Driving next to automated vehicle platoons: How do short time headways influence non-platoon drivers’ longitudinal control?

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are taking over an increasing part of the driving task and are supporting the introduction of semi- and fully automated vehicles. As a consequence, a mixed traffic situation is developing where vehicles equipped with automated systems taking over the lateral and longitudinal control of the vehicle will interact with unequipped vehicles (UV) that are not fitted with such automated systems. Different forms of automation are emerging and it appears that regardless of which form is going to become popular on our roads, there is a consensus developing that it will be accompanied by a reduction in time headway (THW). The present simulator study examined whether a ‘contagion’ effect from the short THW held in platoons on the UV drivers would occur. Thirty participants were asked to follow a lead vehicle (LV) on a simulated motorway in three different traffic conditions: surrounding traffic including (1) platoons with short following distance (THW = 0.3 s), (2) large following distance (THW = 1.4 s) or (3) no platoons at all. Participants adapted their driving behaviour by displaying a significant shorter average and minimum THW while driving next to a platoon holding short THWs as when THW was large. They also spent more time keeping a THW below a safety threshold of 1 s. There was no carryover effect from one platoon condition to the other, which can be interpreted as an effect that is not lasting in time. The results of this study point out the importance of examining possibly negative behavioural effects of mixed traffic on UV drivers.     

Adapting Cognitive Processing Therapy to Treat Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Study

This case study aims to provide evidence for the effectiveness of adapting a particular manualized cognitive behavioral therapy intervention to treat co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This study presents the treatment of a woman who experienced co-occurring mTBI and PTSD following a motor vehicle accident, a dual diagnosis that was established through a flexible assessment approach involving interviews as well as standardized psychological, neuropsychological, and neurobehavioral testing. Treatment planning led to a-priori adaptation of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to treat both her PTSD symptoms and the sequelae associated with her mTBI. The therapist maintained fidelity to the manualized structure and content of CPT protocol, adapting portions of the treatment to add specific emphasis on issues of identity confusion and role loss in service of addressing these common functional impairments that can accompany mTBI. Discussion focuses on application of CPT for future treatment of comorbid PTSD and TBI amidst complicating factors, including role losses and medical and safety issues. This case study is especially relevant due to the prevalence of co-occurring PTSD and TBI across a variety of populations.     

DO PEOPLE REALLY ADAPT TO MARRIAGE?

Although cross-sectional studies have shown a reliable association between marital status and subjective well-being, a recent longitudinal study [Lucas et al. 2003, Journal of Personality & Social Psychology 84(3), pp.␣527–539] found no support for the idea that happiness increases after marriage. Instead, participants who got married reported short-term increases followed by complete adaptation back to baseline levels of well-being. However, researchers have criticized this study on two grounds. First, these results contradict cohort-based analyses from a nationally representative sample. Second, these analyses do not control for pre-marriage cohabitation, which could potentially inflate baseline levels of well-being. The original data (plus four additional waves) are reanalyzed to address these concerns. Results confirm that individuals do not get a lasting boost in life satisfaction following marriage.The data used in this paper were made available by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). This research was supported by a grant from the Anthony Marchionne Foundation.