Analysis of a Complex Skill: Vehicle Driving

Abstract

A battery of twelve driving tests, a majority of which represented new designs, were constructed in the desert. 180 subjects were divided into five groups on the basis of the number of hours members of each group drove a truck on a fatigue course after an initial test and prior to a retest on the battery. The fatigue periods were of 0, 1,3, 7, or 9 hr duration. Pre-and post-fatigue test results were correlated with hours of fatigue driving, where hours-of-driving served as the test criterion. Test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.35 to 0.88. Validities reached a maximum of 0.38. A small-scale factor analysis was performed on a correlation matrix based upon a single measure from each of eight tests. Proprioception, reaction-time, spatial orientation, response orientation, and multilimb coordination were identified as basic skills in vehicle driving.

Effects of ketamine on psychomotor, sensory and cognitive functions relevant for driving ability

“…in the rubber-hand illusion task indicates impaired multisensory integration [129] by ketamine and could be of special significance when driving. Indeed, this test demonstrates that KET disrupts the appropriate localization of one-self (the proprioception) and that of the environment, which is crucial in driving [130]. The ketamine concentration of 100 ng/mL plasma at which this was verified is easily achieved in abusers.…”

On the relation between abilities, learning, and human performance.

“…Thus far, I do not believe it has been used in space, but good use is made of one model in our own earthbound laboratory! It is important to note that the abilities identified in laboratory research have been useful in accounting for performance in more complex "real-world tasks" (e.g., Fleishman & Ornstein, 1960;Herbert, 1963;Locke, Zavala, & Fleishman, 1965).…”

Relationship between perceptual style and simulator sickness.

“…The importance of body cues was also demonstrated by a factor analysis of 12 driving tests (Herbert, 1963). One of the main factors was labeled proprioception because of the high loading of a nonvisual driving task.…”