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Accurate self-assessment of skill is important because it creates an appropriate level of confidence and hence behaviour. Inaccurate self-assessment of driving ability has been linked to reckless driving and accidents. Inaccurate self-assessment of driving skills may be a contributing factor to the over-representation of young male drivers in accident statistics. Most previous research on self-assessment of driving skills did not compare self-reported skills to objectively measured driving skills, so the aims of this study were: 1) to test the accuracy of young male drivers' self-assessments of specific driving skills by comparing them with performance in a driving simulator; 2) to test whether self-assessment accuracy varied with driving skill, driving experience and sensation-seeking propensity. We found that young male drivers' selfassessments were inconsistent with their driving performance, and that this inconsistency varied with driving skill, driving experience and sensation-seeking propensity. Groups with particularly inaccurate self-assessments are at high risk, because of their relative lack of skill, high mileage and sensation-seeking propensity. Self-assessments of hazard prediction and detection skills were particularly inaccurate. Understanding self-assessments of driving skill is crucial, but further studies are needed to allow preventive policies and interventions to take factors affecting self-assessments into account.

The Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) is used to measure aberrant driver behavior by asking drivers how often they engage in various aberrant driver behaviors. Since the development of the original DBQ, several modified versions have been developed. The difference between the various versions is that new items are added or existing items modified or excluded. However, despite the differences, all versions are relatively long and therefore time-consuming and tiring to answer, which might limit the usability of the instrument. The main purpose of the present study was to develop a mini DBQ version by reducing the 27-item original DBQ to the shortest possible DBQ version. A second aim was to explore the feasibility of a second-order structure within the data, which means that violations, errors and lapses factors load on a higher-order aberrant driver behavior factor. The presence of a second-order structure further indicates the validity of the DBQ and its theoretical structure. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the fit (i.e., how well the models explain the data) of the original DBQ versus the fit of the shortest possible DBQ, as well as the presence of a second-order structure for the DBQ. The results identified a nine-item Mini-DBQ. In addition, a second-order structure was established in the data. These findings indicate that the Mini-DBQ is a valid and useful short measure of aberrant driver behavior.

BackgroundThe Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III (FPQ-III) is a widely used instrument to assess the fear of pain (FOP) in clinical and nonclinical samples. The FPQ-III has 30 items and is divided into three subscales: Severe Pain, Minor Pain and Medical Pain. Due to findings of poor fit of the original three-factor FPQ-III model, the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-Short Form (FPQ-SF) four-factor model has been suggested as an alternative. The FPQ-SF is a revised version of the FPQ-III, reduced to 20 items and subdivided into four subscales: Severe Pain, Minor Pain, Injection Pain and Dental Pain.Aims and methodsThe purpose of the study was to investigate the model fit, reliability and validity of the FPQ-III and the FPQ-SF in a Norwegian nonclinical sample, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The second aim was to explore the model fit of the two scales in male and female subgroups separately, since previous studies have uncovered differences in how well the questionnaires measure FOP across sex; thus, the questionnaires might not be sex neutral. It has been argued that the FPQ-SF model is better because of the higher fit to the data across sex. To explore model fit across sex within the questionnaires, the model fit, validity and reliability were compared across sex using CFA.ResultsThe results revealed that both models’ original factor structures had poor fit. However, the FPQ-SF had a better fit overall, compared to the FPQ-III. The model fit of the two models differed across sex, with better fit for males on the FPQ-III and for females on the FPQ-SF.ConclusionThe FPQ-SF is a better questionnaire than the FPQ-III for measurement of FOP in Norwegian samples and across sex subgroups. However, the FPQ-III is a better questionnaire for males than for females, whereas the FPQ-SF is a better questionnaire for females than for males. The findings are discussed and directions for future investigations outlined.