PSYCH
250 Social Psychology Dr.Leon James Spring 1985 Paper due:
5-9-85
LENGTH: 5 to 10 pages, typed, double spaced. Choose one of the topics
given below.
TOPIC 1: DRIVING AND SPEED LIMITS (What are arguments for keeping the
speed limit from the perspective of HIGHWAY ENGINEERING? How are speed limits
decided upon? Is it safe to choose your own speed limit? What are the factors
you may not be thinking of? Do a lot of people break the speed limit? Are
people for greater enforcement? How do people react to driving at 55 max? Why
are cars built so that they can go so fast? Do higher speed limits increase
pollution? What is the difference between the two lanes in a two-lane highway?
Are highway safety groups for lowering the speed limits? Is speed a significant
factor in both highway and city driving? Why do people break speed
limits?)
TOPIC 2: DRUNK DRIVING (Should drinking age be raised for less accidents?
What are the arguments for and against? What errors are committed by drivers,
both regular and drunk? Who are the people who commit the worst errors and why?
Are there good and bad drivers? What programs and campaigns have been tried to
reduce accidents, both drunk driving and other? Is the situation also bad in
other countries? How do judges deal with convicted drunk drivers? Who is a
drunk driver? Why are people opposed to safety measures and. devices such as
seat belts, air bags? What grass roots push is there for greater auto safety?
How do accidents affect people’s lives and careers?)
TOPIC 3: AUTOMOBILE & DRIVING SYMBOLISM (What is the image
Americans have of the automobile? What do car sales depend on? What is
considered "riding in style"? What is the role played by auto clubs?
What do people use cars for? What is the image of the Service station and has
it changed? Why do people buy imported cars? How do advertisers build an image
for a new car? Do people keep their car clean? How much do people spend on cars
relative to other things? Why do people get so upset on the road and what
upsets them? How do people feel when they drive a car? What’s the relation
between cars and personality? How are people’s lives affected by automobiles
and accidents? What are car rental commercials like? What about cars and
artistic imagery, cars and motion pictures, cars and culture?)
You must have 9 references in all, 3 references for 3
of the following types of sources:
(1) a JOURNAL (2) a BOOK (3) a NEWSPAPER (4) a MAGAZINE (5) a
STATISTICAL PERIODICAL
(6) a GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT (7) an AUDIOVISUAL SOURCE (Sinclair
video, cassette, film, etc.)
APPENDIX: This is required: (1) a Table showing your LOG-IN and LOG OUT
record (date, starting time, ending time). (2) a Table showing in two columns
"OBSTACLES" you’ve encountered in your searches and
"SOLUTIONS" you’ve found. For example: "book wasn’t on the
self" --- "chose another book"; or: "couldn’t
figure out how to read PSYCHOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS" --- "looked
in front for explanations or instructions or: didn’t find a book in the ComCat
on highway engineering" --- "tried instead under highway
safety speed (It’s better to explain in detail than to be too general in
this.)