Using data analytics to further understand the role that boredom, loneliness, social anxiety, social gratification, and social relationships (BRAG) play in a driver’s decision to text

摘要

Texting while driving is a growing problem that current efforts have failed to curtail. This behavior has serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences, and the factors that cause a driver to text are not well understood. This study investigates the influence that boredom, social relationships, social anxiety, and social gratification (BRAG) have upon the texting driver. A survey instrument was used to collect data from 297 respondents at a mid – sized regional university in the Pacific North west of the United States. The data was evaluated with PLS - SEM, which indicated that social gratification plays a very significant role in a driver’s decision to text. Additionally, data visualization techniques were used to gain additional knowledge from the data. The analysis with these techniques indicated that social anxiety may also play a role in a driver’s decision to text.