Luma taps into motivational psychology to reduce distracted driving

Luma Brighter Learning is working to end distracted driving by developing learning modules for the trucking industry grounded in motivational psychology theories of behavior change.

According to Luma, this learning development focuses on tapping into human needs and aligning those needs with how people learn. 

“To deliver content effectively, we must consider how to integrate human needs into the content created. The ‘what’ is just as important as the ‘how’,” Gina Anderson, Luma Brighter Learning co-founder and CEO, said in a press release. “It is well documented in psychological research that to change behavior, it is necessary to tap into the human desire to seek fulfillment and personal growth. With this in mind, we can really make an impact on improving drivers’ behaviors when it comes to driving safely on the road.”

See also: How to select anti-distracted driving technologies

To create “meaningful content,” Luma said it focuses efforts on delivering a micro-learning approach using mixed-medium lessons, branded by the company as eNuggets. This short-segment learning style aims to help capture the learner’s attention and increase retention. 

“In the trucking industry’s safety-sensitive environment, authentic lessons that are closest to the learners’ psychological needs and that are distributed in a way that supports retention are essential to an organization’s safety culture,” Anderson said.

To help fleets increase safety, Luma has created modules that draw on the most essential levels of human psychology: physiological (human survival); safety (freedom from fear; order; security); and belonging (interpersonal relationships). These essentials were defined in Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a motivational theory in psychology that documents how individuals seek fulfillment and change through stages of personal growth.

See also: Fremont Contract Carriers goes all-out for drivers

“This science-based learning technique is making a difference, and we’re seeing it in safety scores,” Anderson added. “We know the goal for safety incidents is zero, and as learning professionals, we can help make that goal a reality.”