It is not often that I am so aware of confirmation bias but after reading a study, The effects of taboo-related distraction on driving performance, this morning, I felt its findings on a 5-mile run through my neighborhood and Golden Gate Park.
Chen and her co-authors write, “Interestingly, taboo words were associated with better lane control compared to the other word types. We suggest that taboo-related arousal can enhance attentional focus during a complex task like simulated driving.” As a runner in San Francisco I am all too familiar with the poor attention that drivers pay to pedestrians; but what struck me on today’s run was an apparent increase in eye-contact with drivers and a decrease in driving behaviors that I would label as hazardous to pedestrians (such as cars stopping in the crosswalk, rolling through crosswalks against a red light, immediately making right-hand turns against red lights, and speeding.) It felt as if drivers were more aware of my presence today; drivers seemingly paid more attention to me.
What was different about my running today that might have triggered these changes in driver behavior? I ran bare-chested, with just 5″ racing shorts — which is uncommon in San Francisco for reasons associated with our climate. I think the revealing nature of my dress caught the attention of drivers, and their driving behaviors changed to account for a lone, quick-moving pedestrian.