Final answer:
Texting while driving over the age of 18 is a dangerous behavior, akin to an event schema, which makes it a hard habit to break. Psychologists are researching ways to disrupt this habit to increase road safety. Fictional data suggests a link between habitual behaviors and increased risk of driving infractions due to distractions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Texting while driving when you're over 18 is considered a dangerous and unhealthy behavior that can have severe consequences. In reference to the provided fictional data and the article by Bayer & Campbell (2012), it is clear that texting while driving is not just a risky act due to the immediate distraction it causes, but also because it is a habit, or event schema, that individuals can find hard to resist. This can lead to increased accident risks and legal repercussions. Strategies to interrupt the 'phone schema' while driving, such as turning off notifications or placing the phone out of reach, can be effective in helping individuals break this dangerous habit.
Just as it is difficult to resist facing the door in an elevator due to event schemata, the habit of checking phones has become ingrained in many people's daily routines. This habitual behavior is what makes refraining from texting while driving particularly challenging. Psychologists are working on interventions to assist in breaking this pattern, helping drivers focus fully on the road.
The referenced fictional study would suggest that an individual such as Peter, who engages in aggressive driving behaviors like 'DWE,' or driving while elderly, may also be susceptible to distractions such as texting while driving.
When designing a study to test driving performance while texting, it would be pertinent to measure reaction times m both scenarios to provide conclusive evidence of the impact texting has on driver response capabilities.