Overview
Traffic psychology originated in 1980 when Dr. James
asked his students to use behavioral principles to modify their styles of
conduct in traffic situations. We
are all aware of the danger drivers pose when they are stressed, violent,
reckless, immature, or in a bad
mood. To minimize the chances of causing accidents, we can change our
bad habits by attempting a
driving personality makeover.
Driving Personality Makeovers...? Huh?
Don't feel embarrassed if you've never heard of a driving personality
makeover. Not many
people care to notice that within each of us, a driving personality
exists the minute we get behind
the wheel. These personalities come in all types. The immature drivers
are those who are rude,
inconsiderate and seem to think it hilarious when they cut in front of
other drivers. Then there are the neurotic drivers (like me) who never
stop worrying about
getting into accidents or driving right off the Pali and thus, do not
concentrate (or concentrate too
hard) on the road (Christine Huisman (G3)
says we
are the worst!). Still, there are those who could be perfect drivers,
but whose minds become consumed
with harsh, irritable, violent, and nasty thoughts about other drivers.
The list goes on and on, and
although these types of behaviors are not very pretty ones, we perform
them day after day without really
thinking about the impending consequences.
This is where makeovers come in. Traffic psychologist Dr.
James describes the concept as an
attempt to replace the negative driving persona with a new and positive
driving persona.
However, unlike the makeovers people use to change their appearances such
as the ones we see on silly
talk shows, driving personality makeovers do not take place within a
matter of minutes. Instead,
driving personality makeovers, like Nancee Aki (G2) says,
are a lengthy process and one must be willing and committed to
modifying their behaviors.
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Why do we need driving personality makeovers?
Well, if you think about the fifty-thousand deaths and the three million
injuries every year on the
roads, the answer is pretty obvious. Dr. James
suggests that in addition to decreasing the
amount of carnage and inhumane indifference to it, driving personality
makeovers also enable
us to learn interpersonal skills such as chivalry, responsibility,
citizenship and respect for law and
order, and a wide range of other positive characteristics.
I agree that driving personality makeovers should be done. Not only does it allow you to be aware of your negative characteristics while behind the wheel, but it also allows you to recognize these negative traits that pop up in everyday situations. Michelle Alonzo (G3) , who couldn't stop criticizing people and the way they drive, declares that she practices her new modified persona in other situations as well.
Who can use a makeover?
Speeders like Tina Suehisa
(G3) , and Audy Viloria (G3),
tailgaters like Denise
Tanaka (G2), whom, according to Braden Kato (G2), invade the
two second barrier between cars, rubberneckers such as those Berna Collado (G2),
reported on, smokers (or eaters, drinkers, and anyone, for
that matter, who does anything distracting while driving) like
Angie Inouye (G3), middle finger
erectors and people who
swear, criticize, and seek revenge like
Abe Cabuag (G3), Conrad Moreno (G3), and Donna Handoe (G3) have all
successfully carried out
makeovers. You, too, could pull one off if you wanted to. Anyone and
everyone can use a
makeover whether they drive or not. Walking, bicycling, and even
wheelchair riding are all forms of locomotion in shared spaces.
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Uh,.... I could use a makeover.
My driving persona isn't exactly very careful. It's not that I'm an
incompetent driver...well, okay,
sometimes the rear end of the car is parallel to the sidewalk, instead of
the side of the car, but
that's beside the point. Like I mentioned earlier, I tend to be tense
and nervous when driving,
always afraid I'll kill somebody. This fear stems from an even bigger
problem: I don't pay
attention to what I'm doing and I know it. Though I may not black out
like Jeana Chen (G3), my
mind is always somewhere in la-la land. I am constantly
daydreaming, and no matter
how hard I try to keep my attention focused, my mind always wanders
aimlessly.
A Couple of Incidents
I remember once when I was driving in traffic. I was alone and trying to
remember how to play
that Japanese card game, Hanafuda, while the song in the rice-a-roni
commercial kept blasting
itself in my mind, when suddenly I caught a glimpse of ambulance lights
flashing in my rear view
mirror. The cars on both sides of me were waiting for me to pull over,
and then, I heard the
sirens. Why I didn't hear the sirens earlier, or how long the ambulance
was waiting behind me,
was well beyond me. All I could think about was the dying person waiting
for the ambulance to
come and how it was all my fault if he died.
I'll never forget another time when I was making a left turn at an intersection and I noticed a mynah bird running across my path trying to get out of my way. I was wondering why the heck doesn't it just fly since it couldn't run very fast when I suddenly had to screech to a halt as a cute, little old man hobbled across the street. He froze in terror. His mouth dropped so far down that I could see he wasn't wearing dentures. But I had no time to look at his gums. I was scared as hell. I had almost hit an old man. Thank goodness for automatization, which Dr. James talked about in great detail.
Daydreaming while driving is a habit I definitely need to modify. I almost killed a poor old man (and possibly someone else) and if I don't attempt to change that habit, I could do great harm. Curtis Nakao (G2) says whether a situation is potentially harmful or not, we must always remain focused. And when I am focused, and concentrating, I need to stop worrying about killing people. I need to trust myself and my driving capabilities. Also, I could apply this to other situations as well, such as taking notes in class or typing on the computer at work. If I don't fall into a daze, I could get a lot more done.
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Procedures in Carrying Out a Makeover Plan
Step 1: Knowing that you are not alone.
First and foremost, Dr. James suggests that you should read other stories
in the generational
curriculums. By reading other students' stories, you can see which
approaches worked for them
and which approaches failed. You may also realize that you have similar
habits you never really
noticed before and you may not feel as if you're the only one with your
problem.
Step 2: Observing Yourself.
There are many different ways one can observe himself or herself. Dr.
James used to have his
students talk in tape recorders as they were driving. The advantage of
this is that you are
recording data at the moment it is happening. You won't have to go home
and try to remember
everything you've experienced. The disadvantage with talking in
recorders is that you tend to be
subjective and you may not notice a behavior that may bother someone
else. This is why some
people choose to have someone else in the car with them. If it weren't
for his girlfriend, Bruce
Nakada (G3) would not have noticed that he was going well over the
speed limit. Carol Ohta (G3)
felt much more comfortable when her mother was in the car with her
so that her mother
could inform her of certain habits she was not aware of.
Step 3: Carrying out and Maintaining
self-modification attempts.
This step can be broken down into two stages:
Stage 1: Becoming a Reformed
Driver.
1)Overcoming Resistance to
Change.
This part seems to be
the most difficult. For Michelle
Alonzo
2)Rational Analysis of Traffic
Incidents.
You have to allow other
drivers and passengers to
complain. Never mind trying to defend yourself. Look at situations from
other people's point of
views. Tina Suehisa
(G3) realized the danger she was
threatening to her passengers, other
drivers, and pedestrians when she tried to put herself into their shoes.
3)Giving the Appearance of Being a Reformed
Driver.
This
includes waving, smiling, signaling,
acting and being in a good mood. Diane
Beauchemin (G1) waved even when the other driver was the one
who cut in front of her! Todd Takitani
(G1) used blinkers, headlights, and other signals so that drivers
were aware of him. Sometimes your moods can influence
your behavior. So if you're in a bad mood, you may act violent or
aggressive. However, the reverse is also true. Sometimes behaviors can
influence your mood. If you are waving, smiling, and signaling despite
the big D you got on your test, you can eventually forget about your
rotten mood and drive with maturity.
Stage 2: Becoming a Facilitative Driver
1)Maintaining Loyalty to One's Driving
Image and
Reputation.
You have to feel responsible and regret,
and you should feel good about behaving nobly. Just keep reminding
yourself how wonderful it feels to drive and remain loyal to your new
persona. Though it may be hard, don't give into temptations.
2)Reasoning
Like a Traffic Psychologist.
You must feel
appreciation when being given advice by
passengers, and be forgiving of others' mistakes and weaknesses.
Acknowledge your
driving errors and develop new solutions, as Aaron
Reisner (G1) did. Terri Slaughter
(G1) solved her problem of impatience and speeding by allowing
herself at least 15-20 minutes more of travel time.
3)Behaving like a Happy Reformed Driver.
Notice and be
helpful and understanding to other drivers. Verbalize
nice sentiments, enjoy the ride and relax. Remember, everyone's
actions affects those of others, according to Shane Akagi
(G1).
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Bottom?
Psychologically speaking...
Behavioral theorists suggest that behaviors essentially are responses to
stimuli. In Traffic
psychology, the stimuli would include other drivers on the road,
pedestrians, passengers, and
anything else in the environment. The stimuli produce responses that
would include your anger,
or, in my case, fear, and your actions (swearing, sticking middle finger,
or insulting others).
Because behavior is learned, or conditioned, we can extinguish unpleasant
behaviors through
counter conditioning.
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Information from the Generational Student
Reports
I felt that I received enough information from other students to feel
confident that I can start my
own driving personality makeover plan and succeed. I don't get very mad
when I drive and even
though most of the reports dealt with anger and aggression, I felt I
could relate to the authors when
going through the motions of a makeover. Michelle Alonzo (G3)
writes an
excellent story of how she modified her behavior. The students' success
gave me hope that I, too, could succeed.
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bottom?
Part 2. Evaluation.
My Reactions to the Online Generational
Curriculum in Traffic
Psychology.
When I first heard that we were going to have to go online, I thought to
myself, "Oh, dear...!"
I thought the internet was the most confusing place to be and thought
that people only went
online to chat with other people who had nothing better to do. When we
were forced to browse
the web, I realized that it wasn't as confusing as I expected it to be,
and in fact was quite
fascinated by it.. The worldwide web never ceases to amaze me. How can
so many different
countries be hooked up with one another through computers? I was very
excited to browse some
of the international webs because I got to see how other people conversed
in their own native
languages.
I also thought it was interesting to learn about traffic psychology from other students. I could relate to the students more than I would be able to relate to a professor. I agree with Cherish Higashi (G3a) that learning on the internet is much more exciting than attending lectures or reading textbooks. We can read things at our own pace, browse back and forth at pages, and because students are writing the information in their own lingo, reading the information from them is more entertaining and just as informative, if not more, as if reading from a textbook. Also, the information is free. As long as we're student's, we're going online and getting information for free instead of paying sixty somewhat dollars on a textbook.
Disadvantages
One of the disadvantages is that it is always not accessible. I've been
waiting weeks to
get my password so that I can go into my own directory, and because the
UH system is taking
forever and a day to give me my password, I feel as though I am behind my
classmates. Also,
the system could be down when we need it the most. If calling through a
modem at home, it
sometimes can be a pain waiting for your call to get connected, or
getting interrupted by another phone
call. Back to the top?Are there ways to make it easier to use for future
generations?
I think at this point it's as easy as it can get. I don't really know
anything about computers and
I'm still learning about the internet, so it's hard for me to make
suggestions. Maybe the only
suggestion I have is that when creating the directory, instead of using
report1, report2, report3,
etc. they can give a hint as to what the report is about, so that we
don't have to search every
single report before finding the right one.
The Generational Curriculum
I thought that the generational curriculum was interesting. Even though
I knew some of the
students from previous generations, like Ross Takara (G3a), I
was surprised that the curriculum even existed. I was not aware
that the University of Hawaii even offered courses like Psy 409 that
allow us to go onto the
internet. Courses like these allow us to save money on textbooks, and I
thought all the
University cared about was getting more money and spending it on sports.
I'm glad that there
are professors like Dr. James who care to teach the students how to use
the internet.
Pretty soon everyone will be communicating on the internet and using it
in his or her daily routine, and
we'll be grateful for what we learned from Dr. James and Psy 409.
I think this is an excellent approach in teaching. Reading other student's essays on the computers are helpful and insightful. Browsing on the computer is much easier than flipping through dozens of pages of reports. We also save paper this way.
I am utterly flattered that I could be a part of the generational curriculum. Although it started several years ago, this is only the beginning, and I can tell it will expand in the future and more people will become aware of it. Students will be making their own directories outside of class as well. I think using the internet is easy enough for high school student's to use. Since the tuition hikes are preventing many high school students from going to college, at least they will be getting their experience on the internet and will be prepared to seek a good job. I also think that high school students would be more interested in learning if they were learning from other students, whom they feel they can relate to, instead of teachers. It's too bad funds are often limited, as Lori Kim (G3a) pointed out. Maybe high school students will one day have their own generational curriculum on traffic psychology. Some high school students could definitely use traffic psychology, so that they can witness their own driving behaviors which can be both dangerous and stupid.
Advice to
Dr. James?
None. Everything is fine just the way it is.
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