Electronic Device Use: A Review of the Literature on Addictive Behaviors [Traffic Tech]

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Behavioral Safety Research
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Distraction
  • Driving
  • Distracted driving
  • Human factors in crashes
  • Highway safety
  • Driver performance
  • Cellular telephones
  • Psychological aspects
  • Cellphone addiction
  • Problematic device use
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT HS 813 462
• Resource Type:
  Brief
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Traffic Tech
• Contracting Officer:
  Hartwill- Miller, Janice
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Abstract:
  This project aimed to determine if excessive device use while driving is the result of an addiction, why this behavior persists, and what countermeasures to consider. This Traffic Tech briefly summarizes it. Reviewers consulted academic, government, and private-sector material from several disciplines including human factors, traffic safety, psychology, and demography. More than 270 sources were reviewed with 155 critically reviewed using a structured document summary template. Reviewers found that electronic device use did not qualify for the formal definition of addiction described in DSM-5 since device users are not proven to demonstrate every aspect of addiction. However, excessive device use can mimic aspects of addiction since dependent users report a craving for their phone, they rely on mobile phones to relieve distress, and their emotions are highly influenced by their phones. Reviewers find that problematic device use is more likely to persist among certain demographics and personality types, including young people, less wealthy people, people with low self-esteem, and people with higher levels of anxiety, impulsivity, extraversion, and sensation-seeking.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/68884/dot_68884_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 169.48 KB]
• Collection(s):
  NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:936d1a8c7adeedb3d71d1dfe941d4de1f7ddc35bce740b488751e50e286fb8222b45c6db9c1a3f13bb6b7599c73dae09cec2cdac4f3a9f9c9fa961e09454483d