TITLE: Wanna drive? driving anxiety and fear in a New Zealand community sample
AUTHOR: Taylor, J & Paki, D.
JOURNAL: New Zealand Journal of Psychology, July 2008
ABSTRACT: "Driving anxiety can impact everyday functioning and is common following motor vehicle crashes. However, no research has investigated its general community prevalence, despite the consistent finding that driving anxiety is not always a function of a vehicle crash. The present study explored the frequency and characteristics of driving anxiety and fear in a general community convenience sample of 100 participants who completed a questionnaire about driving anxiety, avoidance behaviour, and types of driving-related cognitions. Most of the sample described no anxiety, fear, or avoidance in relation to driving. However, 8% reported moderate to extreme anxiety about driving, and 7% described moderate to extreme driving fear. Women reported more driving anxiety, fear, and avoidance than men. These results indicate the need for more formal methods of establishing prevalence to clearly ascertain the extent of population-based driving anxiety and fear and its effects, so that research can begin to focus on developing effective treatment approaches for those whose anxiety has a psychological and functional impact." [full text]
MY TAKE: This study is trying to find out how common driving anxiety is in the general public. Moderate to severe anxiety (significant enough to have a noticeable effect on their life) was found in 8% of the sample. I think that would have to be considered a pretty large proportion. As is usually the case driving anxiety was more common in women, although general trait anxiety was the same in both genders. The situations rated as most stressful were being tailgated, motorways, fog and heavy traffic.
Showing posts with label AUTHOR: Taylor JE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AUTHOR: Taylor JE. Show all posts
Monday, July 19, 2010
Friday, January 30, 2009
What does driving and riding avoidance scale (DRAS) measure?
AUTHORS: Taylor JE & Sullman MJM
JOURNAL: Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2008
ABSTRACT: Driving anxiety can have a significant impact on everyday functioning and usually results in some kind of avoidance behaviour. The Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale (DRAS; Stewart, A. E., & St. Peter, C. C. (2004). Driving and riding avoidance following motor vehicle crashes in a non-clinical sample: psychometric properties of a new measure. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42, 859–879) shows promise in the self-report assessment of the degree of such avoidance. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of the DRAS in a sample of 301 university students. Internal consistency for the DRAS was 0.89 and temporal stability over two months was 0.71. The factor structure of the DRAS supported the use of the general and traffic avoidance subscales but not the weather and riding avoidance subscales in the present non-clinical sample. However, a significant limitation of the DRAS is that it does not assess the reasons for driving avoidance, and is therefore not a measure of avoidance that is due to driving anxiety. Some items may be rated highly for practical reasons, such as avoidance because of increasing fuel and other costs associated with driving. Modified instructions for the DRAS should ensure that it measures anxiety-related avoidance behaviour. [Abstract here; Keywords: Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale; Avoidance; Measurement; Assessment]
SUMMARY: The DRAS is a twenty question survey taken by people with driving anxiety which is intended to measure how much they avoid driving or riding in cars. However surveys depend on people reporting accurately. This study of undergraduates (mean age 24 years). There was no effect of gender. The test was administered twice, two-months apart, and results changed significantly over this time. The participants showed low level of avoidance.
MY THOUGHTS: Undergraduates may be the most studies subject other than the albino rat, but that has more to do with convenience than validity. DRAS can be used equally with a history of motor vehicle crash experience or not--but may also respond to cause other than driving anxiety. But this is basically yet another study concluding that there is a need for more studies.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE: In a practical sense, limited.
J TAYLOR, M SULLMAN (2008). What does the Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale (DRAS) measure? Journal of Anxiety Disorders DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.10.006
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Determining the Focus of Driving Fears
AUTHORS: J E Taylor, F P Deane & J V Podd
JOURNAL: Journal of Anxiety Disorders 2000, Volume 14, pages 453-470.
ABSTRACT: "Fear of driving has been recognized as a complex diagnostic entity. Studies on flying phobia have drawn similar conclusions, although increasing clarity has been gained through research that indicates that there may be subtypes of flying phobia based on the focus of fear. However, it is unclear if similar subtypes exist for fear of driving. The aim of the present study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of driving fear subtypes and to clarify further whether there were differences between driving-fearful respondents who had been in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) and those who had not. Eighty-five driving-fearful, media-recruited respondents completed a questionnaire that assessed anxiety, avoidance, and concerns related to their driving fears. The sample had high expectations of negative events while driving. There were no significant differences between those who had experienced an MVA and those who had not on various measures of fear severity. Cluster analysis revealed two main foci of fear, one characterized by danger expectancies and the other based on anxiety expectancies and unpleasant driving situations. This emphasizes the importance of assessing both internal and external foci of fear. Although this finding is consistent with the results obtained for flying phobia, more research is required to replicate and extend these results and to develop and evaluate differential treatment programs."
SUMMARY: The authors describe how flying anxiety has been found to include several distinct sub-types, and suggest that the same may be true for driving anxiety. They mention that it is already known that sufferers of driving anxiety differ in various ways, for example some have previously experienced a motor vehicle accident and others have not. This article is based on a written survey completed by 85 people who suffer from driving anxiety. In general the respondents had high expectations that bad things would happen when they drove. Those who had experienced an accident did not differ significantly in the severity and focus of their fears from those who have not. There were two clusters of different types of people in the study. One group was focused on dangers on the road such as accidents, injury, losing control of the vehicle, and dangerous road conditions. Another group was more focused on the unpleasant emotions they felt when driving, such as anxiety and fear. The authors suggest that different treatment approaches might be needed for these groups, rather than taking a 'one size fits all' approach.
MY THOUGHTS: I appreciate the attempt the authors make to look beyond a simple diagnosis and investigate how people suffering from driving anxiety may have developed it differently, experience it differently and need tailored treatment approaches. I particularly appreciate the acknowledgement that they see that people who have not experienced a motor vehicle accident "deserve as much research attention and assistance as their MVA counterparts..." This research sets the scene for developing an appreciation of driving anxiety sub-types and tailored treatment approaches, although no specific suggestions can be made based on this data.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Not all people who have driving anxiety experience it the same way.
JOURNAL: Journal of Anxiety Disorders 2000, Volume 14, pages 453-470.
ABSTRACT: "Fear of driving has been recognized as a complex diagnostic entity. Studies on flying phobia have drawn similar conclusions, although increasing clarity has been gained through research that indicates that there may be subtypes of flying phobia based on the focus of fear. However, it is unclear if similar subtypes exist for fear of driving. The aim of the present study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of driving fear subtypes and to clarify further whether there were differences between driving-fearful respondents who had been in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) and those who had not. Eighty-five driving-fearful, media-recruited respondents completed a questionnaire that assessed anxiety, avoidance, and concerns related to their driving fears. The sample had high expectations of negative events while driving. There were no significant differences between those who had experienced an MVA and those who had not on various measures of fear severity. Cluster analysis revealed two main foci of fear, one characterized by danger expectancies and the other based on anxiety expectancies and unpleasant driving situations. This emphasizes the importance of assessing both internal and external foci of fear. Although this finding is consistent with the results obtained for flying phobia, more research is required to replicate and extend these results and to develop and evaluate differential treatment programs."
SUMMARY: The authors describe how flying anxiety has been found to include several distinct sub-types, and suggest that the same may be true for driving anxiety. They mention that it is already known that sufferers of driving anxiety differ in various ways, for example some have previously experienced a motor vehicle accident and others have not. This article is based on a written survey completed by 85 people who suffer from driving anxiety. In general the respondents had high expectations that bad things would happen when they drove. Those who had experienced an accident did not differ significantly in the severity and focus of their fears from those who have not. There were two clusters of different types of people in the study. One group was focused on dangers on the road such as accidents, injury, losing control of the vehicle, and dangerous road conditions. Another group was more focused on the unpleasant emotions they felt when driving, such as anxiety and fear. The authors suggest that different treatment approaches might be needed for these groups, rather than taking a 'one size fits all' approach.
MY THOUGHTS: I appreciate the attempt the authors make to look beyond a simple diagnosis and investigate how people suffering from driving anxiety may have developed it differently, experience it differently and need tailored treatment approaches. I particularly appreciate the acknowledgement that they see that people who have not experienced a motor vehicle accident "deserve as much research attention and assistance as their MVA counterparts..." This research sets the scene for developing an appreciation of driving anxiety sub-types and tailored treatment approaches, although no specific suggestions can be made based on this data.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Not all people who have driving anxiety experience it the same way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)