Training of calibration among novice car drivers: research design. While driving it is possible, to a certain extent, to vary the degree of difficulty of the task. By driving fast with short vehicle spacing, the driving task becomes more difficult. The driver's effort or alertness can also be consciously adjusted to the situation. For example, busy traffic can lead to greater alertness. Such mutual adaptation of task difficulty and one's own skills is called calibration. A literature study (Kuiken & Twisk, 2001) has shown that calibration plays a role in the development from novice to expert. While calibration skills seem to develop in practice and in time, the leading question in this project is whether we can speed up de development of calibration among novice car drivers by using additional training and/or feedback. It is predicted that goal-oriented calibration training during, or directly after, the driving course will improve calibration skills of novice car drivers. This report presents the research design of an initial pilot study. The following steps are taken:- development of the instruments for measuring calibration; - testing and determination of the usefulness and reliability of the instruments in a pilot study; - adjustment of the instruments and determination of a definite design of an initial calibration experiment among young car drivers. The measuring instruments to be developed involve an assessment scale, a questionnaire, and a `reporting grid'. The pilot study is mainly aimed at developing and testing these measuring instruments. The participants in the pilot study consist of driver trainees who follow the new driving course, and who (as part of this) participate in safety training on a test track. The definite measuring instruments will be determined by using the results of the pilot.
Samenvatting