{"id":{"repo_id":"maynooth","oai_identifier":"oai:mural.maynoothuniversity.ie:8782"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/maynooth/oai:mural.maynoothuniversity.ie:8782","repository":{"repo_id":"maynooth","name":"National University of Ireland - Maynooth","base_url":"http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"Examining the role of cognition in driving: Comparisons between driver groups and the development of the Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment","abstract":"Driving is a complex task which requires the interaction of multiple higher level cognitive skills, each of which can be affected by experience, age, and cognitive impairment. Assessing at-risk drivers can be done via pre-screening tests and on-road measures to identify any decrements in fitness to drive. This thesis found that experienced drivers responded more slowly (Mean RT = 799.97ms, p = .03) on a measure of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test) and reported greater confidence in their driving ability (Mean rating = 7.7, p < .005) than novice drivers. Older adults were found to have longer response times in a measure of attention (Attentional Network Task, p = .004), and of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test, p < .005), and performed less well in an off-road driving measure (Useful Field of View subtest 3, p = .001) than younger adults. These findings demonstrate significant differences in some cognitive abilities as a result of driving experience and age; additionally, we found that the Stroop Colour Word test should be considered as a more sensitive measure of executive function in pre-screening driving batteries. Finally, this thesis developed a standardised on-road driving test (Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment [Morda]) with good inter-rater reliability overall (Cronbach’s α = .97) and on four of the five cognitive measures (attention, planning, decision making, and memory). These results and the development of the Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment further the goal of integrating cognitive assessment with on-road driving tests in a standardised measure of at-risk drivers in Ireland.","abstract_html":"Driving is a complex task which requires the interaction of multiple higher level cognitive skills, each of which can be affected by experience, age, and cognitive impairment. Assessing at-risk drivers can be done via pre-screening tests and on-road measures to identify any decrements in fitness to drive. This thesis found that experienced drivers responded more slowly (Mean RT = 799.97ms, p = .03) on a measure of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test) and reported greater confidence in their driving ability (Mean rating = 7.7, p &lt; .005) than novice drivers. Older adults were found to have longer response times in a measure of attention (Attentional Network Task, p = .004), and of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test, p &lt; .005), and performed less well in an off-road driving measure (Useful Field of View subtest 3, p = .001) than younger adults. These findings demonstrate significant differences in some cognitive abilities as a result of driving experience and age; additionally, we found that the Stroop Colour Word test should be considered as a more sensitive measure of executive function in pre-screening driving batteries. Finally, this thesis developed a standardised on-road driving test (Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment [Morda]) with good inter-rater reliability overall (Cronbach’s α = .97) and on four of the five cognitive measures (attention, planning, decision making, and memory). These results and the development of the Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment further the goal of integrating cognitive assessment with on-road driving tests in a standardised measure of at-risk drivers in Ireland.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Jeter, Kirby"],"institution":"National University of Ireland Maynooth","degree_name":null,"degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016","date_published":"2016","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:57Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Jeter, Kirby"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2016"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2016"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["National University of Ireland Maynooth"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/8782/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["masters"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/8782/1/Final%20thesis_%20with%20tracked%20changes.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Driving is a complex task which requires the interaction of multiple higher level cognitive skills, each of which can be affected by experience, age, and cognitive impairment. Assessing at-risk drivers can be done via pre-screening tests and on-road measures to identify any decrements in fitness to drive. This thesis found that experienced drivers responded more slowly (Mean RT = 799.97ms, p = .03) on a measure of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test) and reported greater confidence in their driving ability (Mean rating = 7.7, p < .005) than novice drivers. Older adults were found to have longer response times in a measure of attention (Attentional Network Task, p = .004), and of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test, p < .005), and performed less well in an off-road driving measure (Useful Field of View subtest 3, p = .001) than younger adults. These findings demonstrate significant differences in some cognitive abilities as a result of driving experience and age; additionally, we found that the Stroop Colour Word test should be considered as a more sensitive measure of executive function in pre-screening driving batteries. Finally, this thesis developed a standardised on-road driving test (Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment [Morda]) with good inter-rater reliability overall (Cronbach’s α = .97) and on four of the five cognitive measures (attention, planning, decision making, and memory). These results and the development of the Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment further the goal of integrating cognitive assessment with on-road driving tests in a standardised measure of at-risk drivers in Ireland."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["text"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Examining the role of cognition in driving: Comparisons between driver groups and the development of the Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Jeter, Kirby"],"dc:date":["2016"],"dc:date.issued":["2016"],"dc:description.abstract":["Driving is a complex task which requires the interaction of multiple higher level cognitive skills, each of which can be affected by experience, age, and cognitive impairment. Assessing at-risk drivers can be done via pre-screening tests and on-road measures to identify any decrements in fitness to drive. This thesis found that experienced drivers responded more slowly (Mean RT = 799.97ms, p = .03) on a measure of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test) and reported greater confidence in their driving ability (Mean rating = 7.7, p < .005) than novice drivers. Older adults were found to have longer response times in a measure of attention (Attentional Network Task, p = .004), and of executive function (Stroop Colour Word test, p < .005), and performed less well in an off-road driving measure (Useful Field of View subtest 3, p = .001) than younger adults. These findings demonstrate significant differences in some cognitive abilities as a result of driving experience and age; additionally, we found that the Stroop Colour Word test should be considered as a more sensitive measure of executive function in pre-screening driving batteries. Finally, this thesis developed a standardised on-road driving test (Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment [Morda]) with good inter-rater reliability overall (Cronbach’s α = .97) and on four of the five cognitive measures (attention, planning, decision making, and memory). These results and the development of the Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment further the goal of integrating cognitive assessment with on-road driving tests in a standardised measure of at-risk drivers in Ireland."],"dc:format":["text"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/8782/1/Final%20thesis_%20with%20tracked%20changes.pdf"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher.institution":["National University of Ireland Maynooth"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/8782/"],"dc:title":["Examining the role of cognition in driving: Comparisons between driver groups and the development of the Maynooth On-Road Driving Assessment"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["masters"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:57Z"}