1.Email Postings by G7/459 students

All of the email postings are written by generation seven students in Dr. James Psychology 459. The first email was written by Mr. Sasabe. He writes that he has been caught speeding twice in his life and he attributes both of them to the music he was listening to in the vehicle at the time. He also refers to training that Dr. James discusses. When he realized one day the music was off he realized a peace he usually didn?t have.

The next posting was written by Mr. Miyoshi. He asks the question. "Does rock music make us more aggressive and slow methodical music make us a better driver?" He feels rock music gets our hearts beating and maybe our adrenaline too. He also commented on the previous message by Sasabe concerning the absence of music and how when there is no music he finds himself in almost a meditative state.

Mr. Shintani is the next one to participate in the discussion. He states that music does have an effect on persons' driving. He says "when I want to drive fast I play a CD that has a powerful or fast beat." He also states that if he wants to drive slowly he puts on a mellow CD. He thinks some music has more negative effects on driving than other music. He also states that it has been proven in malls that slower music reduces the amount of violence.

A visitor Brian Haimerman entered the discussion. He states that he is taking a history of Rock and Roll class in which he is learning what effect this music has on our Psyche. The Affective, Cognitive, Psychomotor, and transpersonal aspects of psychology. He states that music does have an effect. Loud music with a strong beat will have an effect on our hearts.

Kristin Evert talks about how she has started to think about her own driving after reading about this subject. She states that if there is a correlation between fast driving and loud fast music, then she should be a reckless driver, because she likes, loud beating music that she can sing to. She also states that she is not a fast driver and that she is always being passed.

Another web visitor Mary Ford commented on the subject also. This person admits that as she is growing older she has found that in the car she has become a lot more aggressive in her personality, with swearing and using the horn. She states that she has started using calming music in the car and it has helped her to take away her tension and aggressiveness.

Tami Hashimoto testifies that music is what keeps her calm when she is driving. It allows her to enjoy herself in traffic.

Chris Burlem is the opposite of Tami Hashimoto. He states that he is often a frustrated driver. He feels that the radio needs to be turned off when he is already in a frustrated mood. He can concentrate on the road a lot more with the radio off.

Wilfred Lee feels that music does have a role in how one drives. He states "fast music and loud music makes you more excited and makes your heart beat faster. Slow music relaxes you and you get more mellow." He says that for an example it is really hard for him to drive fast with classical music on. He feels that maybe classical music is a solution to reckless driving.

2.Summary of email exchange

All of these email exchanges talk about issues concerning driving and music. Subjects include how music effects us physically. It can alter our heart rates by altering our emotional states. This aspect also deals with emotion. One writer Mr. Burlem talks about how music puts him in a bad mood, or increases it. Another Miss Hashimoto states that music relaxes her. Miss Evert also states that music tends not to make her reckless, but rather allows her to relax and enjoy herself. Discussion also asks questions about possible correlations between fast music and reckless driving and slow music and slower more careful driving. Mr. Burlem talks about another issue, music being a distraction which in itself could lead to careless driving which is also reckless. Another subject is the absence of music. In the absence of music some felt a calming almost meditative feeling. One student Mr. Miyoshi talks about talk radio and the emotions it can bring up when discussions are intense subjects for a person.

B. My history with music

I feel that music can have a large and diverse effect on my emotions, attitudes, and physical states. Yet my emotions, attitudes, and physical states can also have a large and diverse effect on the music I listen to if I choose to listen to music. When I am excited or angry I will tend to put on faster music that fits the physical state of arousal I am in. When I am calm I will tend to change the station from a song like one of Metalica?s to something more singable and rosy like easy listening. Rap is to be listened to when I feel invincible like a gangster. Other times I may be in a care free mood. A mood where any one thing or any one experience could change it from either positive or negative or vice versa. A song might come on which evokes feelings of hate, or anger in me. This will in turn speed up my heart rate and other parts of my sympathetic nervous system that is active when I am excited or scared. I thus feel that our emotion has an influence on our driving and music might be a partial factor in controlling emotion. We cannot pigeonhole one type of music as being the culprit since many people react differently to different stimulus.

 3.Usenet and Web search

1.The two sites below are ones that I found were directly by typing in the subject of music and driving. This site talks about how music especially certain types of music can be relaxing.

2.The sites below are good examples of how as humans we use and react to music in our lives.

4.Css and Site index search

5.Roth textbook summary

Upon examining the Roth textbook you will not find any one section that touches upon the subject of Music and Driving. Instead I feel that you will agree with me that all subjects in the book can be related back toward the issue of how does Music affect the driver and the acts of the driver in the car. For one example on page 31 of the Roth textbook I found the subject of the law and whether instances of passion make you exempt from the law. A quote goes as follows. "Passion that arises spontaneously during driving may only lessen but not negate legal responsibility". I feel that all arguments presented so far to myself prove that music can and do evoke instances of physical, emotional and cognitive change that can be equated in some instances to moments of passion. I feel that if this is true music can in effect be a cause of negligent and emotional driving that could cause drivers to not be held 100% responsible. This may not be true. I do also feel that other subjects talked about in Roth?s book are related to Music. Speed, carelessness, taking risks. These can all be influenced by music.

6.Journal database search

Fromm, Harold. Ecology and ecstasy on Interstate 80. The Hudson Review. 1998. V51n1 p.64.

So far as to date I haven?t found anyone in my generation that has completed and uploaded his or her report on Music and Driving. Looking from other generations in the Css index there have been a few great reports from other generations. Two I found earlier in my report were written by Cynthia J?Anthony

Both of these reports were done very well and I hope I did justice to their reports by linking mine to theirs.

8.Conclusion