Polish Adaptation of the Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale

Błachnio, Agata; Przepiórka, Aneta; Sullman, Mark; Taylor, Joanne · 2013 · Crossref

DOI: 10.2478/ppb-2013-0021

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Summary

This study addresses the lack of data regarding driving anxiety prevalence in the general population, noting that existing research primarily focuses on motor vehicle crash (MVC) survivors. The authors aimed to adapt the Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale (DRAS) into Polish to assess its psychometric properties and determine levels of driving and riding avoidance among non-clinical participants. Previous research indicated that the original DRAS instructions were ambiguous, potentially conflating anxiety-driven avoidance with avoidance due to economic or environmental factors. Therefore, this study also investigated the validity of a revised DRAS with clarified instructions. The study utilized a sample of 210 Polish university students (158 women, 52 men) with an average age of 24.7 years. Participants completed the adapted DRAS, which measures avoidance behaviors on a 4-point Likert scale, alongside measures of trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), self-esteem (Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale), and mood regulation (Mood Regulation Scale). The DRAS was translated and back-translated to ensure accuracy, and instructions were modified to specify that responses should reflect avoidance due to anxiety. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests for group comparisons, Pearson correlations, and Exploratory Factor Analysis. Results indicated that the Polish adaptation of the DRAS demonstrated strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of .91 for the total scale and ranging from .77 to .85 for subscales. Factor analysis revealed a clear two-factor structure: one factor comprising driving avoidance items and the other consisting solely of riding avoidance items. This structure was clearer than those found in previous US and New Zealand studies. Polish participants reported significantly lower avoidance scores than New Zealand students but scores comparable to US MVC survivors. Gender differences were significant, with Polish women reporting higher avoidance than men, a finding not present in previous studies. Driving avoidance correlated positively with trait anxiety and mood deterioration, and negatively with self-esteem, driving experience, and mileage. Riding avoidance showed no significant correlations with these psychological or demographic variables. The findings suggest that the adapted DRAS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring driving anxiety in general populations, not just clinical samples. The study highlights that driving anxiety is prevalent in non-clinical groups and is associated with lower self-esteem and higher anxiety. The distinct factor structure and gender differences observed in Poland may reflect cultural variations in driving roles and road safety perceptions compared to Western nations. The authors conclude that the revised DRAS effectively distinguishes between driving and riding avoidance, providing a useful tool for future research into the multidimensional nature of driving anxiety.

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• anxiety depression driving
• dbq psychometrics

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• Methodological Resource: validation psychometrics