The number of motor vehicle accidents that occur as a result of driving while talking on
mobile devices increases each year. Distracted driving is dangerous; however, policy
researchers have not focused on adults who talk on mobile devices as they drive children
to and from daily events. This study focused on the experiences of soccer parents, an
important focus because of soccer's year-long duration that requires a large amount of
driving in addition to the other daily tasks of parenting. The purpose of this
phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions of parents of child soccer
players regarding the motivations for and risks of talking on mobile devices while
driving. The theoretical framework for this phenomenological study was the self-determination theory. Data were collected by electronic surveys using a convenience
sample of 10 couples and 4 single parents of children who play soccer for a team in a
southern state. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method in which
patterns were identified and coded into themes. The key findings were that the parents
had different perceptions of the risks and motivations for talking on mobile devices while
driving. There were participants who viewed talking on mobile devices as risky while
others did not perceive talking on mobile devices while driving as a risk.
Recommendations include conducting further research on parents who drive children to
and from soccer practices, while talking on mobile devices, in order to gain better
understanding of what motivates people to choose to talk on mobile devices while
driving. The implications for positive social change include informing policy makers
about the importance of increasing awareness and educating the public about the risks of
talking on mobile devices while driving.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:waldenu.edu/oai:scholarworks.waldenu.edu:dissertations-2460 |
| Date | 01 January 2015 |
| Creators | Joyner-Bagby, Tonisha Dawn |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks |
| Source Sets | Walden University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies |
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