The role of visual attention in predicting driving impairment in older adults.

This study evaluated the role of visual attention (as measured by the DriverScan change detection task and the Useful Field of View Test [UFOV]) in the prediction of driving impairment in 155 adults between the ages of 63 and 87. In contrast to previous research, participants were not oversampled for visual impairment or history of automobile accidents. Although a history of automobile accidents within the past 3 years could not be predicted using any variable, driving performance in a low-fidelity simulator could be significantly predicted by performance in the change detection task and by the divided and selection attention subtests of the UFOV in structural equation models. The sensitivity and specificity of each measure in identifying at-risk drivers were also evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curves. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of two doses of alcohol on simulator driving performance in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Prior studies have documented greater impairments in driving performance and greater alcohol consumption among adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined whether alcohol consumption produces a differentially greater impairment in driving among adults with ADHD in comparison to a community control group. The present study compared 50 adults with ADHD (mean age 33 years) and 40 control adults (mean age 29 years) on the effects of 2 single, acute doses of alcohol (0.04 and 0.08 blood alcohol concentration) and a placebo on their driving performance. The authors used a virtual reality driving simulator, examiner and self-ratings of simulator performance, and a continuous performance test (CPT) to evaluate attention and inhibition. Approximately half of the adults in each group were randomized to either the low or high dose alcohol treatment arms. Alcohol consumption produced a greater impact on the CPT inattention measures of the ADHD than the control group. Similar results were obtained for the behavioral observations taken during the operation of the driving simulator. Driving simulator scores, however, showed mainly a deleterious effect of alcohol on all participants but no differentially greater effect on the ADHD group. The present results demonstrated that alcohol may have a greater detrimental effect on some aspects of driving performance in ADHD than control adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of laboratory methods for the study of driver behavior: Relations between simulator and street performance.

Road performance data on 304 taxi drivers were obtained by pairs of trained observers using behavioral checklists. Drivers did not know they were being observed. 66% of the drivers then agreed to participate in the laboratory study, which involved performance on 2 different driving simulators and on 4 perceptual–motor tests. Officially recorded accidents and violations over a 5-yr period were obtained for each S for comparison with performance data. Results show that few of the scores from the simulators or tests were significantly correlated with road performance; however, a number of significant relations were found between perceptual–motor test performance and simulator performance. Although these correlations were not high, they tended to be more significant than those between performance on the 2 simulators. Age was negatively correlated with simulator performance. Relations between all performance measures and officially recorded accident and violation data were low. Some significant predictors of certain classes of violations were achieved from road performance measures obtained in the study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity and incremental validity of knowledge tests, low-fidelity simulations, and high-fidelity simulations for predicting job performance in advanced-level high-stakes selection.

In high-stakes selection among candidates with considerable domain-specific knowledge and experience, investigations of whether high-fidelity simulations (assessment centers; ACs) have incremental validity over low-fidelity simulations (situational judgment tests; SJTs) are lacking. Therefore, this article integrates research on the validity of knowledge tests, low-fidelity simulations, and high-fidelity simulations in advanced-level high-stakes settings. A model and hypotheses of how these 3 predictors work in combination to predict job performance were developed. In a sample of 196 applicants, all 3 predictors were significantly related to job performance. Both the SJT and the AC had incremental validity over the knowledge test. Moreover, the AC had incremental validity over the SJT. Model tests showed that the SJT fully mediated the effects of declarative knowledge on job performance, whereas the AC partially mediated the effects of the SJT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reported driving speeds and previous accidents.

For 275 psychology students, accident records and frequency of traffic citations were compared with self-reported driving speed (slow, medium, fast) and with number of speeding citations. "… individuals in the kind of population considered who report consistently higher driving speeds than average have traffic records free of accidents as often as other drivers. This finding also holds for individuals with previous speeding citations and traffic citations of all kinds." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology of drivers in traffic accidents.

50 automobile drivers whose driving involved them in accidents serious enough to require hospitalization were paired with 50 drivers without accident histories but matched according to sex, approximate age, race, and educational level. The Ss were compared on the basis of their driving experiences and performance on written tests. The accident victims differed from the comparison Ss in a higher incidence of previous traffic violations but were not distinguishable from the comparison Ss on any written tests. The accident Ss were similar to the "safe" drivers in describing themselves as much closer to "expert" than "very poor" on a driving performance continuum. In fixing the responsibility for the accidents and in estimating their driving competence at the time of the accidents, the accident Ss' reports are at considerable variance with police reports. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Harrison et al. (2007).

Reports an error in "Driver training conditions affect sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol on a simulated driving test to the impairing effects of alcohol on a simulated driving test" by Emily L. R. Harrison, Cecile A. Marczinski and Mark T. Fillmore (Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2007[Dec], Vol 15[6], 588-598). The correct title of the article should read "Driver training conditions affect sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol on a simulated driving test". (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-18976-010.) Research shows that prior behavioral training in a challenging environment reduces alcohol-induced impairment on simple psychomotor tasks. However, no studies have examined if this relationship generalizes to driving performance. The present study examined simulated driving performance and tested the hypothesis that a challenging training history would protect against the impairing effects of alcohol on driving performance. The challenging training history involved driving in a visually-impoverished environment. Thirty adults were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Two groups were tested under alcohol (0.65 g/kg) after prior experience performing the task under either a visually-impoverished environment or a normal visual environment. The remaining group served as a control and was trained and tested under the visually-impoverished condition environment. Results showed that individuals trained in the impoverished environment displayed sober levels of performance when their performance was subsequently tested under alcohol. By contrast, volunteers trained in a normal environment showed impairment under alcohol. The findings suggest that differences in driving training history can affect a driver's sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Simulated driving performance of adults with ADHD: Comparisons with alcohol intoxication.

Previous research has demonstrated that adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to experience driving-related problems, which suggests that they may exhibit poorer driving performance. However, direct experimental evidence of this hypothesis is limited. The current study involved 2 experiments that evaluated driving performance in adults with ADHD in terms of the types of driving decrements typically associated with alcohol intoxication. Experiment 1 compared the simulated driving performance of 15 adults with ADHD to 23 adult control participants, who performed the task both while sober and intoxicated. Results showed that sober adults with ADHD exhibited decrements in driving performance compared to sober controls, and that the profile of impairment for the sober ADHD group did in fact resemble that of intoxicated drivers at the blood alcohol concentration level for legally impaired driving in the United States. Driving impairment of the intoxicated individuals was characterized by greater deviation of lane position, faster and more abrupt steering maneuvers, and increased speed variability. Experiment 2 was a dose-challenge study in which 8 adults with ADHD and 8 controls performed the driving simulation task under 3 doses of alcohol: 0.65g/kg, 0.45g/kg, and 0.0g/kg (placebo). Results showed that driving performance in both groups was impaired in response to alcohol, and that individuals with ADHD exhibited generally poorer driving performance than did controls across all dose conditions. Together the findings provide compelling evidence to suggest that the cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with ADHD might impair driving performance in such a manner as to resemble that of an alcohol intoxicated driver. Moreover, alcohol might impair the performance of drivers with ADHD in an additive fashion that could considerably compromise their driving skill even at blood alcohol concentrations below the legal limit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Driver training conditions affect sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol on a simulated driving test to the impairing effects of alcohol on a simulated driving test.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 16(2) of Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (see record 2008-03846-009). The correct title of the article should read "Driver training conditions affect sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol on a simulated driving test".] Research shows that prior behavioral training in a challenging environment reduces alcohol-induced impairment on simple psychomotor tasks. However, no studies have examined if this relationship generalizes to driving performance. The present study examined simulated driving performance and tested the hypothesis that a challenging training history would protect against the impairing effects of alcohol on driving performance. The challenging training history involved driving in a visually-impoverished environment. Thirty adults were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Two groups were tested under alcohol (0.65 g/kg) after prior experience performing the task under either a visually-impoverished environment or a normal visual environment. The remaining group served as a control and was trained and tested under the visually-impoverished condition environment. Results showed that individuals trained in the impoverished environment displayed sober levels of performance when their performance was subsequently tested under alcohol. By contrast, volunteers trained in a normal environment showed impairment under alcohol. The findings suggest that differences in driving training history can affect a driver's sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of marijuana on equilibrium, psychomotor performance, and simulated driving

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is frequently found in the blood of drivers involved in automobile accidents, and marijuana use has been associated with impaired field sobriety test performance. The present study used a within-subject design to compare the effects of marijuana (0, 1.77, or 3.95% THC) on equilibrium and simulated driving. Ten marijuana users (seven men, three women) smoked one marijuana cigarette at the beginning of each session. Then 2 min later, they began a 60-min test battery that included subjective effects scales, a computerized test of body sway, a rapid judgment task and brake latency measurement in a driving simulator, critical flicker fusion (CFF), and a choice reaction time task (CRT). Self-report ratings of 'high' and 'drug potency' increased comparably following both active doses. The high, but not the low, dose significantly increased body sway. The high dose also marginally increased brake latency by a mean of 55 ms (P < 0.10), which is comparable to an increase in stopping distance of nearly 5 feet at 60 mph Judgment, CFF, and CRT scores did not differ across dose conditions. The equilibrium and brake latency data with 3.95% THC are similar to prior results in our laboratory in participants with breath alcohol concentrations near 0.05%.     

Perceptual-motor speed discrepancy and deviant driving.

Drake, using industrial accident data, proposed that individuals with better motor speed than perceptual speed are more accident-prone than those with greater perceptual than motor speed. This hypothesis was tested n the area of traffic accidents using 3 measures of perceptual and 3 measures of motor speed. The Ss were 2 groups of 70 male drivers each, matched for age, education , and driving exposure. The problem-driver group had 4 times more traffic accidents during the past 5 years than the controls. None of the 9 perceptual-motor speed discrepancies supported Drake's hypothesis. The assumption of this hypothesis are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Simulation of accident risk displays in motorway driving with traffic

The study used a vehicle-based driving simulator to evaluate two graphical displays, one showing risk probability in terms of safety margin (Time Headway, TH), and one showing risk severity in terms of Kinetic Energy (KE). Twenty-seven subjects were randomly allocated to one of three experimental conditions: Control, TH, and KE. Subjects undertook three driving tasks (ABA design). For the second driving task in the TH and KE conditions, subjects drove in the presence of their respective feedback displays. Measures of TH and KE levels were taken, as well as subjective measures of risk and task loading. It was found that the KE display was more effective than the TH display in reducing the proportion of time subjects spent at short headways. The KE display was also effective in reducing the proportion of time subjects spent at high speed. The KE display appeared to affect the perception of risk (severity of potential accidents). It was concluded that further research evaluating displays that combined the positive effects of both parameters within a single representation display is needed.     

Evidence from a partial report task for forgetting in dynamic spatial memory

G. Sperling (1960) and others have investigated memory for briefly presented stimuli by using a partial versus whole report technique in which participants sometimes reported part of a stimulus array and sometimes reported all of it. For simple, static stimulus displays, the partial report technique showed that participants could recall most of the information in the stimulus array but that this information faded quickly when participants engaged in whole report recall. An experiment was conducted that applied the partial report method to a task involving complex displays of moving objects. In the experiment, 26 participants viewed cars in a low-fidelity driving simulator and then reported the locations of some or all of the cars in each scene. A statistically significant advantage was found for the partial report trials. This finding suggests that detailed spatial location information was forgotten from dynamic spatial memory over the 14 s that it took participants to recall whole report trials. The experiment results suggest better ways of measuring situation awareness. Partial report recall techniques may give a more accurate measure of people's momentary situation awareness than whole report techniques. Potential applications of this research include simulator-based measures of situation awareness ability that can be part of inexpensive test batteries to select people for real-time tasks (e.g., in a driver licensing battery) and to identify people who need additional training.     

Virtual driving and risk taking: Do racing games increase risk-taking cognitions, affect, and behaviors?

Research has consistently shown that aggressive video console and PC games elicit aggressive cognitions, affect, and behaviors. Despite the increasing popularity of racing (driving) games, nothing is known about the psychological impact of this genre. This study investigated whether playing racing games affects cognitions, affect, and behaviors that can promote risk taking in actual road traffic situations. In Study 1, the authors found that the frequency of playing racing games was positively associated with competitive driving, obtrusive driving, and car accidents; a negative association with cautious driving was observed. To determine cause and effect, in Study 2, the authors manipulated whether participants played 1 of 3 racing games or 1 of 3 neutral games. Participants who played a racing game subsequently reported a higher accessibility of cognitions and affect positively associated with risk taking than did participants who played a neutral game. Finally, on a more behavioral level, in Study 3, the authors found that men who played a racing game subsequently took higher risks in computer-simulated critical road traffic situations than did men who played a neutral game. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Person-environment transactions in youth drinking and driving.

Drinking and driving is a significant health risk behavior for adolescents. This study tested mechanisms by which disinhibited personality traits (impulsivity and sensation seeking) and aspects of the adolescent home/social environment (parental monitoring and alcohol accessibility) can influence changes in drinking and driving behavior over time. Two hundred two high school age youths were assessed at 2 time points, approximately 8 months apart. Zero-inflated Poisson regression analyses were used to test (a) an additive model, where personality and environmental variables uniquely predict drinking and driving engagement and frequency; (b) a mediation model, where Time 2 environmental variables mediate the influence of disinhibited personality; and (c) an interaction model, where environmental factors either facilitate or constrain the influence of disinhibited personality on drinking and driving. Results supported both the additive and interaction model but not the mediation model. Differences emerged between results for personal drinking and driving and riding with a drinking driver. Improving our understanding of how malleable environmental variables can affect the influence of disinhibited personality traits on drinking and driving behaviors can help target and improve prevention/intervention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pile Driving Analysis for Top Hammering and Bottom Hammering

Piles are used for platform foundations and other offshore structures. Pile driving performance is predicted and analyzed using the wave equation analysis method. In general, the hammering point can be any part of the pile and the same analyses used for hammering at the top of the pile (top hammering) can be used for pile driving by hammering at the bottom of the pile (bottom hammering). Based on the numerical analyses in this research including residual stresses in the pile, there is little difference between the predictions of pile penetration per hammer blow by single- or multiple-blow analyses when soil resistance is low, such as 10 blows/m. The same is true for top hammering and bottom hammering when soil resistance is low. However, when soil resistance is high compared to that of the pile-hammer system, single-blow analysis predicts early refusal for top hammering and unrealistically high pile penetration for bottom hammering. Therefore, multiple-blow analysis, which considers residual stresses, should be used for better understanding of realistic pile driving performance and predictions. Additionally, this study shows that gravity is another controlling factor for pile driving in low-resistance soil.     

Personality subtypes among driving-while-intoxicated offenders: Follow-up of subsequent driving records.

Investigated the predictive utility of subtypes among males arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) with respect to subsequent driving record. Five subtypes had been empirically derived from measures of driving-related attitudes, personality functioning, and hostility. The driving records of 16 Ss (previously described by the 1st author and G. A. Marlatt; see record 1982-21361-001) were evaluated over a 3-yr period beginning with initial assessment. Subtype membership did not predict DWI recidivism or accidents. However, differences were found across clusters with respect to other violations and driving risks. The results are discussed in terms of the clinical utility of differential assessment of non-alcohol-related characteristics in the evaluation and treatment of DWI offenders. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Neurocognitive Driving Test: Applying Technology to the Assessment of Driving Ability Following Brain Injury.

Objective: To compare the Neurocognitive Driving Test (NDT) with an established driving assessment method. Study Design: A prospective matched-control study. Participants: Fifteen adult volunteers with acquired brain injury (ABI), aged 21-59 years, referred for a driving evaluation and 15 healthy control (HC) participants. Methods: Individuals with ABI were administered the NDT and a traditional hospital-based driving evaluation. An overall performance score was calculated and used to rank order driving ability. HCs were administered the NDT to establish NDT performance range. Main Outcome Measures: Overall performance on the NDT; overall performance on a comprehensive hospital-based evaluation. Results: Comparison of the rank orders of driving ability for participants with ABI revealed a significant Spearman correlation. NDT scores discriminated between individuals with ABI who passed the driving evaluation and those who failed. Conclusions: Results help establish the potential utility of the NDT for evaluating driving ability in persons with ABI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acute alcohol tolerance on subjective intoxication and simulated driving performance in binge drinkers.

High rates of binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, including drinking and driving, occur among college students. Underlying reasons for the heightened impaired driving rates in this demographic group are not known. The authors hypothesized that acute tolerance to the interoceptive cues of intoxication may contribute to these maladaptive decisions to drive in binge drinkers. Groups of binge-drinking and non-binge-drinking college students (N = 28) attended sessions during which they received a moderate dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) or a placebo. The development of acute tolerance to subjective ratings of intoxication and simulated driving performance was assessed by comparing measures taken during the ascending phase and descending phases of the blood alcohol curve. Compared with placebo, alcohol increased ratings of intoxication and impaired multiple aspects of simulated driving performance in both binge and non-binge drinkers. During the descending phase of the blood alcohol curve, binge drinkers showed acute tolerance to alcohol’s effect on subjective intoxication, and this effect was accompanied by an increased rating of willingness to drive. By contrast, non-binge drinkers showed no acute tolerance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics of two groups of angry drivers.

High anger drivers acknowledging problems with driving anger and interest in counseling (high anger/problem [HP] drivers) were compared with high and low anger drivers not acknowledging problems with driving anger and seeking counseling (high and low/nonproblem [HNP and LNP, respectively] drivers). High anger groups reported more anger while driving; aggressive expression of driving anger; aggression and risky behavior; trait anger; impulsiveness; and aggressive, less controlled forms of general anger expression and less adaptive/constructive coping than LNP drivers. HP drivers received more tickets and experienced more minor accidents than LNP drivers. Although high anger drivers did not differ on reported anger, risky behavior, and impulsiveness, HP drives reported greater aggression on 1 measure, greater aggressiveness on 3 measures of driving anger expression, greater trait anger, and more aggressive and less controlled forms of general anger expression, suggesting HP drivers are somewhat more aggressive than the HNP group. Results supported the state-trait model of anger. Implications for intervention were drawn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)