The Development of Standard Protocols to Improve the Quality of Driving Simulator Research

Harvey, Catherine; Burnett, Gary · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe100756

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This paper addresses the lack of absolute validity and ecological validity in driving simulator research, specifically focusing on how uncontrolled experimental design factors influence participant behavior and their sense of "presence" (the perception of reality). While simulators offer high relative validity, participants’ awareness of the artificial environment often reduces the realism of their performance. The authors argue that standardizing protocols for participant interaction—particularly regarding incentives and instructions—is necessary to improve research quality, similar to recent efforts to standardize driving performance metrics. The authors propose a methodology for a study investigating two specific variables: financial incentives and participant instructions. The experimental design is a 2x2 between-participants factorial design with 40 licensed drivers. The first variable involves a financial penalty system where participants are told their £10 voucher incentive will be reduced by £1 for each driving violation, acting as a surrogate for real-world consequences. The second variable involves the level of instruction provided: either detailed written instructions based on official UK driving test rules or minimal verbal instructions asking participants to drive naturally. All participants receive the full £10 voucher regardless of performance, with the penalty manipulation revealed only during debriefing. The study procedure utilizes a fixed-base driving simulator featuring a Honda Civic cabin and a 270-degree projection screen. Participants complete a 20-minute motorway driving scenario while listening to intermittent music clips, a cover story intended to reduce focus on performance and mimic real-world distraction. Data collection includes objective driving metrics recorded by the simulator software, such as mean speed, speed exceedances, centerline crossings, and road edge excursions. Subjective data are gathered via pre-trial demographic and baseline driving behavior questionnaires, and post-trial assessments of simulator sickness and presence using the Witmer and Singer presence questionnaire and the ITC-Sense of Presence Inventory. The authors hypothesize that the financial penalty system will encourage stricter adherence to driving rules and potentially enhance feelings of presence by simulating negative consequences. They also predict that detailed instructions will lead to more "good driving" behaviors and higher presence ratings due to contextual cues, though they acknowledge the risk that detailed instructions might increase cognitive load and disrupt natural performance. The paper concludes that understanding these influences is critical for developing standardized protocols in simulator research, ensuring that study design characteristics do not inadvertently bias results or reduce the ecological validity of findings.

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Topics

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• simulator validity fidelity
• simulator sickness
• simulator training transfer

Information type

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• Methodological Resource: validation psychometrics, tool software, measurement protocol