Essay on "Passenger and Cell Phone Conversations in Simulated Driving"

Essay 5 pages (1396 words) Sources: 1 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Drews, F.A., Pasupathi, M., and Strayer, D.L. (2008). Passenger and cell phone conversations in simulated driving. Journal of Experimental Psychology 14(4).

Write about what theory is being investigated

First, the research focuses on the three levels of performance theory, as it pertains to the driving task. The first level of performance is operational or control level performance. This first level involves the task of keeping the car on a chartered course, and when compromised the car will veer or drift. Past studies have shown that talking on the cellular phone while driving impairs operational performance.

The second level of performance is tactical behavior, which "involves skills needed for maneuvering the vehicle in traffic," (Drews, Pasupathi & Strayer 2008, p. 392). Impairment in tactical behavior would mean not paying attention to other drivers, especially when at intersections. Irregular acceleration and slow reaction times are also signs of diminished tactical behavior. Talking on cellular phones while driving has been shown to impair tactical performance.

Strategic performance is the third level, and refers to goals such as navigation. Situational awareness is also part of strategic performance. Research suggests that talking on the cellular phone while driving impairs situational awareness. However, the current research investigates the affect of cellular phone conversations on strategic performance in greater depth.

The current research also investigates the root cognitive causes for attention deficits. The researchers do not seek to show whether cellular phone conversations affect driving performance but why cellular conversations affect driving performance. Attention allocation is the primary theoretical underpinning of the research. Moreover, research has revealed a difference in performance when the driver speaks only with a passenger in the car vs. when the driver is speaking on the phone. Drivers speaking with passengers often perform better, and pay more attention to their surroundings, than drivers who are alone. Drivers who are alone and speak on the phone while driving tend to be the most impaired because their attention resources are misallocated.

Finally, the researchers examine theories of conversation. Conversation demands attention resources, but may in some cases enhance situational awareness. The authors refer to the phenomenon of grounding, in which "all parties in a conversation share relevant knowledge, beliefs, and assumptions," as well as "shared visual attention" cues (Drews, Pasupathi & Strayer 2008, p. 393). Shared awareness theory therefore suggests that drivers with passengers in the car are more likely to be aware of their surroundings then even if they are alone. Driver and passenger become "mutually engaged" the act and experience of driving (Drews, Pasupathi & Strayer 2008, p. 394). Both are paying attention to traffic variables, for example. The content of conversations may also impact the driver's attention, especially when the conversation is held over the phone. In particular, close-call stories are highly likely to impact driving performance. The current research examines whether and why there is a difference between the impact of cellular phone vs. passenger conversations on driver performance.

What is the method? ( include dependent and independent variable, control group, experimental group, description of sample, process, etc.)

Unlike prior research, the current study uses naturalistic conversations. Prior research has relied on simulated conversations, which are usually too artificial to be externally valid. In the current study, 96 participants (48 friend dyads) with valid Utah driver's licenses were tested for vision. Forty-seven participants were female and 49 were male, and although ages ranged from 18 to 49, the average age was 20. Informed consent was provided.

The authors relied on the PatrolSim driving simulator, which loaded a 24-mile multilane beltway "with on and off ramps, overpasses, and two-lane traffic in each direction," (Drews, Pasupathi & Strayer 2008, p. 395). An "irregular flow" setting was used, in which other vehicles changed lanes and speeds. Speed limit in the simulation was 65 mph. The simulation was described as cognitively demanding, requiring the driver to "pay attention to the surrounding traffic," (Drews, Pasupathi & Strayer 2008, p. 395). A familiarization sequence lasted 15 minutes, divided into 3 parts. The three parts included rural night driving, downtown driving, and highway daytime driving. During the familiarization session, one member of each dyad was randomly selected (Drews, Pasupathi & Strayer 2008, p. 395). The participant… READ MORE

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