Comparing the self-assessed and examiner-assessed driving skills of Japanese driving school students

Abstract

a b s t r a c tPrevious research about subjective driving skills has revealed that drivers, especially younger males, tend to rate their driving skills more highly than those of the average driver. This study examines the accuracy of Japanese novice drivers' self-evaluation of their driving skills by comparing their self-assessments with assessments made by a driving examiner. We also examined the effects of gender and age on the accuracy of driver selfevaluation of their skills. A sample of Japanese driving test candidates (n= 2021) completed a self-assessment using a 5-point scale applied to 19 items. The candidates completed the assessment shortly after passing their practical driving test conducted at a driving school. Their performance was also assessed by an examiner who used the same scale. The comparison between self-assessment and examiner-assessment revealed that around 40% of Japanese driving school students made a realistic assessment of their skills. With regard to the gender differences, although males displayed higher levels of overconfidence than females did, the differences were not as large as earlier studies with questionnaires had suggested. Furthermore, the effect of age on the accuracy of novice drivers' skill assessment was found to be relatively small. Our findings, which are based on a comparison of subjective assessments of driving skills between examiners and novices, instead of a questionable method which relies on a comparison with a hypothetical average driver, suggest that the majority of candidates in fact do not overrate their own skills. These results were discussed from the viewpoint of the driver education system and compared to other European research using the same framework.

“I Drive Well, the Problem is the Other Driver”: A Study About the Self-Assessment of the Ability to Drive

“…Several studies have suggested that males tend to evaluate their own driving skills better than females (Boccara et al, 2010;Delhomme, 1991;McKenna et al, 1991). However, this result runs counter to studies that claim that the difference between sexes is not statistically significant (Boccara et al, 2011;Nakai & Usui, 2012;Sundström, 2011). Therefore, the present research suggests that males tend to self-evaluate in a more optimistic way than female subjects.…”

“…Difference between the responses of both sexes was found, concluding that males tend to evaluate their driving skills more optimistically than females (Boccara, Delhomme, Vidal-Gomel, Dommès, & Rogalski, 2010;Delhomme, 1991;McKenna et al, 1991). Other studies indicate that despite this fact, the differences between sexes are not statistically significant (Boccara et al, 2011;Nakai & Usui, 2012) or there are no significant differences at all (Sundström, 2011). Contrary to all these results, the research by Mynttinen et al (2009) demonstrated that women overestimate abilities of "vehicle maneuver" and "economic driving" in relation to men.…”

“…For example, there is a relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and academic performance (Cupani & Zalazar-Jaime, 2014). However, the overestimation of one's driving ability is probably more dangerous than its underestimation (Nakai & Usui, 2012), because it may increase a risky driving behavior (Isler, Starkey, & Drew, 2008;White, Cunningham, & Titchener, 2011), and it could cause non-assertive decision-making (Horrey et al, 2015;Kruger & Dunning, 1999).…”

Alternative Assessment: Exploring the Effectiveness of Self-Assessment Practice among Engineering Students

“…Next is to group the written assignments into three categories, namely: overrated, accurately rated and underrated. These terms were used extensively across various studies on self-assessment (Boud & Falchiko 1989;Gentle 1994;Suzuki 2009;Nakai & Usui 2012;Hoskins et al 2012). Accurately rated refers to assignments which are awarded the same exact marks by the first and second assessors, or the one within two points from one another.…”

Effects of personality traits on bus drivers’ prosocial and aggressive behaviours: The moderated mediating role of risk perception and gender

“…On the other hand, studies concerning this theoretical framework have mainly focused on private car drivers’ risk-taking behaviours [ 27 ]. Given that prosocial and aggressive driving behaviours are more universal than risk-taking behaviours, it is of great importance to concurrently examine bus drivers’ safe and unsafe driving behaviours and deeply investigate their associations with personality and risk perceptions.…”