title: Social psychological models of choice behavior and drivers' left turns.
abstract: ABSTRACT. The authors reanalyzed data from a simulated left-turn experiment (P. A. Hancock, J. K. Caird, S. Shekhar, & M. Vercruyssen, 1991) to test the adequacy of the nonlinear Gray-Tallman satisfaction balance model of choice behavior (L. N. Gray & I. Tallman, 1984) in predicting left turns. Participants (Hancock et al., 1991) were 40 experienced U.S. drivers who were exposed to simulated oncoming traffic; the size of the vehicle (motorcycle, compact vehicle, full-sized vehicle, delivery truck), its speed (10-70 mph, or 16-112 kmph), and the intervehicle time gap (3-9 s) varied. Hancock et al. (1991) measured (a) the likelihood of a left turn and (b) the occurrence of a collision. The probability of a left turn was greater for larger intervehicle time gaps and for oncoming smaller vehicles traveling at higher speeds. The Gray-Tallman (1984) model explained 69% of the variation in turning versus 57% for a linear regression model. In making decisions people tend to treat the values and costs affecting choices in a multiplicative, rather than linear, fashion. The Gray-Tallman model also has the potential for incorporating, both theoretically and mathematically, an unlimited range of potential values and costs that may influence left turn decisions.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Experimental Sociology University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. aharrell@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Harrell
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Spaulding
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D011593:Psychology, Social; D012309:Risk-Taking