Texting while driving, executive function, and impulsivity in college students

• Published in: Accident analysis and prevention 2017-05, Vol.102, p.72-80
• Main Authors: Hayashi, Yusuke, Rivera, Esteban A., Modico, James G., Foreman, Anne M., Wirth, Oliver
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Automobile Driving - psychology; Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data; Case-Control Studies; Choice Behavior; College students; Decision making; Delay discounting; Distracted Driving - psychology; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Impulsive Behavior; Impulsivity; Male; Reward; Risk-Taking; Smartphone - statistics & numerical data; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Text Messaging - statistics & numerical data; Texting while driving; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0001-4575; 1879-2057; 1879-2057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2017.02.016

•We investigated the cognitive processes underlying texting while driving.•Students who frequently text while driving showed significantly lower levels of self-reported executive function and higher levels of self-reported impulsivity.•There was no significant relation between texting while driving and a behavioral measure of impulsivity.•Executive function and impulsivity are important factors for texting while driving. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the cognitive processes underlying texting while driving. A sample of 120 college students completed a survey to assess how frequently they send and read a text message while driving. Based on this information, students were assigned to one of two groups: 20 students who frequently text while driving and 20 matched-control students who infrequently text while driving but were similar in gender, age, years of education, and years driving. The groups were compared on the extent to which they differed in self-reported measures of executive function and impulsivity. The groups were also compared on a behavioral measure of impulsivity: the extent to which they discounted hypothetical monetary rewards as a function of the delay. For this measure, the students made repeated choices between smaller monetary rewards available immediately and larger rewards available after delays ranging from 1 week to 6 months. The results show that the group of students who frequently text while driving showed (a) significantly lower levels of executive function and (b) higher levels of self-reported impulsivity, although the groups did not differ significantly on the behavioral measure of impulsivity. These results support a general conclusion that drivers with lower levels of executive function and higher levels of impulsivity are more likely to text while driving.