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September 17th, 2009
Here’s a very nice online version of the Stroop Experiment. Try it for yourself and bring your data to class:
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September 8th, 2009
Issue: Use of cell phones and other mobile devices while driving. Should we allow or not? Based on cognitive research.
Most of us are fairly skilled at driving an automobile. We’ve probably engaged in various activities while driving (e.g. listening to the radio, talking with a friend sitting next to us in the car, or drinking a cup of coffee). But what about talking on a cell phone or texting while driving? Is it safe? How does the research on divided attention inform this issue? A few states have passed laws outlawing handheld cell phones but allowing hands free phones (e.g. California). Is this a good idea or not--based on the research? Based on the research you read here, what kind of public policy should be put in place? If you were a legislator, what legislation would you push for? Why? There are currently 3 bills in the Ohio legislature designed to control the use of mobile devices in the State of Ohio while driving. See if you can find out what these bills are and which do you support--based on the research? You’re welcome to find your own research on this issue. I’ve just put these resources here to get you started. You don’t have to read everything but do read at least one of the research articles and read enough to answer my questions.
Websites addressing Cell Phone Legislation (contributed by Julie Andel)
This 1st one is from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and it details a table showing the states that have cell phone laws, the bans on text messaging and what type of enforcement (primary or secondary).
The second link is from the National Conference of State Legislatures and provides a database on safety legislation by state and by topic. (Distracted Driving is one of the topics)
Research Articles (all by David Strayer who studies attention and multitasking)
Effects of Simulator Practice and Real-World Experience on Cell-Phone–Related Driver Distraction by Cooper & Strayer, published in the journal Human Factors (2008)
Cell-Phone–Induced Driver Distraction by Stayer & Drews published in Current Directions in Psychological Science (2007)
A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver - in the journal Human Factors, 2006
Driven to Distraction: Dual-Task Studies of Simulated Driving and Conversing on a Cellular Telephone by Strayer & Johnston, published in the journal Psychological Science (2001).
Here’s a link to Dr. Strayer’s Applied Cognition Laboratory page that lists all of the above research articles and more.
Video and Other Media:
A video Interview with Dr. David Strayer, from the University of Utah, who studies cell phone use while driving.
Newspapers and Popular Science Publications: Obviously, the media sometimes do not get the research right or even when they do, they tend to not report enough detail to know how to evaluate its value. You may want to look up the studies to which the newspaper or general science articles refer. Note: many of these are from the New York Times, which based on my experience does a fairly good job on science reporting.
What Clown on a Unicycle? Studying Cellphone Distraction - How much do you miss while walking and talking on a cell phone. An article from the New York Times describing research from Washington University in Bellingham, Washington that shows people can miss quite a bit while talking on a cell phone. Note at the end of the article the citing of research that suggests talking on a cell phone while driving is akin to driving drunk.
Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks - An excellent article from the New York Times, July 18th, 2009. Partly a story about the personal tragedy of an individual who killed someone while driving and talking on his cell phone, but also about the research on this issue and what’s being done about it.
Driver Distractions Catching On - an article from the Dayton Daily News (Aug, 10th, 2009) on various legislative bills in Ohio legislature under consideration - which should they pass?
Doubts About Scare Tactics on Drivers Who Text - from the New York Times (about videos designed to scare people away from texting while driving)
Multitasking In The Car: Just Like Drunken Driving - Transcription of an audio show broadcast on NPR last October (2008). Some of the evidence is brain-based and the researchers mentioned (e.g. Marcel Just) are top notch cognitive researchers in the field. You can read the transcript or listen to the original broadcast.
Talking Distractions: Why Cell Phones And Driving Don't Mix -- from the Science Daily (June, 2008). The Science Daily does a good job in my experience reporting scientific research and always has links to the source of the research so you can look up more information for yourself.
In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin - An article from the New York Times about texting, which many studies have found raises the risk of a collision 23 times. Research was done by the Virginia Techn Transportation Institute. I believe this research or some other research done by this institute has tried to argue that the risks of cell phone use while driving are not as large as claimed by other studies--their argument is that real-world studies and simulators produce different pictures of what’s going on. To the best of my knowledge, this would be the ONLY claim my any research done to date that cell phones do not significantly increase the risk of accidents. Your own investigation of the research may help decide.
The Truth About Cars and Cellphones - brief editorial from the New York Times (July, 2009) about the risks of cell phone use while driving
Utah Gets Tough With Texting Drivers - from NYT (Aug 28, 2009)