published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Oregon Level I Diversion Program in changing knowledge and attitude concerning driving after drinking. A secondary purpose was to determine the effect of the eight different class-time schedules used to teach the required 12-hour curriculum on the clients' test scores. An additional purpose was to determine if a significant correlation existed between gain in knowledge scores and selected instructional variables. The 61 Item Drinking and Driving Inventory was administered to all 965 individuals in the sample. Pretest and posttest scores were analyzed using a Paired T and Analysis of Covariance. Data from questionnaires administered to teachers in the Oregon Diversion Program were correlated with students' gains in knowledge scores. The Pearson r and Spearman rho were used in the correlation analyses. Results of the statistical analyses at the .05 level of significance were: 1. There was a significant difference in pretest and posttest scores for all four dependent variables (knowledge score, two attitude scores and the behavioral intention score). 2. There was a significant difference in the adjusted means among the eight time spans for three of the dependent variables (knowledge score, one attitude score and the behavioral intention score). 3. The instructional variable identified as Cultural Differences on the questionnaire correlated significantly with students' gains in knowledge scores. An additional finding was gathered from the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles' statistics. There was a lower re-arrest rate for the clients who completed the Level I Diversion Program than for the persons who chose to be processed through the court system. Selected recommendations included: 1. A long range study of recidivism to include correlation of personal and demographic variables of clients should be conducted. 2. A demographic analysis of program instructors, including their educational background correlated with performance, should be undertaken. / Graduation date: 1984

Over the past five years, an average of about 323 traffic accidents that were caused by drunk driving occurred in Taiwan every year, resulting in 306 deaths and injuring 297 people and costing Taiwan society a lot. Concerned government agencies have recognized this harsh problem and taken measures as a counteract, for example, imposing heavy fines and punishing the driver with penal code, in order to discourage this poor habit of drunk driving. However, the tragedies caused by drunk driving have not abated. Government agencies usually execute public powers from the subjective perspective of statutory law, and similarly the research and investigation of related problems conducted in Taiwan usually emphasize the enforcement aspect. However, the results of foreign research indicate that risk message can be conveyed through risk communication so as to change the public¡¦s risk perception, resulting in their changes in behavior. This study began with the cognitive perspective of the risk of drunk driving perceived by the law enforcers, voluntary group of drunk driving risk, and pressured group of drunk driving risk, and used the experimental method of Information Integration Theory to investigate the integrated algebra model of each concerned group¡¦s ¡§probability information¡¨ and ¡§outcome information¡¨ of drunk driving risk and its level of risk perception. The findings are as follows: I. Cognitive algebra model (I) On drunk driving cases with high-probability, low-outcome risk of being stopped, the law enforcers as a whole used the multiplying model, while the drunk driving group and the ordinary driving group used the equal-weight averaging model to integrate the information. (II) On drunk driving cases with low-probability, high-outcome risk of causing traffic accidents, the law enforcers, the drunk driving group, and the ordinary group all used the adding model, with more emphasis on the outcome information. (III) On drunk driving cases with high-probability, low-outcome risk of being stopped, most people used the equal-weight averaging model, and they used the adding model on the cases of low-probability, high-outcome risk of causing traffic accidents. II. Risk perception (I) The drunk driving group had the highest risk perception on the type of high-probability, low-outcome risk of being stopped drunk driving, the ordinary group had the second highest risk perception, and the law enforcers had the lowest risk perception. (II) The ordinary group had the highest risk perception on the type of low-probability, high-outcome risk of drunk driving causing traffic accidents, the drunk driving group had the second highest risk perception, and the law enforcers had the lowest risk perception.

Due to drunk-driving fatality is the most focal issue in the U.S. traffic accident, this paper applies panel data model to analyze the influence of beer tax and other drunk-driving related laws on the U.S. drunk-driving fatality rate from 1982-2006. Different from former references, this paper investigate if the drunk-driving fatality rate declines by the time and by region. The result shows that drunk-driving fatality rate has declined by the time, especially, in 1987; the drunk-driving fatality rate statistically significant drops. The posibility is that U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth, ordered the automobile manufactures to set seat belt or air bag with the cars from 1987. However, the drunk-driving fatality rate doesn¡¦t show different significantly by region. This may suggest that regions have similar laws and cultural norms, which leads to similar drunk-driving fatality rate. Finally, the survey indicates the higher beer tax, BAC 0.08 Law, and Zero Tolerance Law are effective policies to reduce drunk-driving.

Thesis (M.A.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-54).

Thesis (M.J.S.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2002. / "May 2002." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-86). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2006. / Thesis advisor: Marc B. Goldstein. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 22-25). Also available via the World Wide Web.

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The present study attempted to validate modified versions of laboratory measures of behavioral impairment from alcohol for use in the field. A total of 195 students at various BAC levels, participated during two outdoor university-sponsored events. In addition to taking nonbehavioral measures of impairment, each subject was asked to perform and evaluate a reaction time task, balance test, and give a verbal index of impairment. The actual BAC of each subject was determined using a breath-alcohol testing machine. The results indicated that self-reported measures of impairment were the best predictors of BAC. Of the behavioral measures, reaction time and body balance performance accounted for the highest portion of the variance in predicting BAC. Subjects reported that actual BAC feedback would most likely result in behavior change, followed by performance on the progressive body balance and reaction time tasks. It was noted, however, that as BAC increased, poor test performance was less likely to result in behavior change. The need for continued research into behavioral measures of alcohol impairment are discussed as a means of promoting third-party intervention and"socially responsible drinking". / Master of Science