Relationships Between Cognitive and Driving Self-awareness in Older Drivers

Laurence Paire-Ficout, Sylviane Lafont, Marion Hay, Amandine Coquillat, Colette Fabrigoule, Chantal Chavoix and Vanessa Taler

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2021, vol. 76, issue 6, 1077-1085

Abstract: ObjectivesMany older drivers incorrectly estimate their driving ability. The present study aimed to determine whether, and if so, to what extent unawareness of cognitive abilities affects self-awareness of driving ability.MethodTwo successive studies were conducted in older drivers. A cohort study investigated cognitive self-awareness and an experimental study examined driving self-awareness. In each one, self-awareness was assessed by cross-analyzing objective (respectively Trail-Making Tests A and B and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and driving performance of on-road assessment) and subjective data (responses about everyday cognitive skills and driving ability). Older drivers were then classified as being over-, correct, or underestimators. The 3 cognitive and driving self-awareness profiles were then cross-analyzed.ResultsIn the cohort study, 1,190 drivers aged 70 years or older were included. The results showed that 42.7% of older drivers overestimated their cognitive ability, 42.2% estimated it correctly, and 15.1% underestimated it. The experimental study included 145 participants from the cohort. The results showed that 34% of participants overestimated, 45% correctly estimated, and 21% underestimated their driving ability. There was a significant relationship between cognitive and driving self-awareness profiles (p = .02). This overlap was more marked in overestimators.DiscussionSignificant overlap between cognitive and driving self-awareness provides useful and new knowledge about driving in the aging population. Misestimation of cognitive ability could hamper self-awareness of driving ability, and consequently self-regulation of driving. It is now crucial to develop measures that promote self-awareness of ability.

Keywords: Cognition; Driving; Metacognition; Self-evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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The Journals of Gerontology: Series B is currently edited by Psychological Sciences - S. Duke Han, PhD and Social Sciences - Jessica A Kelley, PhD, FGSA

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