Are you more skilful that the average driver?
Discussion
Sofie,
I'm afraid your survey appears to take a very simplistic approach to driving and road use in general.
It is plain to see that your research will conclude that over confident drivers take more risks, have more accidents and have more motoring convictions.
The problem lies with a discrepancy between the drivers own belief in their ability and the level of ability they have.
A police traffic officer answering the survey would indicate that confident drivers have less issues. However, for every person who is a good driver with confidence there are hundreds who think they are great, but in reality are very poor.
In order to qualify over confidence, it needs to me measured against ability, and aside from some questions on how many accidents, convictions ect there is no means of assesing ability.
I'm afraid your survey appears to take a very simplistic approach to driving and road use in general.
It is plain to see that your research will conclude that over confident drivers take more risks, have more accidents and have more motoring convictions.
The problem lies with a discrepancy between the drivers own belief in their ability and the level of ability they have.
A police traffic officer answering the survey would indicate that confident drivers have less issues. However, for every person who is a good driver with confidence there are hundreds who think they are great, but in reality are very poor.
In order to qualify over confidence, it needs to me measured against ability, and aside from some questions on how many accidents, convictions ect there is no means of assesing ability.
Can I suggest some of you stating the obvious give her a break? She's anundergraduate student clearly collecting data for her dissertation, which to do well doesn't have to qualify for the Nobel Prize. For the record, and thanks to my profession I'd know, her questionnaire isn't perfect but its far from bad.
Good luck with it!
Good luck with it!
Better observation skills than me then, I didn't notice that. 
Well, I think we can see that rigid adherence to a speed limit is a benchmark for safety, which is a fairly poor start to my mind. A number of questions have too many variables as well.
And it was a right PITA trying to calculate the miles of the marianas trench into feet... Unless I read it wrong!
And it was a right PITA trying to calculate the miles of the marianas trench into feet... Unless I read it wrong!
stevesingo said:
Sofie,
I'm afraid your survey appears to take a very simplistic approach to driving and road use in general.
It is plain to see that your research will conclude that over confident drivers take more risks, have more accidents and have more motoring convictions.
The problem lies with a discrepancy between the drivers own belief in their ability and the level of ability they have.
A police traffic officer answering the survey would indicate that confident drivers have less issues. However, for every person who is a good driver with confidence there are hundreds who think they are great, but in reality are very poor.
In order to qualify over confidence, it needs to me measured against ability, and aside from some questions on how many accidents, convictions ect there is no means of assesing ability.
I expect it is exactly this kind of presumption that Sofie is addressing.I'm afraid your survey appears to take a very simplistic approach to driving and road use in general.
It is plain to see that your research will conclude that over confident drivers take more risks, have more accidents and have more motoring convictions.
The problem lies with a discrepancy between the drivers own belief in their ability and the level of ability they have.
A police traffic officer answering the survey would indicate that confident drivers have less issues. However, for every person who is a good driver with confidence there are hundreds who think they are great, but in reality are very poor.
In order to qualify over confidence, it needs to me measured against ability, and aside from some questions on how many accidents, convictions ect there is no means of assesing ability.
Disco You said:
Also, the number of books in the old testament differs depending upon whether you are Catholic or Protestant...
Maybe that's what the EU will start discriminating on 
Seriously though, I suspect that many of the mathematical questions relate to accuracy of perception. I happen to think I'm quite good at judging braking distances, but I use things like the two-second rule. I have absolutely no idea what a mile 'looks' like other than a moving digit on my milometer or a quick mph/distance calculation after having passed a roadsign on the understanding that 60mph=1mpm and my maths is generally terrible, borderline-innumerate stuff, but I don't consider myself to be imperceptive because of it.
forzaminardi said:
Can I suggest some of you stating the obvious give her a break? She's anundergraduate student clearly collecting data for her dissertation, which to do well doesn't have to qualify for the Nobel Prize. For the record, and thanks to my profession I'd know, her questionnaire isn't perfect but its far from bad.
Good luck with it!
This is just constructive feedback, and it's not that dissimilar from what her academic leaders might be telling her anyway.Good luck with it!
Can't see anyone throwing their toys out of the pram.
C
garycat said:
I expect it is exactly this kind of presumption that Sofie is addressing.
Not really. You see, some are confident because they have advanced driving skills. That does not make them over-confident.I would say I am confident that I am a better driver than the average motorist - but then the base line for average is so low it is almost contemptable these days, given my experiences on the roads.
Am I overconfident? Well, based on their criteria I have had no accidents in the last three years and no speeding points either. Does that make me a good driver? No. But checking my quarter before I pull out, leaving a gap between vehicles to stop in (though I wish people would stop pulling into it!) and driving to the conditions are things that make me above average to my mind.
Sump said:
I better thing would be these forum ranges:
PH
Mumsnet
Avforums
Digitalspy
This will give you a serious range of results.
If you want a range of results you add the following:PH
Mumsnet
Avforums
Digitalspy
This will give you a serious range of results.
youtube comments
comments on stories from the daily mail.
The range of results would be from incoherent right the way through to racist by way of driving and changing nappies.
What absolute f*cking drivel.
As someone who works with research agencies a lot, and has seen his fair share of questionnaires, I am pretty saddened by the fact that you haven't even been bothered to go through and proof-read your script. On top of the likelihood that a quick Google for "car forum" was probably all you bothered to do about sample sourcing, this is really not looking like a great piece of work.
As someone who works with research agencies a lot, and has seen his fair share of questionnaires, I am pretty saddened by the fact that you haven't even been bothered to go through and proof-read your script. On top of the likelihood that a quick Google for "car forum" was probably all you bothered to do about sample sourcing, this is really not looking like a great piece of work.
mrmr96 said:
Quick question; how do you distinguish between confidence and overconfidence?
One is sitting outside the pub after a run, listening to the plink plink of a cooling engine, the other is sitting in a hedge listening to the sound of sirens approaching. 
In many ways it's a before and after question.
Triumph Man said:
Hi Sofie,
Just doing your survey now, but I have a problem with this question:
"Stay in a motorway lane that you know will be closed ahead until the last minute before forcing your way into the other lane"
That's called merge in turn and is a perfectly acceptable driving procedure. To call it forceful is a little mis-informed IMO.
That one set my alarm bells ringing too. The poor drivers are the ones joining the back of the 2 mile long queue when there's another lane open. Just doing your survey now, but I have a problem with this question:
"Stay in a motorway lane that you know will be closed ahead until the last minute before forcing your way into the other lane"
That's called merge in turn and is a perfectly acceptable driving procedure. To call it forceful is a little mis-informed IMO.
smartphone hater said:
Demographics?
I agree this is the intention but fail to see how if i know when Mozart was born or how deep the ocean is increases/decreases on how confident i am or give an indication as to how my personality may affect my driving behaviour. It just means i have broad general knowledge?On the other hand, i've not studied psycology, was just curious as to how the survey results will be calculated
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