Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The problem of how the mind relates to the brain stands as one of the greatest challenges today.
The materialistic worldview and pragmatic approach to social problems are both being transformed
by discoveries of how human experience and culture arise in cerebral activity. Even so, this effort,
spearheaded by neuroscience, has seen the important and contentious issue of driver behaviour
somehow been left behind.
From an extensive literature study, it can be concluded that gross disregard of the neural
underpinnings of such behaviour tied to a behaviouristic approach is endemic to the field.
Numerous qualitative psychological models (each associated with debates about their validity) and
Artificial Intelligence models, which effectively only imitate robots 'impaired' to display some
humanlike characteristics, were come across. Although neural networks are derived from current
knowledge of computation within the brain and deployed in industry, human driver behaviour
modelling is not benefiting from this revolution in humanlike information processing.
To date, very little has been done to determine what makes road users speed, drive while drunk,
overtake, or yield at crossroads. As the central nervous system is the human measuring device in
and of the world and thus key affector of human behaviour, it is ofutrnost importance to invest
resources in 'inoculating' the field of driver behaviour modelling onto a robust basis provided by
neuroscience. Being a human driver incorporates a broad complement of interrelated brain systems
to perform driving tasks (psychological functions) at hand, such as lane keeping, speed choice, risk
perception, and obstacle avoidance. The proper level of analysis of such a psychological function
is the level at which that function is represented in the brain. Providing a theoretical model of
human behaviour, based on biological facts of the brain as a whole, is surely a challenge for
decades to come, but the field of driver behaviour should be part of such an effort.
Collaboration is needed among investigators from the fields of neuroscience, psychology,
mathematics, computer science, and engineering to further driver behaviour modelling. It is
uncommon that professionals from these fields have a thorough understanding of the other fields
involved, but the author, not pretending to be an expert, argues that such a union of fields will be of
significant value not only to transportation, but all behavioural sciences. The wealth of to-date
knowledge amassed in neuroscience lies ready to be tapped by researchers interested in explaining human driver behaviour. To this end, the use of modem brain-imaging techniques will be
invaluable in pinning down the neural correlates of particular driving subtasks, bearing in mind the
extent of structural impacts on the brain of each individual, brought about by a lifetime of
interaction with the environment.
Thus, based on the findings of this literature study, the author proposes that supplementary work be
conducted by a multi-disciplinary team to roll-out an experiment to study the nature of
environmental stimuli as instigators of aggression and road rage, by drawing on knowledge about
brain imaging and (amygdala) activation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vraagstuk hoe die verstand [denke] met die brein in verband staan, is een van die grootste
uitdagings tans. Die materialistiese wêreldbeskouing sowel as die pragmatiese benadering van
maatskaplike probleme word verander deur ontdekkings aangaande die wyse waarop menslike
ervaring en kultuur hul in serebrale aktiwiteit voordoen. Desondanks is in hierdie poging, met die
neurowetenskap aan die spits, die belangrike en omstrede kwessie van bestuurdersgedrag om een of
ander rede agterweë gelaat.
Uit 'n uitgebreide literatuurstudie kan afgelei word dat grootskaalse verontagsaming van die neurale
basis van sodanige gedrag gekoppel aan 'n behavioristiese benadering endemies is aan die gebied.
Talle kwalitatiewe sielkundige modelle en kunsmatige intelligensiemodelle is teëgekom, elk
gepaard met debatte oor die geldigheid daarvan. Hoewel neurale netwerkmodelle gebaseer word
op huidige kennis van verwerking binne die brein en ontplooi word in die industrie, trek menslike
bestuurdersgedragmodellering nie voordeel uit hierdie revolusie in neurale inligtingsverwerking nie.
Tot op hede is baie min gedoen om vas te stel waarom padgebruikers jaag, dronkbestuur,
verbysteek of by kruispaaie toegee. Aangesien die sentrale senuweestelsel die menslike
meettoestel in en van die wêreld is en dus die sleutelbeïnvloeder van menslike gedrag is, is dit van
die uiterste belang om middele te investeer in die fundering van die gebied van
bestuurdersgedragmodellering op 'n stewige basis daargestel deur die neurowetenskappe. Om'n
menslike bestuurder te wees behels 'n omvattende komplement van verbandhoudende breinstelsels
om bestuurstake (sielkundige funksies) te verrig, soos spoedkeuse, risikowaarneming en die
vermyding van obstruksies. Die gepaste ontledingsvlak van so 'n sielkundige funksie is die vlak
waarop daardie funksie in die brein verteenwoordig word. Die daarstelling van 'n teoretiese model
van menslike gedrag, gebaseer op biologiese feite van die brein in die geheel, is gewis nog vir
komende dekades 'n uitdaging, maar die gebied van bestuurdersgedrag moet deel uitmaak van so 'n
pogmg.
Samewerking is nodig tussen navorsers uit die neurowetenskappe, sielkunde, wiskunde,
rekenaarwetenskap en ingenieurswese om bestuurdersgedragmodellering te bevorder. Dit is
ongewoon dat vakkundiges uit hierdie velde 'n deeglike begrip het van die ander gebiede wat
betrokke is, maar die outeur, sonder om voor te gee dat hy 'n deskundige is, betoog dat so 'n samesnoering van vakgebiede van betekenisvolle waarde sal wees, nie net vir die vervoerwese nie,
maar ook vir al die gedragwetenskappe. Die omvang van die jongste kennis wat in die
neurowetenskappe vergaar is, lê gereed om deur navorsers benut te word wat belang stel in die
verklaring van menslike bestuurdersgedrag. Met dié doel sal die gebruik van moderne
breinskanderingstegnieke van onskatbare waarde wees om die neurale korrelate van bepaalde
bestuursubtake vas te pen, gedagtig aan die omvang van strukturele impakte op die brein van elke
indiwidu teweeggebring deur 'n leeftyd van interaksie met die omgewing. Daarom, gebaseer op die bevindinge van hierdie literatuurstudie, stel die outeur voor dat
addisionele werk gedoen word deur 'n multi-dissiplinêre span ten einde 'n eksperiment uit te voer,
waarin die aard van stimuli uit die omgewing, wat lei tot padwoede, bestudeer kan word, met
inagneming van die beskikbare kennis oor breinskandering en (amygdala) -aktiveringpatrone.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53701 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Poolman, Pieter |
| Contributors | Bester, C. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Civil Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 2 v. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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