Data Project Report: Self-Witnessing of Driving

Part II

Index of Reports

Self-Witnessing

11th Observation
It is still Wednesday, April, 20, 1994 at about 1:05 p.m. I am approaching the off ramp to get off to Nimitz Highway. As I look into the rear view mirror, I spot a motorcycle with headlights on and a man with a white helmet approaching fast behind me.

Affective Response: Nervous, uncomfortable, anxious, fearful.

Cognitive Response: "Oh No!, it's a policeman on a motorcycle chasing me and I'm going to get a ticket."

Sensorimotor Response: Pressed hard on brakes to slow down my speed. Other Observations: As the motorcyclist came closer and closer, I realized it was just a regular guy riding on a motorcycle and sighed with relief.

12th Observation
It is Thursday, April 21, 1994 at about 1:45 p.m. I am driving on Vineyard street heading home to Waialae-Kahala. As I am approaching the intersection, the light turns yellow.

Affective Response: I am feeling nervous and cautious.

Cognitive Response: "I will probably get a ticket if I proceed through the yellow light, it's safer if I wait."

Sensorimotor Response: Instead of pressing the gas and accelerating to make it though intersection, I brake very hard to meet the yellow light. Other Observations: I felt better that I didn't go through the yellow light and apologized to the passenger for breaking so suddenly.

13th Observation
It is Friday, April 22, 1994 at 6:45 at night. I am driving from Koko Marina in Hawaii Kai back home to Waialae-Kahala. As I am going down Kalanianaole Highway driving in the right lane, I approach the concrete temporary walls on the right-hand side of the right lane.

Affective Response: I am feeling nervous, almost in a panicked state, uncomfortable, constricted and anxious that the lane is narrowing.

Cognitive Response: "I do not want to hit the temporary concrete wall, everything feels like it is closing in, there is not enough room on both sides."

Sensorimotor Response: Holding steering wheel very tightly, aware of car on my left and the wall on my right.

14th Observation
It is still Friday, April 22, 1994 at about 6:55 p.m. I am just passing Aina Haina Shopping Center. I am driving 40 mph in a 35 mph zone and the cars around bypass me and keep on speeding up ahead. I am falling farther behind the pack but thought they must be doing 45-50 mph. I decide to keep on going 40 mph. in the right lane. Feel happy, not worried about getting a speeding ticket because the cars in front of me will get the ticket instead of me.

15th Observation
It is Saturday, April 23 at 8:45 a.m. I am driving to Pearl City from downtown and am approaching the stadium off ramp. I am driving in the middle lane and see a white toy poodle in the passenger seat in the car ahead of us on the right lane.

Affective Response: Feeling happy, serene, contented.

Cognitive Response: "I want to get a better look at that cute dog!"

Sensorimotor Response: Accelerated and turned my head to the right as we were side by side.

16th Observation
It is Saturday, April 23 at 8:55 a.m. I have just passed Pearl City Golf Course on the freeway and am two exits away from the off-ramp that I am going to take. I am driving at 55 mph and decide to stay in the right lane and not move over since I would be getting off very soon anyway. As I look in the rear-view mirror, I see a car tailgating right behind me.

Affective Response: feeling very nervous and uncomfortable.

Cognitive Response: "Why doesn't this car just move over to the left and pass me?"

Sensorimotor Response: I accelerate to 62 mph. Other Observations: The car continues tailgating me until he finally overtakes me in the middle lane and cuts right back in front.

17th Observation
It is Sunday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m. I am stuck behind two cars trying to turn left into Holiday Mart and the car in front of me refuses to go around them.

Affective Response: feeling irritated and frustrated.

Cognitive Response: "Why doesn't this car just go around them? "There is enough space on the right."

Sensorimotor Response: Squeezing steering wheel hard. Other Observations: When the two cars turned left and we were moving again, I felt much better.

18th Observation
It is Monday, April 25 at 2:50 p.m. I am driving through Kaimuki and as I look ahead, I see a car on the opposite side of the road with his directional light on wanting to take a left across the road that I am traveling on.

Affective Response: feeling calm and lighthearted.

Cognitive Response: awareness of driving skill and others around me.

Sensorimotor Response: I take my foot off the accelerator in order to give the car enough time to turn. Other Observations: Afterwards, I felt good that I could help him out.

l9th Observation
Tuesday, April 26 at about 12:30 p.m. Driving in traffic on the freeway just passing Bishop Museum heading to town. I am driving in the left lane and the driver of the car in the middle lane sticks his hand out of the window, signaling me to let him in.

Affective Response: Feeling in a good mood, laughing and talking to passenger.

Cognitive Response: "Boy, where are all these people going?"

Sensorimotor Response: Breaking to let the car cut in front on me. Other Observations: He thanks me with a wave of his hand and I wave back at him acknowledging and saying you're welcome. It felt good that I could help out by letting him in.

20th Observation
I am driving in traffic from home in Waialae Kahala, heading to U.H. on the freeway.

Affective Response: anxious to get to class to take an exam.

Cognitive Response: "Oh Great! Now I am going to be late." Then self-regulatory statements come to mind - "Relax, the traffic will get moving shortly," No sense in getting angry."

Sensorimotor Response: Going easy on the accelerator, creating a greater distance between myself and the car in front of me.

21st Observation
I am driving in the left lane of freeway going 55 mph and notice the car behind me is approaching very fast.

Affective Response: feeling in a good mood, relaxed.

Cognitive Response: "Boy, this guy is sure in a hurry to get someplace."

Sensorimotor Response: Before he is right in back of me, I switch into the middle lane as a courtesy to the driver. Other Observations: I felt better letting the faster traffic go more smoothly in the left lane.

22nd Observation
It is Sunday, April 24, 1994 at about 12:30 p.m. I am driving in an area of downtown Honolulu that I am not familiar with. The traffic is very light and the weather nice and sunny.

Affective Response: Feeling happy and peaceful.

Cognitive Response: thinking about what a beautiful day it is.

Sensorimotor Response: Turning my head to the left and right while looking at buildings and people, scanning area. Other Observations: Afterwards, I felt that I shouldn't have taken my eyes off the road and looked around.

Results In studying this transcript is seems that external factors as well as internal feelings play major roles in my reaction toward the traffic patterns. My own behavior was modified a great deal - I was more aware of what I was doing, modified my behavior, became more conscious of my driving. When driving, I was particularly courteous. I am not sure how long this modified behavior will last, but I think that now that an awareness of my own driving has been brought to my attention, I will catch myself in the future when encountering a stressful or provoking driving incident. Discussion By intentionally placing myself in various traffic situations and examining myself closely, I was surprised at how much of an affect Dr. James' lectures and the readings had on my driving personality. While in the mist of traffic or being tailgated from behind by an insistent driver, I discovered while monitoring my thought and feeling, that I can react differently from how I've been reacting in the past and have conscience choice. Self-regulatory statements began controlling my reactions and as a result I felt more in control of myself and the situation at hand.

I also felt that my motivation was different that it would be have been in an ordinary situation. After all, I was looking for various traffic situations to get myself into. Overall, I found this project to be extremely valuable in learning how to achieve increased awareness through the breakdown of the Cognitive-Affective-Sensorimotor Responses as discussed by Dr. James in lecture.

I felt that my Affective and Cognitive responses were more difficult to measure than my Sensorimotor response, that was the easy part. The Affective and Cognitive aspects are not physically observable, much less paid any attention to, from the conscience.

Implications for Character Development Character development starts with a willingness to look at how we react to situations and what we can do about it in order to change driving perspectives and resulting behaviors. In order to change driving behavior, one must look at their "Driving Persona," which was proposed by Dr. James in lecture. The "Driving Persona" is related to the personality and consists of motives and reasoning projected through your character, in essence, the kind of person you express to yourself and others.

According to Dr. James (1994), a "Good Driving Persona" consists of the following seven components: (1) Eliminating the consequences of the evil persona through cost, health and safety (meaning the reduction of deaths and car crashes and costly accidents that run into billions in damages every year) (2) Restoration of road courtesy, being happier as a person versus being rude, (3) Bettering of U.S. national character, being more courteous, safe, responsible and a "good Samaritan," (4) Strengthening of individual consciousness and ethics of drivers, (5) Strengthening of human rights (where tailgaters acknowledge and respect that the car in front of them has a right to be

Continuation. . .