Cell Phone Distraction Analysis Of Motor Response In A Simulated Driving Environment

Does the use of a cell phone while driving influence the driver's ability to execute a proper turn? Is there difference between genders pertaining to motor skill while driving in a simulated driving environment? To accomplish this task, three groups of ten participants (5 women and 5 men) each were tested using a scripted test scenario focusing on left and right turns. The participants were made to drive through a test scenario to get used to the driving simulator. The scenario for the experimental group was an inner-city training scenario with the presence of vehicular traffic and the main focus area was on six critical turns (3 left and 3 rights). The apparatus used for this study was the "Patrol Simulator" built by GE Driver Development. A 2 (Gender) x 3 (Cell phone condition) between subjects design was used to assess the differences in mean driving performance between gender (male and female) at 3 cell phone conditions (No Phone, Phone No Conversation, Phone with Conversation). The study verified that cellular phones would adversely affects a driver's ability to perform turns, and showed that gender plays a role in this effect. However, it did confirm that gender does not play any role in a person's overall ability to drive. The results indicated a significant main effect for Cell phone Condition for overall turns , F (2, 24) = 38.83, p > .0005, n[eta]² = .76. Results also indicated a significant interaction between Gender and Cell Phone Conditions, F (2, 24) = 3.97, p=.032, n[eta]² = 0.25.

Author dc:creator

• Ravishankar, Anusha

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kincaid, J. Peter

• Cell phone distraction
• Driving simulator
• Other Psychology
• Transportation
• Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

CFE0000084

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-1148