Some newsgroups explorers that she found, had unfounded opinions stemming from frustration and anger (which is not surprising since they are probably aggressive drivers). She speculates on why they have such negative views. What is affecting the person (internal or external factors) while they write their opinion on newsgroups. For example, one illustration she gave was an alarming opinion of how Princess Diana was stupid and basically deserved to die because she didn't have a real job and because she is so rich.. This brings us back to freedom of the internet, thus freedom of speech in newsgroups. Now, for the question addressed by Moya "Is There a Moral Crisis in Driving Attitude?" ; she discusses the question by giving a summary of the famous congressional testimony given by Dr. Driving himself. In this testimony he talks about dozens of issues regarding aggressive driving from its ' causes to its anatomy.
If you don't have hours and hours to surf the topics presented by Dr. Driving, try going to his index of subjects to get info on your favorite topic. Finally Moya's advice to all of us who are contemplating trying out the newsgroups experience: Exercise your second amendment rights on the net by having an open mind. Don't write before you read. Know what you're talking about by educating yourself on the newsgroups' topic.
The first thing I did after reading this report is I went to some newsgroups myself to see what the big deal was. It really is true that other people's opinions can cause you to feel distress and anger? When feeling this I reflected back to what Moya's advice to future newsgroup explorers was. I then decided to take a step back before I expressed my opinion and ask myself "am I really processing this person's opinion objectively"? Is my response a fairly educated one? Because Moya's layout involved sub titles for the different topics it was easy to refer back to a specific subject. This is what makes her report easy to read and follow.The graphics she uses makes the report fun yet they don't cloud your reading. She separates her different topics accordingly and gives you enough links to further your understanding of newsgroups dealing with aggressive and dangerous driving. One problem I found however is that she does not give any links to specific newsgroups sites. Also, when referring to how internal and external factors can affect the attitude and opinion of the person writing their opinion, she does not discuss displacement which is an important psychology term.
All the reports I looked at for G7, 409a had really neat graphics and page layouts. Although some of the content was a bit repetitive (all having to do with newsgroups) opinions did slightly differ. Most however, regarded newsgroups positively and spent hours looking through and even participating in them. This makes me think that they really enjoyed reading controversial and some not so controversial opinions. Most students provided links to different newsgroups and to Dr. James' Congressional Testimony. They also gave slightly different pieces of newsgroup conversations. Some wanted to really get the message across that newsgroups really let you exercise your right to free speech.Shintani discusses hypertext navigation at some length and confesses that he really never knew how information actually got to his screen. And how the heck things popped up when he clicked on a link (kind of like me until now). He then discovers a "fourth dimension" which is a great way to understand this virtual reality business. The text you click on is not mere text. It is the open doorway to a zillion places that you can travel to in just about seconds.
Shintani also discusses cyber-psychology
which is another relative topic to virtual reality and the mind. In fact,
it is at the core of this class since we're dealing with the internet and
studying psychology at the same time. He looks at several definitions done
by other students then comes up with his own hypotheses to what the word
means. His definition is: "cyber-psychology is the study of cyberspace
and it's relationship with the human mind... cyberspace and the mind can
exist without any physical form." He shared his hypothesis with some friends
and one person disagreed with him. He decides that his definition isn't
as good as he originally thought. Finally Shintani concludes that the internet
experience can be a spiritual one. "There are no rules that limit your
imagination or creativity". Well said.
I, like Shintani, feel that it is very
strange at first because you are talking to someone but you cannot see
their facial expression or tones in their voice. It is really different
from using the telephone. You also realize how easy it is to become addicted
to the net. In a sense it is spiritual but for me it is more financial.
It saves me a lot on the phone bill. I now have a sense of what hyperlinks
are and where all the information comes from. Cyber-psychology is worth
studying and researching if we ever want to come to un understanding of
this new age phenomenon.
Shintani did not have an original view
of cyberspace. One report addresses this by saying that everybody's view
are an extension of Dr. James' view, since they are all his pupils. Does
this make the reports boring? Not really actually. Since everybody
that writes adds some of their own personality to the information they
are presenting, everybody's reports are unique. I would just like to add
a little extra for those interested in this topic. I like most of the G5
409a class recommend looking first at
Dr. James' view on cyber-psychology . In addition, look for some other
peoples' opinions on the topic like this one, that
deals with internet addiction of college students or this one
where you
can actively participate in the cyber-psych realm . Then,
search for cyberspace and virtual reality and see the other great reports
that deal with either topic. Maybe even join a newsgroup having to do with
this topic and see what some have to say about cyber-psychology.
He looks at some other peoples' reports and their definitions. One person viewed it as driving is a privilege and by appreciating this we can make ourselves over. Gary agrees with the definitions but ultimately moves away from the one sentence definition and describes what the makeover is- being aware of three domains when you're driving and putting the time and effort into changing single or multiple behaviors.
So, what are the first three steps described by Gary to doing a makeover? The first is that a DPM is not an overnight thing. It really is about being aware of the three domains (thoughts, feelings, and actions) every time you drive. Make a mental note of how you drive in certain conditions and in different circumstances. Be specific about these problems. Also, know what kind of commitment it takes by making yourself aware of what goes on in traffic Psychology.
The second step is self-witnessing. This involves carrying a tape recorder with you (or a note pad to record information about what you're thinking, etc.) and speak out loud. Then you can listen to it later and pinpoint some problems with your driving by being aware of the three domains.
The third step is to modify the problems. Gary says that in order to do this we have to remember that we are the ones in control here. Not the other driver, not anyone else. But in order really exercise this control, we have to think positively. That means not interpreting other drivers' reaction as a personal thing but to give them the benefit of the doubt. Now, why would we want to be more positive when driving? Well, as Gary points out, so we don't endanger the lives of others, or risk getting a ticket for something totally avoidable. He gives you the link to Dr. Drivings' statistics of crashes and so forth. It is a real eye opener.
Gary then discusses his own self-witnessing experiences. They're really great. They are descriptive and humorous. He then does his own mini-self modification. He applies the three steps of a DPM to several situations. He admits to not being very successful but decides he is going to continue the makeover to make some improvements, like not getting upset (swearing etc.) when someone cuts into his lane (that someone being an old lady) without looking. In Gary's conclusion, he basically makes the equivalent between driving and how we think of others (and ourselves for that matter). If we think everyone is against us, especially when we're driving, we are going to think negatively and not be in control. By being in control, we can look at the situation differently and thus not react in a negative way.
Gary presented this topic by dividing the sections in a very easy-to -follow manner. He even includes a concepts section where you can learn some psych terms. He discusses the topic in such a realistic and almost humorous manner that I decided to give myself a DPM. The examples he gives of situations while he is driving happens to just about everyone I know, including myself.The three steps he gives and how he expands each one by giving analogies is a very easy way to understand driving personality especially for those who don't know much about it. This is important because it really gets the attention of the reader.
What really impressed me about this report is the honesty. He is honest about how his DPM (mini self-modification) wasn't exactly successful. He used his unsuccessfulness as a way of further emphasize that the DPM is a lifelong cycle that takes time and effort (but not so much that you feel overwhelmed). He says to take one aspect of your driving (one at a time) time and focus on it.
His last comment on his advice to future generations is especially neat. He says "Whatever we can do to reduce this epidemic of road rage can save thousands of lives-maybe even your own!" He says at least give the DPM a try. It can't hurt. This is really what people respond to. Whenever you take a serious matter and present it in an almost humorous way, people will listen. Although even with this line the only part of his report that remains weak is his advice to future students. Since he was not very successful with his DPM, what could others have done do to be more successful and not give up the first time? What specific errors did he make while doing the DPM? He also states that he is skeptical of the DPM. I think just being skeptical of thinking that you cannot change your behaviors or thoughts or feelings in certain situations is not being control. After all, he says control is the key to giving yourself a DPM.
Other people from this generation reported on a number of different topics, such as Being a Driving Buddy, How Drivers Communicate with each other etc. Almost all of them used graphics of some sort and backgrounds which took a while to load on my computer. Some were fun to read, others not so fun. What makes a report fun is when the person describes realistically their observations of themselves. One of the reports was a bit unrealistic like saying they were 100 feet away from the car or going 60 mph. That information is not always relevant to the person reading the report. What is more relevant are details describing the situation. Like for example, in Gary's report; He describes the situation carefully but does not go in to technical data. My comparison is that in appearance, all of the other reports contained a lot of graphics and background, and some were a bit technical. The main differences I found were that they all ranged in a variety of topics and I was really interested in DPMs. Gary's report , although there were really no graphics, interested and affected me the most.Many people have the misconception that a good driver is being in control of the car (which he says "any idiot can do that") but being in control of yourself like managing your temper and being a forgiving driver is what being in control really is. This is probably the best reason I have heard so far as to why traffic psychology is needed and why people need to become of aware of their driving habits. Ryan also says that people tend to speed when they feel they are not in control of something or they feel helpless. This is really true because when I am late something I go faster because I know that I have no control over being on time. Ryan describes his car accident and although he was only going 45 mph when he crashed I have the feeling that he really enjoyed being in control of this powerful car instead of being in control of himself.
Ryan really had a great idea as to how to present the topic of traffic psychology using his own experience, a quite dramatic one, to really make it clear that if we don't become aware of how we are feeling behind the wheel, something disastrous could happen. By giving us such a clear visual presentation of this, we can stop to think of what may happen if we continue with our bad driving habits. What was weak in the report is that he does not really come up with his own definition of traffic psychology. He goes on and on about his own experience and hypothesis as to why he and others speed but no real definition. I'd be curious to what that would be. If I were to do a report on this topic , I would make sure I had a little more background on it. I would give links to Dr. Driving's home page. Because Ryan talked so much about himself, it seems as though he doesn't know quite enough about the topic as he should.* My Classmates Generations.html file (what I think)
Although not very many people have
posted their reports yet, I know that all of us are working very hard.
But we are also having fun at the same time. Road rage can be a fun issue
to read and discuss about. We are all helping each other and that is what
counts the most. Thanks everyone!
* My Suggestions For Future Generations Doing This Report
My first suggestion is to read through all the topics of road rage and decide what you are most interested in. Also think about your own driving habits and how you could benefit from reading another persons report. My second suggestion is to read through all of Dr. James' exercise instructions and try to get a head start on this report. Choose your four topics and reports and start really reading them. Sometimes due dates can really catch up with us and I really hate turning in work that I am not completely satisfied with. And lastly, if you are really stuck on something, email the class. Somebody will help you- we're all in this together.
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