Psychology in driving: a talk to BADIs

Impulse control is acting to defer gratification for a greater reward later. The Stroop test (colours versus names) shows how strong impulses are. As does the 1-marshmallow / 2-marshmallow experiment with young children.

Early humans bandied in groups for greater safety against natural threats.

The amygdala is part of the limbic system, responding to threat and reward. Executive functions are controlled by the pre-frontal part of the brain, still-developing in young people, which is slower to override. The amygdala responds emotionally and quickly, to such things as fear of loss, looking stupid, loss of status, and is poorly adapted to modern life.

Drink and drugs start by debilitating executive function (hence happy first), then lowering limbic responses.

Young people suffer fatigue more, as modern life is built around Victorian factory hours. Driving is hence done at difficult times for their bodies.

In Estonia, 4 years after impulse-control intervention, the sample of young drivers had showed fewer speed-related collisions.

So, be aware, mindful, and question yourself (i.e. from a different perspective: “how regretful would you feel?”) anticipated regret BCT

• self-monitoring
• wanting to see yourself as a responsible adult
• social support
• self-belief
• covert learning
• get under the hood of their head, to see what pressures they're under
• 93 BCTs and 16 groupings

In psychology: System 1 (impulsive and reactive) and System 2 (thoughtful and considered): learnt responses to triggers, on which driving much depends.