Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Paul Atchley, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Steve Kozlowski, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Judith Bryant, Ph.D.

Keywords

distraction, driving, dual-task, negotiation

Abstract

This research investigates the bidirectional effects of conducting work-related phone negotiations during a driving task. With the prevalence of multitasking in today's fast-paced environments, understanding the effects of dual-task interference is critical for enhancing road safety and workplace efficiency. Experiment 1 established a foundational understanding that multitasking negatively affects both driving ability and negotiation outcomes. Experiment 2 employed an accomplice script to standardize negotiation quality, revealing that while dual-tasking again impaired driving performance, focused negotiators earned more points on the integrative items and overall. Analyses of negotiation behaviors further indicate differences in the use of distributive behaviors. Together, these experiments demonstrate that engaging in work-related conversations during a driving task compromise both driving safety and negotiation effectiveness, with the magnitude and nature of these effects shaped by how the conversation is structured. Potential applications of this research include informing workplace policies and driver-safety interventions by quantifying how work-related conversational demands. Secondary analyses exploring emotion-based behaviors are also discussed.

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