Notes Traffic Psychology

Skill models

a drivers perceptual and motor skills are what contribute to their safety

Attitude theories

individuals hold certain attitudes towards behavior

Theory of planned behavior (TPB)

predicts human behavior based on 4 factors

In the theory of planned behavior, what are the 4 factors that predict behavior?

attitude, subjective norm, perceived control, intention

Utility theories

individuals aim to maximize gain and minimize loss when making decisions

Risk homeostasis theory (RHT)

individuals have a target level of risk and will take action if experienced risk deviates from this target

Risk Allostatic Theory (RAT)

individuals have a preferred range of feeling of risk and respond accordingly to different situations

Is the risk homeostasis theory (RHT) fixed or dynamic?

fixed

Is the risk allostatic theory (RAT) fixed or dynamic?

dynamic

Zero risk theory

risk is hardly ever experienced when it is, it acts as a warning

Safety margin model

threshold model which motivates to be “comfortable”

What is an example of a safety margin that is monitored?

personal space

Rasmussen’s human performance model

model about different levels of human performance and decision-making

What are the three levels in Rasmussen’s human performance model?

knowledge level - bounded rationality and thinking, rule level - pattern matching and recognition, skill level - highly automated

Michon's model

hierarchical decision-making model suggests that decision-making involves different levels

What are the three levels in Michon’s model?

strategic level, manoeuvring level, control level

MABA-MABA assumption

states that men are better at certain tasks while machines are better at others

What are humans better at?

judgment, reasoning, improv

What are machines better at?

repetitive tasks, precision, quick response

Of what two things does automation in traffic consist?

support systems, automated driving

Name 3 examples of support systems

navigation, speed limit info, ADAS

What is does the abbreviation ADAS stand for?

advanced driver assistance systems

Name an example of ADAS feature

cruise control

What are the 5 different levels of automation?

1. no automation 2. decision support 3. consentual ai 4. monitored ai 5. full automation

At which three levels do humans still have control and at which two levels do humans have no control?

human can control: 1-3, human cannot control: 4-5

Terms in humans and automation: Use

voluntarily activating/disengaging automation

Terms in humans and automation: Abuse

task is taken over by machine without considering consequences for operator

Terms in humans and automation: Disuse

neglect automation

Terms in humans and automation: Misuse

unjustified overreliance

Phileas

Phileas was a "tram on tires" that had three modes of operation with different levels of automation.

Adaptable automation

humans determine how automation is applied

Adaptive automation

system assigns automation level

Issues of automation

errors, transfer of control between manual and automatic modes, mixed traffic, sensors failing due to external factors

Wizard of Oz testing

testing method that involves simulating automated systems while having a human operator pretend to be the automation

Rasmussen's model in automation errors

skill based - failing sensors, rule based - pattern recognition, knowledge based - preprogrammed or sufficiently trained with data

Name three ethical concerns about automation

hacking, terrorism, smuggling

External human-machine interface (eHMI)

screen on the outside of a car that interacts with humans through text or smiley faces

Name the 6 driving assessment methods

1. Behind-the-wheel examination (BTW) 2. instrumented vehicle 3. virtual reality driving simulation 4. crash statistics 5. self-reports 6. neuropsychological assessment

What are the pros and cons of behind the wheel examinations?

+ direct, quantifiable measurement - subjective, no challenging scenarios

What are the pros and cons of instrumented vehicles?

+ direct, quantifiable measurement - expensive, no challenging scenarios

What are the pros and cons of virtual reality driving simulations?

+ objective, quantifiable measurement, safe challenging scenarios - not really comparable to real world

What are the pros and cons of crash statistics?

+ clinical relevance - collected after the fact, infrequent events, only known if reported

What are the pros and cons of self-reports?

+ easy to assess - self-report bias

Of what three things does neuropsychological assessment consist?

behavioral observations, self-reports, neuropsychological tests

Terms in fitness to drive decision making: Dichotomization

a single cut-off: unfit drivers and fit drivers

Terms in fitness to drive decision making: Trichotomization

2 cut-offs: unfit drivers, uncertain and fit drivers

Terms in fitness to drive decision making: Sensitivity

how many of older people unfit to drive do I classify as unfit

Terms in fitness to drive decision making: Specificity

how many of older people fit to drive do I classify as fit

Terms in fitness to drive decision making: Positive predictive value

how many of older people classified as unfit to drive are actually unfit

Terms in fitness to drive decision making: Negative predictive value

how many of older people classified as fit to drive are actually fit

What kind of decision making do you see here?

serial dichotomization

What kind of decision making do you see here?

serial trichotomization

Name the four interventions and alternatives for unfit drivers

ADAS, cognitive interventions, educational interventions, clinical interventions

Mental workload

the difference between the processing resources to the operator and the resource demands of the task

Fill in: demand > capacity = workload … → performance …

high, decreases

Fill in: demand < capacity = workload … → performance …

low, increases

The availability of resources depends on what three things?

individual differences, arousal, motivation

Task complexity

increases with an increase in the number of stages of processing that are required to perform a task

Difficulty of a task

related to the processing effort (amount of resources) that is required by the individual for task performance

Mental workload can be high as a result of what two things?

high task demand, reduced capability to deal with the task demands

Compensatory effort

counteract reduced state

Computational effort

deal with increased task demands

Fatigue

subjective experience of tiredness and unwillingness to continue working

What are the three types of fatigue?

1. sleep-related fatigue 2. active task related fatigue 3. passive task related fatigue

Fatigue detection by what 3 things?

psychophysiology, steering wheel movements, facial monitoring

Warning display structure should be?

noticed, read, understood, accepted, and should not lead to adverse reactions

Signal detection theory

aims to discriminate signals from noise and is relevant for understanding the detection of warning signals.

Education, licencing and driver training: what two levels are there when training people to drive?

1. skill level 2. strategic level

Experience paradox

independent driving experience leads to safe behavior but to get experience you need experience

What is the solution for the experience paradox?

supervised practise

Graduated Driving License (GDL)

allows young drivers to gain driving experience under supervision and with certain restrictions

Protection Motivation Theory

explains how people perceive and respond to threats. It says individuals protect themselves based on their assessment of threat severity and their ability to cope.

Why does fear appeal?

elicit fear can motivate but also lead to defense response (e.g. denial, ridiculing, minimising)

The message-relevant effect

short-term: negative emotional appeals, long-term: positive appeals

Name three examples of traffic enforcement

speed, traffic lights, drink-driving

Deterrence theory

criminal activity happens in case of positive utility

Distance halo

the distance over which the effects of an enforcement operation last after a driver passed the enforcement site

Time halo

the length of time that the effects of enforcement on driver’s speed behavior continue after the enforcement operations have been ended

Self explaining roads

design of roads results in correct driving behavior

What is the most effective Es

engineering

Disinhibition model

people drink and drive because they can’t control their inhibitions when drunk

Myopia model

people drink and drive because they can’t see beyond the now when drunk

How is epidemiological research done?

with surveys, road side drug testing, hospital registrations

Of what three things does experimental research consist?

1. driving related tasks 2. on road driving 3. driving simulator tasks

Name three driving related tasks

alertness, memory, risk taking

Pros and cons of driving related tasks

pros: easy to administer, widely available cons: in isolation, not representative of real world

Pros of on-road driving

pros: representative cons: not always possible (ethics)

Pros and cons of driving simulator tasks

pros: easy to administer, interaction with traffic cons: simulator sickness, not representative

Conclusion on alcohol in traffic

affects judgement and skills

What are the positive effects of THC on driving and traffic safety?

altered perception, relaxation, increased awareness

What are the negative effects of THC on driving and traffic safety?

anxiety, dissociation

What are the positive effects of amphetamines on driving and traffic safety?

improved neuropsychological task performance

Why do amphetamines have no negative effects but are still not safe in traffic?

tasks that are tested do not cover everything

On what six factors does driving impairment due to drugs depend on?

1. substance 2. dose 3. time after intake 4. half-life of drug 5. tolerance 6. precondition

Name three examples of vulnerable road users (VRU):

elderly, children, cyclists

What compromises pedestrian safety?

bigger cars (SUV’s)

Common problems for older cyclists

soft shoulder lanes, swerving

Possible solutions for cyclist safety

optical illusions, forgiving shoulder lanes

'“Forgiving” shoulder lane

space added in the shoulder as buffer area

what are the three types of shoulder lanes?

grey artificial grass, green artificial grass, concrete strip