Dennis Engels: A Humanitarian and Ethical Scholar

Dr. Dennis Engels retired in 2011 after a 35‐year career as a counselor educator, during which he contributed over 30 years of service to the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling. In this profile article, the author reviews the highlights of Dr. Engels's distinguished career and presents an interview in which Dr. Engels discusses (a) his journey as a counselor educator, (b) ethical standards and credentialing, and (c) the future of counseling.     

Exploring associations between self-reported executive functions,impulsive personality traits,driving self-efficacy,and functional abilities in driver behaviour after brain injury

ObjectiveThe assessment of self-awareness and self-efficacy as they relate to driving after stroke and TBI is lacking in the literature where the focus has tended to be on neuropsychological testing of underlying component of cognition in predicting driving outcome. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the associations between self-rating of higher-level functions and post-injury driving behaviour.MethodsThe present one-year follow-up study included twenty-four adults with stroke and ten adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) deemed suitable for driving after a comprehensive driving evaluation according to Norwegian regulations. In addition, but not part of the decision making, baseline measurements included self-rating of executive functions (Behaviour Rating of Executive Function (BRIEF-A)), impulsive personality traits (UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale), driving self-efficacy (Adelaide Driving Self-Efficacy Scale (ADSES)), and functional abilities (Awareness Questionnaire (AQ)). Follow-up measurements twelve months after baseline were collected, the ADSES, AQ, and Swedish Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (Swedish DBQ).ResultsPerceived driving self-efficacy and functional abilities did not change from baseline to follow-up. Baseline perceived executive functions and impulsive personality traits were significantly associated with driving self-efficacy at follow-up. Lower self-efficacy and functional abilities were associated with lower driving mileage and increased use of compensatory driving strategies, whereas lower self-efficacy beliefs were associated with driver mistakes and inattention. Driver violations and inattention were associated with minor accidents.ConclusionThe present study demonstrates that higher-level functions such as executive functions, impulsive personality traits, driving self-efficacy and functional abilities, influence post-injury accident involvement mediated through proximal driving factors such as driver inattention. Further evidence is warranted to explore self-rating measures compared to performance-based methods as predictors of risky driver behaviour, crashes, and near misses.     

Cross-generational acceptance of and interest in advanced vehicle technologies: A nationwide survey

The number of older drivers on the roadways is increasing; at the same time, technology in the automotive environment is rapidly evolving. To investigate the potential impact of these converging changes, this study used a cross-generational approach to compare driver attitudes toward advanced automotive technologies. Approximately 1000 drivers between the ages of 18 and 85 located across the United States responded to a survey about their opinions regarding general technology, advanced in-vehicle technology, and near-horizon connected vehicle systems. Participant responses were categorized using a generational construct, sorting responses not only by age but by shared life experiences (e.g. economic circumstances, involvement in wartime activities, cultural movements, etc.). The oldest generation (the “Silent” generation) exhibited the least interest in and comfort with advanced technology, although they owned and used advanced in-vehicle technology at approximately the same rates as the two middle generations. The youngest generation (the “Millennial” generation) was most likely to be interested in and comfortable with technology, but was least likely to own vehicles with advanced technology. All participants expressed interest in safety-related connected vehicle systems, but less so in infotainment applications. Reservations regarding data security and system cost were shared across generations. These findings are framed in the context of an aging population with unique driving and vehicle needs, and provide information that may assist both with vehicle technology design aspects and the proposed large-scale implementation of connected vehicle systems, including considerations for seniors and emphasis on safety systems and data security.     

Performance and presence with head-movement produced motion parallax in simulated driving

Driving simulator studies can reveal relevant and valid aspects of driving behavior, but underestimation of distance and speed can negatively affect the driver’s performance, such as in performance of overtaking. One possible explanation for the underestimation of distance and speed is that two-dimensional projection of the visual scene disrupts the monocular-based illusory depth because of conflicting binocular and monocular information of depth. A possible solution might involve the strengthening of the monocular information so that the binocular information becomes less potent. In the present study, we used an advanced high-fidelity driving simulator to investigate whether adding the visual depth information of motion parallax from head movement affects sense of presence, judgment of distance and speed, and performance measures coupled with overtaking. The simulations included two types of driving scenario in which one was urban and the other was rural. The main results show no effect of this head-movement produced motion parallax on sense of presence, head movement, time to collision, distance judgment, or speed judgment. However, the results show an effect on lateral positioning. When initiating the overtaking maneuver there is a lateral positioning farther away from the road center as effect of the motion parallax in both types of scenario, which can be interpreted as indicating use of naturally occurring information that change behavior at overtaking. Nevertheless, only showing tendencies of effects, absent is any clear additional impact of this motion parallax in the simulated driving.     

The factors of female taxi drivers’ speeding offenses in Taiwan

Females choosing taxi driving as a career is rare, therefore, investigating such samples is often difficult. Speeding is one of the most common driving violations, however, there has been no research looking into female taxi drivers’ speeding issue. This study explores the factors of female taxi drivers’ speeding offenses in Taiwan. Data is based on a national survey and includes 235 professional female taxi drivers. The results indicate that female taxi drivers work approximately 27.37 days per month, at a mean of 9.76 h per day. Of the female taxi drivers represented in this study, 22.8% reported at least one speeding offense over a one-year period. The results of a logistic regression model reveal that the determinant factors associated with female taxi drivers’ speeding offenses are significantly related to age, educational level and mileage driven. However, job experience, business operating style, and vehicle engine size are not associated with committing speeding offenses. Practical implications for traffic safety of female taxi drivers are also discussed.     

Allocation of visual attention while driving with simulated augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) technologies aim to optimize the visual attention of the driver by increasing the salience of high value elements. In such systems, ‘value’ is typically seen as linked to the general activity of driving, but not manoeuvres. However, several studies have shown that during activity, eye movements are specific to the immediate goal. In our experiment, 48 participants watched videos of automobile driving situations, during which they had to make decisions. In these videos, some situational cues were graphically highlighted. Depending on the experimental group, highlighted cues related to either the general driving task (e.g. road signs, pedestrians) or to a specific manoeuvre (e.g. look for overtaking cars before changing the lane). The results show that AR impacts the allocation of visual attention more strongly during the decision-making phase. In all AR conditions, the ability to extract information is less efficient. In particular, highlighting (by AR) general cues does not affect the detection of cues related to a manoeuvre, but it does change the allocation of visual attention: fixations are more numerous and less task-specific.     

The Romanian version of the multidimensional driving style inventory: Psychometric properties and cultural specificities

The multidimensional driving style inventory (MDSI), assessing four broad dimensions of driving styles, was originally built in Israel. In line with other previous adaptations of this instrument in different cultural contexts (such as Argentina), our research aimed to develop a valid and reliable Romanian version of the MDSI and to evaluate its external and construct validity. We conducted two studies aimed at this objective. Study 1 (n = 1237) first tested the factorial adequacy of the previous MDSI versions in our Romanian sample. Then, the culture-specific version of the MDSI that emerged from the factor analysis was examined in terms of its structure, internal consistency, item proprieties, and associations to socio-demographic variables and self-reported traffic crashes and offenses. Study 2 (n = 835) examined the associations between the driving styles assessed by this newly developed measure and several relevant personality traits: sensation seeking (both general and in traffic), desire for control, driving anger, normlessness, dutifulness and frustration discomfort. The results of the two studies support the validity and reliability of this culture-specific version of the MDSI. In comparison to the previous versions, the Romanian MDSI version addresses a supplementary driving style, concerning the violation of rules perceived as irrational in the respective situation. The reasons for the emergence of this distinct driving style in the Romanian driving context, as well as its relationships to the high traffic crashes rate in this country are discussed.     

Am stressed,must travel: The relationship between mode choice and commuting stress

The stress of commuting has serious public health and social implications. By comparing stress across different modes it is possible to determine which modes are more heavily contributing to this potential health and social issue. This study uses a large-scale university travel survey to compare commuter stress across three modes of transportation (walking, driving, and using public transit). It also investigates the specific factors that contribute to stress using these modes. Using ordered logistic regressions, the study develops a general model of stress and three mode-specific models. Results show that driving is the most stressful mode of transportation when compared to others. We also find that stressors for some modes are not stressors for others. Knowing which specific factors make certain modes stressful will help transportation and public health professionals make commuting a safer, more enjoyable, and less stressful activity; in turn this could mitigate the potentially serious health outcomes of a stressful commute.     

Measurement and comparative analysis of driver’s perception–reaction time to green phase at the intersections with and without a countdown timer

This paper proposes a method based on digital image processing for measuring drivers’ perception–reaction time (PRT) to the green phase. The detection of the onset of a green signal was based on the RGB color model. The detection of the start of the vehicle was based on the frame difference. The driver’s perception–reaction time was equal to the difference between the frame of the onset of the green signal and the frame of the start of the vehicle divided by the video frame rate. Drivers’ PRT with and without a countdown timer were comparatively analyzed. First, the means and variances of drivers’ PRT with a timer and without a timer were compared. Second, Normal, Lognormal, Gamma and Weibull distributions were used to fit the PRT data. Third, the fuzzy c-means clustering was utilized for PRT classification and comparison. The results show that the method for measuring drivers’ PRT based on digital image processing was effective. The drivers’ PRT was decreased from 2.12 s to 1.48 s with countdown signals. Weibull distribution appeared to best fit the PRT with No-Timer and Lognormal distribution appeared to best fit the PRT with Timer. The PRT data were classified into three groups: “Fast”, “Moderate” and “Slow”. Clustering centers without Timer were 1.16 s, 2.47 s and 3.98 s respectively. Clustering centers with Timer were 0.95 s, 1.64 s and 2.70 s respectively. The clustering centers can be regarded as reference values of drivers’ starting response for microscopic traffic simulation software.     

Improving the Reporting of Health and Psychological Research

A growing body of empirical evidence has consistently demonstrated that much publically and privately funded research is reported in a way that makes it difficult for the findings to be included in evidence syntheses or used by researchers, clinicians, policy makers, and the public. Poorly reported studies thus represent a significant waste of scarce resources. Reporting guidelines are one strategy that has been increasingly used as a method to improve the completeness or usability of primary and secondary research across a broad range of disciplines including psychology. We present a synopsis of two studies investigating the impact of the Transparent Reporting of Evaluation with Nonrandomised Designs statement and factors that affect authors' and journal editors' use of it and other reporting guidelines. We also make recommendations for future guideline development or revisions based on our experiences, provide details of resources for psychologists, and make suggestions for future research and recommendations for improving the transparency of reporting of psychological research.