Validation of the methodology of psychological tests for drivers in selected tests of psychomotor skills and cognitive processes, which are significant for drivers' occupational safety

Project manager: Anna Łuczak Ph.D.

Project summary:

The aim of the task was to validate selected tests of psychomotor skills and cognitive processes, which are part of the methodology of drivers' psychological tests used in Poland. Validation covered determining the validity of selected tests in view of their usefulness in diagnosing predisposition for driving or predisposition to working as a driver, determining the reliability of the analysed tests and developing test standards. Six psychological tests were selected for validation. The validity of the developed tests was determined by estimating the criterion validity, in which safe functioning of human as a driver was the variable and its indicator was whether the driver had or had not been involved in an accident in which there were fatalities or injured people. On the basis of the results of the analysis it was shown that the following tests were satisfactorily reliable: R-W test - mean simple reaction time to all stimuli and mean reaction time to optical stimuli; complex reaction time test - mean reaction time to all stimuli; and cross test - time of doing the test and the number of received stimuli. Least valid were the following tests: Poppelreuter, R-W test, simple reaction time test in mean simple reaction time to all stimuli, to optical stimuli, to acoustic stimuli and cross test in response time. Test standards were developed for the tests that were considered valid and reliable at a satisfactory level.

Unit: Department of Ergonomics

Duration: 01.01.2008 – 30.12.2010