Transcript for Distracted Driving: One Call Can Change Everything Video
One goal of psychology is to conduct controlled experiments that let us understand the effects of something on an outcome. The research showing that distracted driving is a cognitive issue – not a motor issue – is important. If distracted driving were a matter of not being able to physically control the wheel while holding an object, then hands-free devices would solve the problem. But there is a cognitive issue involved–an important perceptual process known as “selective attention”. This is the ability to focus on some sensory inputs while tuning out others. Of course, the part we tune out while momentarily looking at our cell phone or talking on our cell phone–is our driving. This is why talking while driving is a problem, even if you’re not holding a phone. Our attention is divided. We know this because of experimental data. This is one way that psychological research helps society.
STEP 2: Review the Research Summary.
Research on Distracted Driving
In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, researchers Drews, Pasupathi, and Strayer examined the effects of talking on a cell phone while driving. Pairs of friends signed up for the experiment. Within each pair, one person was randomly assigned the role of “driver” and the other the role of “conversation partner.”
Participants assigned the role of “driver” were placed in a driving simulator. The simulator was designed to replicate the inside of an actual car. However, instead of regular windows and a windshield, high-fidelity graphics presented a simulated highway, including multiple lanes, overpasses, and on-and off-ramps. The graphics included other cars on the highway that could change speed or lanes, or try to pass other cars, thus requiring the driver to attend not only to the roadway but also the surrounding traffic. The driver’s task was to safely navigate to a rest area, where the driver should exit the highway. The rest area was located about 8 miles from the start of the drive, requiring about 10 minutes of driving time.
The driver completed the navigation task while simultaneously holding a conversation with the conversation partner. The conversation was about a close-call story that had not been previously shared. For example, a friend might share a close-call story about almost being caught cheating on an exam, or almost being hit by a car while on a bicycle. The conversation partner knew the driver also had a task of exiting the highway when arriving at a rest area.
By random assignment, half of the pairs held the conversation in-person, with the conversation partner seated as a passenger in the car (“passenger” condition). The other half of participants held the conversation via cell phone, with the conversation partner in a different location from the driver. In addition, all drivers also completed the driving task while not holding a conversation to provide a baseline measure of performance on the task. Order of the two tasks (while holding a conversation or while only driving) was counterbalanced across participants. During the driving task, a number of measures were collected to assess driving performance.
The figure below presents the main findings from the study.
figure shows that passenger conversation yield higher accuracy than cellphone conversations
Figure 1.1 Percent of participants in each group successfully completing navigation task (exiting at the correct location) while conversing.
Data adapted from: Drews, F.A., Pasupathi, M., & Strayer, D.L. (2008). Passenger and cell phone conversations in simulated driving. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 14, 392-400. doi: 10.1037/a0013119
From the research summary discussed above we can capture important details that help us understand the purpose and outcome of the study. These details include:
The research question: “What is the impact of conversations held via cellphone vs. with a passenger on driving performance
“
The hypothesis, captured directly from the article is:
We hypothesized that a passenger—provided he or she has at least minimal driving expertise—monitors the driving environment. Consequently, when a driver faces an increasing demand of the driving task, both passenger and driver may respond by reducing the cognitive demand of the conversation. These changes can manifest themselves in switching the topic of the conversation to the driving conditions and the surrounding traffic (e.g., by pointing out potential hazards) that directs the driver’s attention toward the surrounding traffic. Also, it is possible that a reduction of the production rate of speech or its complexity reflects a response to increases in the cognitive demand for the driver. (Drews et al., 2008, p. 394)
The leading independent variable (IV) was the conversations.
The dependent variable was driver performance.
How were participants assigned to the conditions
They were randomly assigned. Why
Because the researchers wanted to determine if changes in the delivery of the conversations (i.e., the IV: passenger, on the phone), created changes in driving performance (the DV). Random assignment is critical in research experiments. This is because it helps assure that the groups are similar to each other prior to the introduction of the independent variable. This elevates confidence that the results obtained are due to the experimental conditions introduced.
From the graph shown, one can deduct that drivers’ navigation accuracy increased when conversations were held with the passenger versus on a cellphone.
Use the above video and article review to reflect on how scientific methodology is employed by psychologist to bring forth new knowledge. As you do so, keep in mind 1) how the study approached a research question through the testing of a hypothesis, and 2) how clearly define variables and experimental procedures enabled the psychologists to answer their research question. This example will help you in the following activity.
STEP 3: Leverage Lessons Learned to Find New Discoveries
Discussion Main Entry: Reflecting on topics introduced in our readings, explore your curiosities just like practicing psychologists might. Contemplate, develop a research question, find a related article, then share our findings. This exploratory effort will expand understanding and perspective. To achieve this…
Start a new thread, and give your thread a unique title (e.g., Julia’s Discoveries – Main Entry). Within the body of your post, clearly identify each segment of the required response in order to facilitate discussion development.
a. School of Thought: Identify which of the schools of psychology (e.g., psychodynamic, cognitive, behaviorist, gestalt, etc.) feels like a good fit. That is, as you read about it, you identify with the logic or areas of research pursued. Share here what you find intriguing or informative about the school’s approach to psychology.
b. Pursuing interests. For this segment of the main post, explore empirical research linked to a question that came to mind while you complete the week’s reading and viewing assignments.
Create a Research Question: Compose and post a research question, inspired by this week’s lesson. Strive to construct the question in a meaningful manner that helps us understand what variables (independent and dependent) have potential value in the study of your question.
Scientific Discoveries in Print: Using our UMGC Library, select a peer-reviewed article reporting on a study related to your research question. The article does not have to “answer” your question. But it should connect with variables relevant to the question.
Read, process, report back: Read the article, identify key details that help you understand the purpose and outcome of the study, and report back here what you have learned. In your report back, answer the following:
What is your research question
Provide the APA reference and UMGC Permalink to the article from our UMGC library. [Here is a library tutorial that shows you how: https://sites.umgc.edu/library/libhow/gethelp-citing.cfm ]
In your own words, provide a 50- to 70-word summary of the article that shares with us the research question that guided the study, what the independent and dependent variables are, and the kind of research design the study used (i.e., descriptive, correlational, or experimental). Explain and support each answer.
How does the article relate to YOUR research question
In 100 words or more; discuss how the article informs on your topic; brings to light new issues, questions, or challenges you were not aware of; inspires new ideas or reinforces others already held; and have value as a steppingstone into additional readings that support an exploration of the literature related to your research question.
4. Thinking deeper and creatively. Conclude your main post with an open-ended discussion question, one that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”, about what you learned this week and solicit feedback from your classmates.
For example, “How would you conduct an experiment on…
Why do you think this may or may not work
What other issues should be taken into account