Sunday, May 15, 2016
Are you a good driver?
Ever since I started driving, I quickly started thinking that I was a pretty good driver. After learning about Self Serving Bias, I applied it to my thoughts on not only my driving, but everyone's driving. If you ask yourself, "Am I a good driver?" you would probably say yes. Nobody would want to believe they are a bad driver. However, you would blame a many other drivers as being bad drivers. So what makes you better than every other driver on the road? Is everyone equally mediocre at driving, but their self serving bias influences them believe that they are above average ? Or is the average driver good?
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I think that it has something to do with the sense of authority that you feel when you are in the driver's seat. I think that this example is like the events that happened in Abu Ghirab as described in the human behavior experiments documentary, but on a smaller scale. In that case, the power of authority caused normally kind-spirited people to torture and violate the prisoners there in hopes of getting information out of them. I think this can be applicable to this situation. The authority that is place on you by being the person in control of the car causes you to overestimate your driving skills. Being given a title, such as the driver, can be powerful in changing someone's actions. You are the sole person in charge of the reputation of the car you are driving and you want to make sure that all goes well. But my question about this is: What causes people to be so empowered by this sense of authority?
ReplyDeleteTo answer your essential question: I am a horrible driver, I will be the first one to admit that. However, I do understand your explanation behind driving. The power of authority and responsibility role that comes with it. When it comes to driving to do think that there are factors that do make others on the road equally bad as me. The control and leadership that comes with driving, like Ryan said, can change the driver's actions. For example, when someone is close to hitting my car, I do say and do certain things that I would rarely not say to someone I know. It is a complex psychological process to explain, but I do strongly believe that the feeling of total control plays a huge factor into this overall topic. That power of control trickles into other situations when behind the wheel, it is a unconscious action that is occurring within the driver. One does not simply realize or notice that that particular "driving power" is affecting you in that specific way or manner.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that people believe they are good drivers, but I believe that's why majority of accidents occur. Most accidents occur within 25 miles of home which is shocking because you would think people know the roads the best near their home. Yes they do, but they also feel they have the most power near their home, and thus the laws don't apply to them. When you have two people near their home who think they are good drivers and the laws don't apply to them, are the ones that will end up causing the accidents.
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