PERCEPTURAL/COGNITIVE SKILLS AND DRIVING: EFFECTS OF BRAIN DAMAGE
This study investigated the relation of perceptual/cognitive skills and driving. The subjects included 23 persons with brain damage, 8 persons with spinal-cord damage, and 10 able-bodied controls. Each subject was evaluated using a battery of perceptual and cognitive tests, a set of driving tasks in a parking lot, and actual in-traffic driving. The main findings are as follows: (a) Driving performance was significantly correlated with perceptual and cognitive skills. The highest correlations were obtained for Picture Completion Test (r = .71,), Picture Arrangement Test (r = .58), and Motor Free Visual Perception Test (r = .57). (2) The persons with brain damage performed significantly worse than the control subjects or people with spinal-cord damage on a range of perceptual and cognitive tests. (3) The persons with brain damage exhibited impaired driving performance in relation to the control subjects or people with spinal-cord damage. (4) The correlation between, a subjective evaluation of driving potential by a driver trainer and an evaluation of selected driving actions proved to be rather high (r = .81). (5) The obtained high correlations between several perceptual/cognitive tests and driving suggest that these tests (if properly validated) could be used in a screening battery to detect potentially serious driving-related problems. (6) Statistical procedures indicate that the data are consistent with the following hypothesis: Brain damage affects perceptual and cognitive skills (Including those evaluated by Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Picture Completion, and Picture Arrangement), which in turn affect driving performance. (A)
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Corporate Authors:
Highway Safety Research Institute
Huron Parkway and Baxter Road
Ann Arbor, MI United States 48109 -
Authors:
- Sivak, M
- Olson, P L
- Kewman, D G
- Won, H
- Publication Date: 1980-1
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 61 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Brain; Driver performance; Drivers; Perception; Personnel performance; Statistical analysis; Visual perception
- Old TRIS Terms: Driver perception
- Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00319846
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
- Report/Paper Numbers: UM-HSRI-80-3
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Feb 6 1981 12:00AM