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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Development and validation of the Driver Attention Regulation Scale: A measure of the perceived ability to regulation attention on the road
Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.102, pp.199-212
2024
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
The ability to regulate attention while driving is a vital skill for remaining safe on the road. However, there is no current self-report method that measures such a construct, potentially limiting research in the area of attention and distraction. This study aimed to develop and validate a new measure, the Driver Attention Regulation Scale (DARS), that can be used to identify how drivers perceive their ability to regulate attention while driving. To achieve this aim, two online surveys were shared with unique samples of Australian drivers. Following the development of an initial item pool, principal components analysis and follow up confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the structure of the items and revealed that three factors emerged: attentional presence (e.g., focus; vigilance), attentional flexibility (e.g., awareness; shifting), and attentional capacity (e.g., processing speed; cognitive resources). Each of the subscales (α = 0.75–0.88) and the total scale (α = 0.87–0.91) exhibited a good internal consistency across the samples. Evidence of external validity was also demonstrated, as the DARS was positively associated with generalised attention regulation measures, and driver confidence, but negatively associated with emotion regulation difficulties, driver stress, and driving errors/lapses. Mediation analyses also indicated that the attentional constructs measured by the DARS may indirectly influence driving behaviours, via their effect on driver stress and confidence. Overall, the DARS has demonstrated promise as a new measure of driving-related attentional skills that can be used in future research to better understand how situational factors may impact drivers’ confidence, and also how confidence may influence driving behaviours (e.g., speeding).
Details
- Title
- Development and validation of the Driver Attention Regulation Scale: A measure of the perceived ability to regulation attention on the road
- Authors
- Steven Love (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research CollaborationGrégoire S. Larue - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research CollaborationBevan Rowland - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research Collaboration
- Publication details
- Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.102, pp.199-212
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.trf.2024.02.015
- ISSN
- 1873-5517; 1369-8478
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- The authors do not have permission to share data.
- Organisation Unit
- Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991010098202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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