change the subject to something less personal. When using “I” statements, it makes the statement more personal, rather than general. The main goal is to not disclose too much too early in the relationship and to become relaxed and build a strong friendship with your partner to ensure it’s longevity.

Lastly, Dr. Wesson gives 15 traits of a healthy relationship. Of these fifteen the ones that stuck out to me as being the most important were: both partners are honest; there is no abuse-physical, verbal, emotional; both partners can communicate wants, needs, feelings, and emotional issues with little or no shame; both partners attend to the needs of each other willingly and lovingly.

B. Reactions

My initial reaction to this site was that it didn’t provide much information to the understanding of emotional intimacy. Since the title of the site was “Relationship Skills”, I was drawn into reading it to better my understanding of men and women’s differences in relationships. And since the subtopic of this site was “Understanding Emotional Intimacy”, I thought that there would be more explanations to why men act the way they do and women act the way they do, but there wasn’t.

I was, however, interested in reading the 15 traits of healthy relationships. While these traits all seem to be true, meaning that if a relationship has all of them, then it is a strong and healthy relationship, there wasn’t many tips on how to attain these traits. The only tips that were given were just to use “I” statements and to try to not evade questions about oneself. Just by following these two tips though doesn’t mean that a healthy relationship will be the result. I was surprised to find that a site written by a licensed psychologist was this brief.

C. Opinions

Overall, I do agree with the message that Dr. Wesson is trying to relay here, to be open to communication, and to respect your partner at all times. However, I think that she could’ve elaborated a bit more on ways to understand one’s partner, and ways to attain the 15 traits that lead up to a healthy relationship. I don’t think that this site is too useful though, because there aren’t many tips on ways to improve one’s relationship with their partner.

There is one part of the site that doesn’t seem to make much sense to me, and that is where she is giving examples of how to use “I” statements. She says to say “I am happy that you came…” rather than “You know it’s nice when others show up when they are expected…” I personally don’t know anyone who would make a statement to their partner like the second one given in the example. It seems like common sense that everyone would say “I” in that situation, so that’s why her tips seem a little irrelevant.

D. Search Methods

I came across this site going to the search engine www.google.com, and then I typed in the search box “psychology websites on healthy relationships”. I had to refine my search a few times because I couldn’t find anything that really stuck out and caught my eye. Finally I came across this site and immediately read it because it was a counseling site written by a licensed psychologist.

It was a little more difficult to find this site because I wanted to find a site that was related to the field of psychology, so it took me longer to narrow my search results down to something that I could actually use. I found that it’s harder to find a medically based site as compared to all the other sites that usually come up after a search. And lots of times, sites that are medically based cost money to read them because you have to purchase the article. Overall, finding this site was way more difficult and time consuming than most the others I found.

5. Resolving Gender Differences

A. Summary

This site combats the big question of “What are the differences between men and women?” First, it starts by saying how biological differences greatly influence the way in which men and women behave and respond to various situations. How we are nurtured and socialized impacts how we express affection, emotion, and how we deal with stress, anger and conflict. The way in which males are raised tends to lead them to see the world as a contest, and to view things in a more competitive manner. Women, on the other hand, are more focused on relating to others and feeling a sense of intimacy and closeness. The site states that in order for men and women to be more successful in communicating effectively, they need to understand some of the basic differences in their styles of communicating.

Next, this site talks about how understanding gender differences isn’t enough to resolve them. Men and women not only need to understand, but they also need to develop skills that enhance their communication and understanding. The site then lists 7 suggestions to attain these skills. The suggestions are: listen carefully to what is being said; listen with your mouth shut; before responding, check out with the other person what you heard them say; when you give your response, be clear, honest and concise about what you think, feel or want; remain open to further dialogue; recognize and celebrate your differences; be committed to helping each other learn the skill of effective communication.

After these helpful hints, a chart is displayed on the differences between men and women, and it is divided into what women tend to do, and what men tend to do. What is listed in the chart is pretty much what everyone already knows, that women are better listeners, more comfortable expressing their emotions, less afraid of commitment, etc. Also listed is that men are self-focused, more competitive, fear commitment, and are more distant.

B. Reactions

I was first drawn to this site because there was an interesting chart that caught my eye, and also a quiz at the end that measures how well the reader knows men and women. Also, I liked how the site tackled the topic of the role of gender differences when it comes to problems in relationships. The title which is “Men and women- the differences” also caught my eye because I wanted to see if they were only going to cover biological differences or if they were going to tie it into the ways in which men and women act in relationships.

The chart was sort of like an “in your face” display of just how different men and women really are. It showed how they are different in things from commitment issues to conflict and confrontation issues. It’s no wonder there is so many failed relationships and marriages, it’s like as if men and women are two different species in the ways that they think.

C. Opinions

Overall, I think that this site was an extremely useful site in trying to figure out the differences in men and women and ways in which to work around those differences. I agree with the site’s chart on the basic differences between men and women and also on the tips they give to help maintain a relationship. Not only do they give some helpful suggestions, but they also explain how the suggestions can help you and your partner out. These suggestions are very useful for those who seek ways to better their relationship with their partner.

Not only was this site very informative and useful, but it was also interesting to read. Usually sites that are informative are boring and lack appeal, but this one wasn’t. I especially liked the quiz at the end of the site because it gave the answers so you could check how well you did, and it covered the areas that were discussed in the chart.

D. Search Methods

I found this site by going to the msn search engine. I then typed in communication differences between men and women and came across this site. It took a while to sift through all of the recommended sites that were listed because they ranged from speech problems in toddlers, to on-line dating services. There were very few that were relevant to the topic that I was interested in, but when I finally found this one, it made the searching process worth while.

It wasn’t too difficult in finding this site, it was just a matter of going through tons of other suggested sites that related to what I wrote in the search box. I probably should’ve refined my search a little by cutting down on the words, but I wanted to see if there would be a site that would focus entirely on communication differences in men and women, and after a few minutes, I finally came across this one.

6. Thinking of Men and Women are at Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

A. Summary

This online magazine article starts off with a few jokes that display the differences in how men and women think. Not only are men and women different in their physical attributes, but in their attitudes towards relationships as well. Since a man is writing this article, he admits to being a bit biased because he can’t understand women, but he also acknowledges the fact that women can’t understand men either. He then goes on to list 10 situations where the thinking of men and women go in opposite directions.

The ten situations are anger, touching, telephone, sex, going out, shopping, bathrooms, dressing up, children, and toys. The writer talks about how when anger enters a relationship, a woman will want to repair the situations before having sex, but a man will think that making love will make it all right again. He talks about women are way more touchy than men, and that when men touch each other, it’s done in a rough manner. The phone is viewed as an object to men to send short messages, but to women, it’s a way to communicate with one another. For sex, the obvious is stated, that women prefer 40-45 minutes of foreplay, while men prefer 40-45 seconds.

All of the situations that the writer lists are comical, but not really factual. For instance, when he talks about shopping, he says how women can shop all day and enjoy, but men just want to buy the things they need and leave. For the bathroom issue, he states how men have on average 5-6 items in his bathroom, and women have over 200 items. Even in things like children, the writer acknowledges that women will know everything to do with their child, such as when their doctor’s appointment is, or what their favorite food is, but men are unaware of all of this. The article ends with stating that not all women are alike and not all men are alike, and that’s why it makes it that much harder to understand the differences between men and women in relationships.

B. Reactions

I was first drawn to this article because it was an online magazine for women, and the article was written by a man. I thought that overall, the content of the article was amusing, because what was written was all the ways in which the typical male is supposed to act, and the ways in which the typical female is supposed to act. That is, men are supposed to non-touchy and not into shopping and talking on the phone, and women are supposed to be gossipers and shopaholics who love to dress up and talk on the phone.

After reading the whole article, I realized that it wasn’t intended to be purely factual, because all of the situations that were listed weren’t facts, but mostly opinions on how men and women act in different situations. Therefore, I didn’t take this article too seriously on my search for understanding the differences between men and women in relationships.

C. Opinions

My final opinion on this article is that it was good comic relief to read, but that it’s points aren’t backed up by any reliable research. This is just one man’s opinion to the ways in which men and women differ in their thinking in different situations. This is, however the typical viewpoint of many in our society today, that men are non-sensitive and don’t groom themselves as much as females, and that females are more into their looks, and shopping and gossiping. These types of stereotypes are displayed in many sitcoms on television today, where the man is into building things and using tools and engaging in rough play, and the women is into cooking, shopping, and talking to their girlfriends on the phone.

I don’t think that this article is right in the sense that it is factual. But I don’t think that it is meant to be factual data. I think that it is just to show one man’s viewpoint on the different thinking of men and women. This article is therefore not too useful for one who is seeking ways to better understand their partner and the way in which their thinking differs from one another.

D. Search Methods

I found this article when I went to the aol search engine. I then typed in online magazines for women, and browsed through a few of them for topics related to what I was searching for. I couldn’t narrow my search down, so I typed in “differences between men and women” and then came across this article from the magazine “Why Men Are…”

Trying to find articles seemed to take a lot longer than just trying to find websites related to my topic. I don’t know if it was because I didn’t narrow my search down to articles, rather than just online magazines. The whole process in finding this article was pretty difficult and time consuming, and then, the article wasn’t even factual but opinionated. Even when I narrowed my search down to differences between men and women, I still had to sift through a number of suggested articles that had nothing to do with my topic.

Conclusion

After all the hours I put into searching for information about the

differences between men and women and how they handle relationships, I came up with one conclusion, that there is no underlying answer to this question. Although the major difference found in a number of my sources is communication, the truth is, is that it’s nearly impossible to combat differences because every single person is different. One can’t generalize about the ways in which men and women behave and react in different situations because not all women or men are alike. It’s true that maybe most women may act and feel a certain way, but there’s always a wild card that is different from all the rest.

Society not only shapes the way in which each gender is supposed to act, but it also molds us all into the stereotypical expectations of males and females. Starting from an early age, female infants are dressed in pink, and male infants in blue to express their femininity and masculinity, respectively. There does seem to be a general awareness of this type of molding that society does, and that’s why it seems to be the root of many of the differences in the way men and women act.

The significance of all the data I gathered shows that in order for men and women to truly understand one another, they must learn to communicate effectively with one another. In order to communicate effectively and successfully, they must learn to listen to one another, respect one another, and make a conscious effort to better their relationship by going the extra mile to understand their differences, and learn to work around those differences. I think that more psychology based sites on this topic would be useful to help counsel those who are interested in trying to overcome and work through the differences with their partner. If I were to continue research on this topic, I would definitely look more into sites like these that offer tips and suggestions, rather than ones that just explain how men and women are biologically different.

Introduction

For the second section of my annotated bibliography report, I chose to

cover the topic of what people do while they are driving and what the consequences are. I chose to research this topic because the roadway is the number one cause of deaths in the US. Everyday, between 4000 and 8000 crashes related to distracted driving occurs in the US, so it seems that if we can identify the causes of these distractions, that many lives will be spared in the process to eliminate them. Throughout my research, I found that many of the distractions were things that people do while driving to try and save time. However, distractions such as talking on cell phones while driving have caused a national alert because of the number of crashes that result from this. Some states have even passed laws to ban the use of cell phones while driving, however, that doesn’t eliminate all the other distractions that drivers are prone to.

Throughout my report, I will be guiding you through many of the various distractions that people encounter while driving, and also the harmful consequences of these distractions. I hope to supply you with a comprehensive list of ways to reduce distractions while driving. I will also supply you with both sides of the argument to ban the use of cell phones in all states. Most importantly, I hope that readers realize the consequences of their actions while driving and that even though doing something in the car may save a couple of minutes, it’s always smarter and safer to plan ahead “arrive alive”.

1. Are Cell Phones the True Cause of Distractions While Driving?

A. Summary

The first source I found was a satirical comment on the proposal of banning cell phone use while driving. The writer argues that cell phones aren’t the only distractions to drivers, so why not ban all distractions if the government is going to ban cell phones? The writer states that the basic argument for the ban is that some people are incapable of driving and carrying on a conversation, so if they are going to ban cell phones, then they should ban all forms of conversation while driving too, such as hands free cell phones and conversations with passengers.

Since some people can get distracted easily, before the government bans cell phone use while driving in all states, the writer of this comment message says that they should take into account all the other distractions that affect drivers. Some people can’t drive and talk to passengers without getting distracted, while others can’t control their kids or change radio stations without getting distracted, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of these things should be banned as well.

The writer then says that since cell phone usage is no different than other distractions, that all the other distractions should be banned as well. He then comments that he would support the ban of cell phones if a study was conducted and it showed that cell phones alone represented a risk way out of proportion to all other distractions.

B. Reactions

My initial reaction to this discussion forum comment was that the writer had a very good point. It’s true that if government is trying to get rid of drivers’ distractions, that cell phones is only part of the answer. There are tons of other distractions out there that may possibly have a greater impact on driving accidents than cell phone usage does.

What caught my interest to this particular comment was the satire that the writer used in his writing. He almost makes it sound as if the government and all those who want the nation wide ban of cell phones to occur sound like airheads for not taking into account the tons of other distractions that affect drivers just as equally as cell phones.

C. Opinions

Overall, I would have to agree with the writer of this comment message. While I do recognize the fact that cell phones play a big role in the thousands of automobile accidents that occur daily, I think that everyone is different in how much they can handle while driving. Who is to say that hands free cell phones are any less distracting than regular cell phones? There are some people that get so engaged in conversations that no matter if they are using hands free cells, regular cells, or even just talking to the passenger, they are distracted the same amount.

I believe that this site is useful because while the writer doesn’t agree with the ban of cell phones, he doesn’t necessarily discredit the ban entirely. He says that if there was evidence that showed that cell phones were a way more at risk activity than other driving distractions, then he would support the ban, but until then he doesn’t. In my opinion, I think that every driver is different, and what may be distracting to one driver may not be distracting to another. Because of this, I don’t think that the ban of cell phones will do much to lower accident rates because there are tons of other distractions that are still out there.

D. Search Methods

I found this comment message on an online discussion forum at the website www.google.com/grphp?hl=en&ie=UTF-8. I then typed “distractions while driving” in the search box and came across a number of comment messages to various distractions while driving. I had to sift through a few of them however because some were really short comments and some were jokes about the random things people do while driving.

This site provided a lot of useful comments on the number of distractions while driving, but since they are comments, they are all opinions, rather than factual. It was really easy to find discussions on this topic and fairly fast as well. The only part that was time consuming was going through the various comments to find one worth using as a source.

2. Recommendations for the Safe Use of Cell Phones While Driving

A. Summary

My second source that I found was a safety alert bulletin about the increasing concern about driver distractions caused by the use of cell phones. First, the site states a few facts such as the findings by the Director of Traffic Safety at the American Automobile Association that 25 to 50% of all motor vehicle crashes in this country have driver distractions as a root cause. While they note that distractions can range from a variety of things, in recent years, traffic safety experts are becoming increasingly concerned with cell phone usage while driving.

This site then goes on to state that cell phones can be a great tool for enhanced safety on the road by calling for roadside service or alerting authorities of dangerous conditions on the road. However, because distractions due to cell phones while driving may cause accidents, they list recommended actions to safely operate a cell phone while driving if it is absolutely necessary to talk and drive at the same time.

First, the site suggests to pull over to make a phone call, but if it is absolutely necessary to use it, then the one should: get to know the features of the phone such as speed dial and redial; use a hands free set while driving; make sure the phone is within reach so that it can be grabbed without taking your eyes off the road; don’t engage in emotional conversations or conversations during hazardous conditions; and don’t take notes or look up phone numbers while driving.

B. Reactions

I was surprised that this site gave helpful tips to safely use cell phones while driving, that’s why I was drawn to this site. Rather than just stating all the negative consequences about using cell phones while driving, they recognize the fact that until there is a nation wide ban, the majority of people will continue to use them, no matter what the facts may state.

Actually, what first caught my interest was that the title of the site seemed so obvious that I was surprised that the writers didn’t come up with a title more informative. At the top of the site it says “Safety Alert” and then under that it says “Distractions while driving can lead to accidents”. When I saw this I wanted to laugh because everyone knows that distractions lead to accidents already, yet the way they wrote it seemed to be as if they had just discovered some new phenomena.

C. Opinions

My final opinion on this site is that is was overall pretty useful since it gave tips on how to safely use cell phones while driving. I also like how there were facts stated throughout the site, so that it was more factual than opinionated. I definitely agree with the site on recognizing the fact that some people are going to use their cell phones while driving until there is a nationwide ban or just a ban in their state.

I think that this site is helpful to those who wish to seek ways to decrease their risk of getting distracted while driving and using their cell phones. I agree with the tips that they give, but I still think that since everyone is different, some people may still get easily distracted using their phones even when following these tips. Some people can handle multiple tasks at once, while others cannot, so it is the driver’s discretion to recognize how much they can take on while driving.

D. Search Methods

I found this site by going to the search engine www.altavista.com. I then typed in “distractions while driving” in the search box. I then narrowed my search by typing in “safety tips to avoid distractions while driving”. There was a lot of recommended sites that appeared and I had to read through a few of them to find this one that actually gave safety tips to using cell phones.

This site was pretty difficult to find because I wanted to find a site that had some safety tips as well as a list of common distractions while driving. I found it hard to narrow my search down because almost all the same sites kept coming up whenever I’d try to narrow it down.

3. AAA Says to Keep Your Eyes on the Road

A. Summary

This site I found was a part of the AAA website. It lists various distractions that drivers encounter such as adjusting the radio, talking with passengers, eating or drinking, managing children, reading maps, reaching for objects in the vehicle, and using cell phones. It then states that between 4000 and 8000 crashes related to distracted driving occur everyday in the U.S., and that these crashes contribute to as much as one-half of the six million U.S. crashes reported annually.

There has been a heightened concern about driver distractions because of the increase of the use of cell phones, highly publicized crashes involving distracted drivers (like Princess Diana’s fatal crash), and the growing use of technology in motor vehicles (like televisions installed in the steering wheel). This site then talks about how cell phone usage is only one of the problems. Hands-free phones are not risk free, and studies show that hands free phones distract drivers just as much as hand held phones, so banning hand held phones is likely to have little or no effect on safety as long as hands free phones are still allowed.

Since the site is the AAA website, it then gives the AAA recommendations and tips for safe driving. Some of these tips are: to recognize that driving requires your full attention; familiarize yourself with your phone; use the phone only when absolutely necessary; ask a passenger to make the call for you and speak on your behalf; plan conversations in advance and keep them brief; stay focused and keep your mind and eyes on the road at all times.

B. Reactions

I was very interested in this site because it was a part of the AAA website, so I thought that there had to be some good statistics given and some good tips as well. I was surprised to read that AAA doesn’t think that the ban of hand held cell phones will have any effect on safety issues. Government officials should read this and recognize that it’s not just the phone that is the distraction, but rather the conversation itself.

Because this was a AAA website, that caught my interest, but also the recognition of other distraction factors besides cell phones caught my attention and interest as well. I liked how they stated that there are less visible reasons for drivers being distracted, besides the use of cell phones, and that it is more difficult to tell if a distracted driver was talking to a passenger, tuning the radio or eating.

C. Opinions

Overall, I liked this site and found it to be very informative. This was the first site that I came across that said that studies showed that hands free cell phones distract drivers just as much as hand held phones. I also liked how they said that everyone is quick to blame the phone, or device, as being the root of the distraction, when in actuality, it is the conversation itself that is the root of the distraction.

I agree with this site in that cell phones aren’t the sole reason of distractions while driving. I think that everyone handles situations differently and that hands free cell phones may pose as just as much a safety concern to some as hand held cell phones are. I think that the safety tips at the end of the site are very useful as well. Not only does it provide readers with safety tips while using cell phones, but also with the number one safety tip that all drivers should abide by, to stay focused at all times and to always keep your eyes and mind on the road at all times.

D. Search Methods

I found this site by going to the search engine www.yahoo.com, and then typing in “online archive lists” in the search box. I then narrowed my search by typing in “distracted driving” and had to search through a few recommended sites because there were many of them that had nothing to do with my topic choice.

It wasn’t that easy to find archive lists on this particular topic. I don’t know if I was going about searching for it in the wrong way, or if there isn’t many related sites to that topic. It probably would’ve been easier to just type in “distracted driving” instead of looking for an online archive list on this topic.

4. Mixed Opinions on Cell Phone Ban

A. Summary

For my fourth source, I found a message board that was asking people to speak out about their viewpoints on the controversial ban of cell phones in New York. The message states that there are mixed opinions on the bill banning cell phones, and the many other forms of the bill that are being discussed in various other states across the US. While the message displays the recognition of the safety concerns that occur when people drive and use their phones at the same time, they don’t feel that using a hands free phone is going to make a dramatic increase in the safety of talking on a cell phone while driving.

The message then goes on to state that the bill is just another example of government over-regulation. Because now, since the passing of the New York ban of cell phones, there have been reports on the danger of adjusting a car stereo while driving. If the government uses the reasoning for banning cell phones while driving, then they should ban car stereos as well.

Some of the reaction comments that readers wrote in response to the message were that in Australia, there have been laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving for a long time. Studies have shown that drivers who talk on cell phones have a similar reaction time to drivers with an illegal blood alcohol level. Another person commented that if having a conversation while driving makes the road more hazardous, then the government should ban talking to passengers and listening to music in the car as well.

B. Reactions

I picked this site as a source because my first reaction when I saw that it was a message board was that lots of people would respond on this topic. Not many did however, so that was a little disappointing, but the message itself was what I really enjoyed. I wanted to see how others feel about this issue, and so far it seems as if the majority of people feel as if the ban of cell phones isn’t going to do much to eliminate driver distractions.

After doing research on this topic, cell phone use while driving, it does seem as if government was just trying to find something to put the blame on for driver distractions. Instead of focusing on the object though, they should’ve focused more on the conversation itself, because that seems to be the biggest distraction to drivers. There are many other objects in cars that cause drivers to get distracted, and you can’t ban all of them, so I think that the ban of cell phone usage while driving was unjust.

C. Opinions

I agree with the message that this message board is trying to portray. I, too, feel that the ban of cell phones isn’t going to eliminate the distractions that drivers face. I think that instead of focusing on objects that cause the distractions, drivers should focus on themselves and make a conscious effort to pay attention and focus on the driving task at hand.

Maybe there should be stricter reckless driving laws that can sometimes be the result of distractions to drivers. Or maybe, when drivers are going to drivers training, they should received a type of training that makes them focus all their attention and energy on the road while they are driving. I think that some people are capable of driving and talking on their cell phone without it causing a safety threat to them and others, because they are capable of handling multiple tasks at once. Handling multiple tasks at once should maybe be the focus of driver’s education and training.

D. Search Methods

I found this message board by going to www.msnsearch.com and then I typed in “articles about eating while driving” in the search box. I then proceeded to look up message boards about eating while driving. I didn’t find too many articles that seemed relevant about eating while driving, but there were tons about cell phone usage while driving, so I chose to focus on this topic instead.

This site wasn’t too hard to find. The thing that was hard to find was some good articles or message boards about eating while driving. All the ones written about eating while driving were more comical and didn’t seem to be like a strong enough source to use. Since the big debate about distractions while driving is the use of cell phones, there was a lot of message boards about this, so once I focused on finding a good one, it took a matter of minutes to sift through them all.

5. SaskTel Mobility Supports Safe Driving

A. Summary

Another source I used for this topic was again focused on the safe use of cell phones while driving. I found this site at a cellular phone company’s website. In this site, SaskTel Mobility not only tries to promote their phones, but the safe use of their phones while driving. They start off by reminding readers that being safe while driving is their primary responsibility, and that they should take all the necessary steps to eliminate all potential distractions while driving.

Next, this company lists the things that they offer that support the elimination of distractions while driving such as voice messaging services and hands free equipment. They say that these things help customers stay focused on the road ahead. Also, the company states that they are active participants in the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association Safe Driving Committee.

Lastly, the company’s site concludes by giving tips to minimize distractions while driving. Among these tips, some of the most important are: being responsible with the use of chemical substances such as alcohol or medications; keep a 3 second safety cushion between you and the car in front of you; if a cell phone is needed, use a hands free one; plan your trip ahead; be familiar with the equipment of your car; pull over to eat or drink; don’t groom yourself while driving; don’t take notes or read maps while driving.

B. Reactions

I was first drawn to this website because it was a part of a cellular phone company’s website, so I wanted to see if they viewed the use of cell phones while driving to be a dangerous distraction. It was interesting to see that they promote their hands free phones, but they don’t say that the use of hands free phones is just as distracting as hand held phones. Mostly it seems that they are trying to show customers that cell phones are beneficial because they “help make our communities and roads safer”.

I was initially shocked that nowhere in the site does it tell drivers to pull over on the side of the road to make a phone call. Instead it just says that if they need to use their cell phone, to use a hands free one or a speaker so that both hands can be on the wheel. They do, however, discourage engaging in stressful or emotional conversations, so drivers should hang up their cell phone if conversations or road conditions get too hazardous.

C. Opinions

I’m a little impartial to this website. I feel that the safety tips that they give are very useful, however, because it is a cell phone company, they don’t say that the safest way to use a cell phone would be to pull over and make the call. It’s true that not many people would pull over and make a phone call, but that’s not the point. This company is more concerned with selling their products than it is with the safety of drivers.

I think that, overall, this site is useful for those who already recognize the fact that hands free phones aren’t any less distracting than hand held phones. All of the other safety tips are good and useful, but they are trying to make it seem like hands free phones are the answer to avoiding distractions while using cell phones while driving. I think that they need to address the issue that engaging in a conversation, whether or not it’s with a hand held or hands free phone, is risky business all together and should be avoided unless the person knows that they can handle it.

D. Search Methods

I found this site by typing in “cellular phone companies” in the search engine at www.aol.com. I then went and browsed through a few to see if there was anything in any of their sites that addressed the issue of safety while using cell phones. That took me a long time to find, because most of the companies’ websites were just explaining their rates and features that were offered. I finally came across this company’s site, and it is a company that I’ve never even heard of.

Trying to find a cell phone company that discouraged the use of cell phones while driving was hard to do. It took me quite a bit of time to finally come across a site that did, and it was surprising to see that they didn’t discourage the use of cell phones while driving, rather they encouraged the safe usage of cell phones while driving

Conclusion

After many hours spent searching for data on the topic of what people do while they are driving and what are the consequences, I began to focus my study more on the controversial use of cell phones while driving. I tried to present you with the pros and cons to each side of the debate of whether or not hand held cell phones should be banned nationwide by providing you with stats and study results, as well as personal opinions on the matter. I think the date I gathered is useful to those who wish to learn ways to avoid distractions while driving because I used many sources that provided readers with safe driving tips to minimize distractions.

My personal opinion on the matter of cell phone use while driving was reflected throughout the report, because I strongly feel that the ban of hand held phones needs to be better backed up by relevant studies to show that they pose more of a threat than hands free phones. I think that if the government is going to ban hand held cell phones while driving, that they should take into account all of the other numerous distractions that are out there. We can’t eliminate all driver distractions by placing the blame on cell phones. Rather, we need to concentrate on the drivers themselves and train them to not get so distracted by teaching them how to handle more tasks at once.

Hopefully, throughout my report I provided you useful information to understanding the cause and effects of many of the distractions that drivers face. I felt that placing my focus on cell phone use would be useful to readers because it seems to be the number one distraction that is getting the blame for many accidents. It’s true that many horrible accidents happen every day, and by minimizing distractions, many of these could be avoided. That’s why I think that all drivers need to take it upon themselves to realize the danger that they could be in by engaging is certain activities and to just remember to focus on the road and the driving task at hand. If I was to continue my research on this topic, I would definitely try and find some sites on trying to teach drivers to concentrate on the road, and not let things easily distract them. Because let’s face it, with technology improving everyday, the equipment in cars is going to get more and more advanced, so instead of eliminated technology advancements, we should learn the tools to safely handle more than one task at once.

References

1. Sprecher S., Toro-Morn M.

“A Study of Men and Women from Different Sides of Earth to Determine if Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus in their Beliefs about Love and Romantic Relationships”

www.ingent.com - Sex Roles Journal

March 2002

2. Eleonore Beaudoin

“Re: Men, Women and Relationships”

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=men+and+women+in+relationships&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=ai8j4

07-31-02

3. Tom Newman

“3.1 Differences Between Men and Women”

www.profem.com/power/power_n_love/diffs.html

4. Nancy Wesson, Ph.D.

“Understanding Emotional Intimacy”

www.wespsych.com/relship.html