ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA AND RISK TAKING

THE PERFORMANCE OF SIX GROUPS OF 16 SUBJECTS EACH(MARIJUANA USER CONTROL, NON-USER CONTROL, .05 BAC ALCOHOL, .10 BAC ALCOHOL, LOW DOSE MARIJUANA, AND HIGH DOSE MARIJUANA) WERE COMPARED ON TWO LABORATORY ANALOGS OF THE AUTOMOBILE PASSING TASK. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA UTILIZED A MULTIPLE DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS, PRODUCING STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN THE SIX GROUPS. THE FIRST DIMENSION OF DISCRIMINATION WAS RELATED TO "JUDGMENTAL ACCURACY" AND WAS CAPABLE OF DISTINGUISHING THE TWO MARIJUANA TREATMENT GROUPS FROM THE REMAINING FOUR GROUPS. THE MARIJUANA SUBJECTS TEND TO OVERESTIMATE TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE PASSES, AND SHOWED CONSIDERABLE VARIABILITY IN THEIR ESTIMATES. THE SECOND DISCRIMINANT FUNCTION DIMENSION WAS LABELLED "RISKINESS/ DECISIVENESS" AND APPEARED CAPABLE OF DISTINGUISHING THE ALCOHOL GROUPS FROM THE REMAINING SUBJECTS. THE ALCOHOL GROUP SUBJECTS TENDED TO EXHIBIT PATTERNS OF PSYCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE SUGGESTING A TENDENCY TO MAKE "SNAP DECISIONS" WHICH WERE SUBSEQUENTLY OVERRIDDEN. NO DOSE RESPONSES WERE FOUND FOR EITHER ALOCHOL OR MARIJUANA.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract DOT-HS-191-2-301 DOT HS-801 028
• Corporate Authors:

  University of South Dakota, Vermillion

  Human Factors Laboratory
  Vermillion, SD  United States  57069
• Authors:
  • Ellingstad, V S
  • Mcfarling, L H
  • Struckman, D L
• Publication Date: 1973-4

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 74 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Driver performance; Drivers; Driving simulators; Drunk driving; Hazards; Marijuana; Personnel performance; Reaction time; Risk assessment
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224598
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rep
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: May 15 1974 12:00AM