Theories Help Explain Drunk Driving
Taylor Forté
February 5, 2014
HDFS 2400
University of Missouri
Fall 2013
ID: 333795 and Keycode: 2476
Theories Help Explain Drunk Driving Driving while intoxicated persists to be a major problem amongst teenage drivers. Although there are many precautions taken in order to prevent this type of activity, whether by the school, media or parents’, teens proceed to place themselves into these very high risk situations. These persistent behaviors drive us to look further into why teens partake in this type of activity or better yet what and who is influencing this age group. As asked by the principal I will attempt to explain this behavior using several theories
…show more content…
And the idea of self-efficacy through experience is a factor of the social cognitive learning theory that contributes to ideas as to explain this behavior. Self-efficacy is defined as “people’s beliefs about their own abilities and talents,” according to Kail and Cavanaugh (p. 14). The bottom line is that many of the activities people around you are taking part in you are just as likely to take part in as well. if the behavior of those who stand out in the population is the most observed then what can we do to sort of mediate certain behavior? Well, it’s hard to say because once behaviors have become habitual they are hard to let go of.
Operant Conditioning According to Kail and Cavanaugh the theory established by Skinner known as operant conditioning is a “learning paradigm in which the consequences of a behavior determine whether a behavior is repeated in the future” (p. 13). This theory to an extent, parallels the previous theory of operant conditioning but is also important in trying to understand why one makes the decisions they do as well as how often they partake in certain behaviors. Through his theory Skinner displayed that there are two types of consequences, reinforcement and punishment, in which one increases the chances of repeated behavior and the other vice versa. Reinforcement is the component that increases the likeliness of repeated behavior and includes two divisions, negative and positive. Negative reinforcement is that in which a person’s
Skinner 's theory of operant conditioning was based on the work of Thorndike that he reviewed (1948). Edward Thorndike studied learning in animals using a puzzle box to propose the theory known as the 'Law of Effect ', responses that produce a satisfying effect in a situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation. Skinner introduced a new term to Thorndike’s theory known as reinforcement (Skinner, 1948). Reinforcement is a stimulus (as a reward or the removal of an electric shock) that increases the probability of a desired response in operant conditioning by being applied or affected following the desired response. Skinner branched off Thorndike’s approach studied operant conditioning by experimenting on animals using conditioning chambers also known as a Skinner box and in 1948
In the instance of drunk driving, the actions of the drunk driver are related to the safety of the drivers within their proximity and therefore affects not only the driver but others as well. Our previous moral experiences allow us to determine what the intentions of the drunk driver might be. Some drivers may choose to drive under the influence of alcohol because they have had an emergency that requires them to be at a certain place and they do not have the means to reach to their destination except for driving themselves. In this case, the context becomes complicated and intricate. However, if the driver is risking his own and other drivers’ safety, it becomes clear that their intentions are based on nonchalance and disregard for others.
Drinking and driving is one of the biggest social issues for teens across the United States. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcohol is a very dangerous thing no matter what age you are. However, teens do not think about the consequences of drinking and driving until it is already too late. Many things contribute to this growing problem of teen drinking and driving. First, there is a lack of education about drinking and driving in schools today. Next, peer pressure is difficult for many teens to resist. Finally, the access that teens have to alcohol and to vehicles is not monitored. According to blah blah study, 000% of high school students admit
Operant Conditioning Theory by B.F. Skinner is a psychological manipulation using rewards and punishments to enforce positive behavior. It uses an individual person’s response to events or stimulus. When a particular Stimulus-Response pattern is rewarded, the individual is conditioned to respond. The distinctive characteristic of operant conditioning is related to previous forms of behaviorism. The Operant Conditioning theory comprises of neutral operants, positive/negative reinforcers, and positive/negative punishers. Through these factors, we get the desired behavior of our subject because they do not want to be punished for under performing so they do what they’re told to or do more of what they were assigned to to receive positive stimulus
The facts are plain and simple, that alcohol and driving do not mix. About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some time in their lives. Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. To curb this national travesty, concerned Americans need to examine the problems, the effects, and the solutions to drunk driving. First of all, America has had a problem with drunk driving since Ford perfected the assembly line. Alcoholism is a problem in and of itself, but combined with driving can have a wide range of effects. The consequences of this reckless behavior can include a first time DUI or licenses suspension; a small fender bender, or worst of all a deadly crash. Most
Teens who take on the responsibility of being a designated driver are sometimes still pressured into drinking. Teens who get peer pressured into drinking when they know they had a responsibility to drive later often still do. Some teens decide to drink a little bit at parties so it looks like they are trying to get drunk to other teens around them in order to look or feel cool. “While 71% of teens have tried alcohol by the end of high school, far fewer drink to get drunk” (Barker, 2013, p. 6). When a teen gives into peer pressure or takes “just one sip,” they do not always know what they are getting themselves into. "Most kids wildly overestimate the prevalence of
Skinner created the theory of Operant Conditioning as he believed that all behaviour can be controlled by rewards or reinforcement. This is very different from Pavlovs theory of Classical Conditioning as Skinner is trying to control voluntary behaviour. This is done by giving the subject a positive or negative reaction to an action with the theory that a negative response will discourage the subject to repeat the action. A good example of this is house training a dog, as the dogs natural reaction is to relieve itself, however it must be taught to wait until it is outside. The more the dog waits until he is outside, the more praise he receives therefore it is less likely to wish to instigate a negative reaction by relieving himself inside the house.
Each year numerous lives are lost due to careless and irrational driving. The disregard for safe driving has been a predicament to the United States of America for years. Many years Police have relied heavily on speed cameras, breathalyzer tests and heavy fines as a deterrent against unlawful drivers. Over the years fatality rates have increased, so the Department of Transportation and Highway Safety has composed a series of safe driving campaigns. On many occasions the Transportation Department informs and advises the public about the importance of responsible driving. They propagate safe driving through the various channels of the media and
Operant conditioning is a theory that was pioneered by Skinner, and it is a theory that is based on the type of consequence that is given following a particular behaviour. Skinner divided the consequences of actions into three groups, positive rein forcers, negative reinforcers and punishers. Skinner looked at what would happen to behaviour if giving positive reinforcers at different intervals. Most professionals and practitioners will use this theory in one way or another such as giving rewards for good behaviour or sanctions for bad behaviour so the theory is well used in today’s frameworks and practices.
Feldman, R (2011). Development Across the Life Span (6th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Alcohol is the most widely used drug among youth. It causes serious and potentially life-threatening problems for this population. Research indicates that drinking is associated with risk-taking and sensation-seeking behavior among adolescents. Alcohol has disinhibiting effects that may increase the likelihood of unsafe activities.In 1997, 21 percent of the young drivers 15 to 20 years old who were killed in crashes were intoxicated. For young drivers, alcohol involvement is higher among males than among females. In 1997, 25 percent of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared with 12 percent of the young female drivers
In conclusion, the findings corroborate that the commonness of adolescent drinking while under the influence and riding while under the influence differ by sex, ethnicity, and strongly related with drug use. It was found that strong related dangerous driving, drugs, DWI, and RWI proposing a sequence of adventurousness behaviors. The possible serviceableness of including the topic of dangerous driving and driving while under the influence prevention programs.
Alcohol can also cause teens to drive drunk. In the year 2000 sixty-nine percent of alcohol related traffic crashes involved teens of all ages. Young drivers make up seven percent of the driving population they constitute thirteen percent of the alcohol involved drivers in fatal crashes. In 2002 nearly half of all high school seniors reported drinking in the last thirty days a quarter of them were driving drunk. (Hamilton, Wendy
Within the U.S and around the world, drunk driving is a major problem that is slowly destroying the world around us by making it unstable to the rest of people who do partake in this action by choice or at all. Drunk driving has done a large amount of damage to almost everything we know from destroying whole families to making it unsafe for almost anyone to be on the road or close to it because of these reckless drivers that in some way got behind the wheel of a motor vehicle while in a drunken state making them a force that is a real danger to anyone. Drunk driving is a serious crime nowadays and has a hefty punishment to go with it depending on the amount of damage done while behind the wheel. Taking the action of being behind the wheel while intoxicated is a problem that not only endangers the driver but everyone around them causing problems for everyone and everything. There are different types of drunk driving but most have the same outcome in the end being that something bad ends up happening in the end. In the world today drunk driving is a true problem all over, this issue is spread across the world causing it to be a major danger to anybody that is in the pathway of the driver or behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. With drunk driving being such a major problem all over the world, stats show what places in the world will most likely have drunk drivers on the road. Currently the country that has the most common occurrence with drunk driving is south africa. Other countries that are listed after south africa for most common drunk drivers to occur is canada in second, the U.S in 3rd, australia in 4th, and Italy in 5th, the list goes on. Being the 3rd country in the world to have the most common drunk driver problems gives the U.S a bad reputation. Having this be fact shows how bad of a problem that drunk driving really is for not only the U.S but all over the world, which all cause major problems in some way to the people or the rest of the U.S. The problem with drunk driving seems to be that people don't think that there is little punishment to doing it and being caught in the act.
For the first time I was given permission to drive the car on my own. Mom and dad said that if I drove well that they might get me my own car one day. After a week of driving to the grocery store and driving my parents places, I kind of realized that they only wanted me to drive to places for them. I didn't mind though, I loved driving. One night I was out drinking with my friends and I remembered that I would be driving so I stopped. My friends kept on hassling me about it and eventually I gave into peer pressure and had a few more shots. I went out side in a drunken daze and when I was in the car and gonna drive everyone home, I passed out. I woke up in my bedroom with my parents above me with stern worried looks. They asked what I was doing having so many drinks and I told them that I only had half a beer hoping that they would believe me. They didn't. They took my car keys and left to go apologize to my friends for me ruining their night out.