Research Methods Overview Flashcards
Describe the induction method.
Reasoning proceeds from data and leads to theory.
Describe the deduction method.
Theory is used to predict the data.
Good theories must be ____ , _____ and _____.
Testable, precise and parsimonious
What characterizes a theory?
Scientists must be able to test and falsify a theory.
What are the two scientific methods?
Inductive and deductive reasoning.
How do scientists test theories?
Experiments and associations
What kinds of conclusions do experiments enable?
Causation: X affects Y.
What kinds of conclusions do association studies enable?
Correlation. X is associated with Y.
What are the 6 types of validity?
- Construct validity
- Convergent validity
- Divergent validity
- Internal validity
- External validity
- Statistical conclusion validity
Define construct validity.
The degree to which a measurement gives a good indication of the construct a researcher is trying to measure.
Define convergent validity.
The extent to which two measurements that are supposed to measure the same construct are correlated.
Define divergent validity.
The extent to which two measurements that are supposed to be unrelated are actually uncorrelated.
Define internal validity.
The degree to which a research design leads to conclusions in which a researcher has confidence (associated with random assignment of participants in an experiment).
Define external validity.
The degree to which a researcher can generalize the results of a study to a larger population (associated with random selection of participants from a population).
Define statistical conclusion validity.
The degree to which statistical analyses lead to good conclusions.
What type of research method in the human factors toolbox has the highest experimental control?
Laboratory experiments
Which research method in the human factors toolbox has the highest experimental control?
police accident reports
Rank the 10 research methods in the human factors tool box from highest degree of experimental control to lowest degree of experimental control (i.e. association/correlation).
- Laboratory Experiments
- Driving Simulatory Studies
- Computer Simulations
- Test Track Studies
- On-Road Vehicle Studies
- Naturalistic Driving Studies
- Field Operational Studies
- Roadway/Driver Observational Studies
- Self-Report Survey
- Police Accident Reports
Which research method in the human factors toolbox has the highest Internal Validity as opposed to External Validity?
Laboratory experiments
Which research method in the human factors toolbox has the highest External Validity as opposed to Internal Validity?
Police Accident Reports
Rank the research method in the human factors toolbox from the highest Internal Validity (Lowest External Validity) to lowest Internal Validity (highest External Validity).
- Laboratory Experiments
- Driving Simulatory Studies
- Computer Simulations
- Test Track Studies
- On-Road Vehicle Studies
- Naturalistic Driving Studies
- Field Operational Studies
- Roadway/Driver Observational Studies
- Self-Report Survey
- Police Accident Reports
Which research method in the human factors toolbox is most resource intensive?
Field operational tests
Which research method in the human factors toolbox is least resource intensive?
Police accident reports
Rank the research method in the human factors toolbox from least resource intensive to most resource intensive.
- Police accident reports
- Roadway/driver observational studies
- Computer simulations
- Self-Report Survey
- Laboratory Experiments
- On-Road Vehicle Studies
- Driving Simulator Studies
- Test Track Studies
- Naturalistic Driving Studies
- Field operational tests
What are some examples of self-report survey instruments?
- Surveys
- Questionnaires
- Interviews
- Focus Groups
- Driving Diaries
- Ecological Momentary Assessments
What are some limitations of self-report survey instruments?
- participants are aware of being studied
- It is assumed that responses reflect the participant’s reality.
What are the pros of self-report instruments?
- Less expensive form of data collection
- Provide more detailed information than observations
- Can reach a large number of people
- Population is more representative
- Representativeness can be assessed statistically
- Reliability of items on survey can be assessed
What are two well-known and established survey instruments?
Driver behavior questionnaire and driver skill inventory
What does driver behavior refer to and what are some examples?
Driving style (e.g. preferred speed, following distance, rule obedience).
Are drivers generally aware of their driving performance?
Yes
Do drivers typically report their driving performance?
Yes
Are drivers generally aware of their driving skill?
No. Drivers typically overestimate their driving skill.
What is the driving behavioral questionnaire (DBQ) based upon?
Distinctions between deliberate violations, dangerous errors, and silly errors.
How can crash history be collected? What types of error are involved in these data collection methods?
Self report and traffic records. Both have systematic and/or random error.
What is are two benefits of self-report?
- Minor crashes will be reported
- Usually more detailed than traffic records
What is a limitation of self-reports compared to traffic records?
Under-reporting
How can you maximize the acuracy of self-reported crash responses?
Ask about history of crashes within the last 3 to 5 years instead of within one’s lifetime.
What types of crash events are likely to be remembered?
Severe crashes and crashes resulting in injury. Minor crashes may be forgotten.
What kinds of crashes are not included in traffic records?
Minor crashes
What population demographic is overrepresented in crash records and why?
Older drivers. They have a greater tendency to get injured.
What are two limitations of traffic records?
- They are notoriously slow to be updated, so recent crashes and violations don’t show up
- Data are protected and can be difficult to obtain
What types of events are especially frequent?
Near-crashes. More so than actual crashes.
What is a limiation of near-crashes?
They are easily forgotten.
What is a strategy for maximizing the accuracy of near-crash reporting?
- Increased frequency of data collection
- Shorter time durations (past week instead of past month)
What technique/method can be helpful in capturing near-crashes?
Driving diaries
What metric is extremely important for driving safety studies?
Mileage or driving exposure
What are two limitations of mileage or driving exposure metrics in driving safety studies?
- They are extremely difficult to obtain
- Accuracy is questionable
How is mileage typically measured?
Self report:
- Via driving diaries
- Of mileage over a specific time period (e.g. past week)
What is a more objective method of ascertaining driving safety than mileage or driving exposure?
In-vehicle monitoring
What are some limitations/complications of in-vehicle monitoring?
- It is not large-scale deployable
- It comes with issues such as driver identification
What does the National Household Travel survey estimate?
Population level driving exposure
How does the National Household Travel survey estimate population level driving exposure?
- National representative sample
- Participants report mileage over the past 3 days
How can internal reliability be assessed?
By asking questions in the instrument to obtain the same information and assessing the correlations for those questions.
How can researchers determine the reliability of participant responses to the survey instrument?
Test-Re-test assessments
What does content validity mean in the context of the survey instrument?
The survey covers all topics related to a specific domain without introducing other topics.
What is construct validity in the context of survey instruments?
Test results compare favorably to other surveys measuring the same behaviors.
What organization has conducted the traffic safety culture index for the past 10 years?
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
What are two things the recent Traffic Safety Culture Index includes?
- Findings related to the drop in total vehicle-miles traveled (VMT)
- Increase in fatalities that were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic
What population is the Traffic Safety Culture Index representative of?
U.S. national population (Ages 19+). Uses large-scale sampling strategies.
What are five things that the Traffic Safety Culture Index covers?
- Perceived magnitude and visibility of the safety problem
- General support of safety laws
- General acceptability of certain traffic behaviors
- Beliefs of threats to personal safety
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
What are three focus areas of the Traffic Safety Culture Index?
- Distracted driving (e.g. cellphone use, texting, emailing)
- Risky and aggressive driving (e.g. speeding and running red lights)
- Driving while impaired (e.g. drowsiness, alcohol, drugs)
What were participant views on talking/texting on a cell phone while driving in the Traffic Safety Culture Index?
Talking/texing while driving is a serious safety concern
What percentage of respondents in the Traffic Safety Culture Index engaged in talking/texting on a cell phone while driving in the past 30 days?
Slightly less than half.
What percentage of respondents in the Traffic Safety Culture Index engaged in driving 15 MPH above the speed limit on interstates and residential streets in the past 30 days?
Half
Was speeding 15 miles per hour considered more dangerous on interstates or residential streets by Traffic Safety Culture Index respondents?
Residential streets
What percentage of respondents in the Traffic Safety Culture Index reported running a red light in the past 30 days?
25%
What percentage of respondents in the Traffic Safety Culture Index find running red lights unacceptable?
90%
What percentage of respondents in the Traffic Safety Culture Index find drinking and driving to be unacceptable?
94%
What percentage of respondents in the Traffic Safety Culture Index admit to drinving under the influence at least once in the past year?
6%
What are some benefits of the Traffic Safety Culture Index?
- It is a well-constructed instrument
- It is broadly cited in literature
- It provides a snapshot of US driver’s attitudes and behavior prevalences
