Outline Of My First Oral Presentation

Denial And the Semantics of Aggressive Driving, Drivers Behaving Badly in the Media, and Why Driving Arouses Anger

This is a presentation of Road Rage And Aggressive Driving, Dr. Leon James & Dr. Diane Nahl, Prometheris Books. Anherst, New York. 2000 (pg. 46-57)

By: Ryde Azama, PSY 409a

 

I.       Denial And the Semantics of Aggressive Driving

a.      U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (April 1998)

                                                               i.      Capital Beltway Update (Washington D.C.)

1.      Done in 1994 and repeated in 1995 and 1997

2.      3 Groups (Normal, aggressive and commercial drivers)

                                                             ii.      Results

1.      1997 group listed aggressive driving twice as much compared to the 1994 group as the cause for accidents.

2.      Top 3 reasons by 53% of the participants.

b.      Competitive Sport

                                                               i.      Both groups blame the “other” driver.

                                                             ii.      Aggressive drivers want a minimum speed limit instead of a maximum speed limit

c.       Culture

                                                               i.      Metropolitan areas show a great deal more tolerance toward “aggressive” driving.

 

II.    Drivers Behaving Badly in the Media

a.      Television

                                                               i.      “Culture Tantrum”

1.      John Larson

a.       “The Road Warrior type movies of the 1980’s” and today’s television that teaches impressionable individuals that “vigilante behavior, even that which harms others, is virtuous, associated with heroic figures, and easy to do”

                                                                                                                                       i.      The Simpsons

                                                                                                                                     ii.      Clueless

                                                                                                                                    iii.      Reba Mcentire

b.      Video Games

                                                               i.      Driver / Carmageddon / Roadkill

1.      Violence and brutality

2.      Uncensored

                                                             ii.      Media Reinforcement

1.      “Most impressive racing games around…most original game I’ve played for all ages.”

 

III. Why Driving Arouses Anger

a.      Conflicting aspects of driving that act as stressors

                                                               i.      Immobility / Restriction / Regulation / Lack of personal control / Being put in danger / Territoriality / Diversity / Multitasking / Denial / Negativity / Self-serving bias / Venting / Unpredictability / Isolation / Emotional challenges

b.      Roland Maiuro M.D.

                                                               i.      Socio-environmental Factors

1.      Population growth and traffic congestion…etc.

                                                             ii.      Mental Illness Factors

1.      Anger disorders that can be triggered by the pressures of driving

                                                            iii.      Cultural Habits Factors

1.      Faulty attitudes, inadequate driving skills…etc.

 

My Home Page

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2004/azama/

 

Helpful Links (General Information about “Road Rage”)

http://www.drdriving.org

http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/1999/02/01/smallb1.html

http://www.drivers.com/article/169/

http://www.aaafts.org/resources/index.cfm?button=agdrtext