Abstract
Evidence has shown that preparatory set consists of two major components, expectancy and intention. Expectancy is a readiness for a certain sensory stimulus, whereas, intention is a readiness to respond. Although one is sensory related and the other is motor related, both components tend to decrease reaction time to a significant degree over conditions where no set exists. The importance of decreasing reaction time to upcoming stimuli is quite applicable to high speed driving situations in which one is unfamiliar with the roads. The utility of the concept of psychological set in diverting drivers to alternate routes is examined.