This thesis attempted to provide a detailed theoretical understanding of the effects of task-induced fatigue on simulated driving performance. Previous research has shown that duration of driving has only a weak effect on driving performance. A series of studies were conducted to examine how fatigue effects interact with task demands, and to explore the psychological changes associated with fatigue. The research also explored links between fatigue and stress in terms of their affective reactions and the coping mechanisms which are central to them. The first phase of the research consisted of a series of simulated studies of fatigue. The first study developed an experimental paradigm to examine both task-specific and aftereffects of fatigue on driving performance. The findings showed that fatigue effects interacted with task demands such that drivers' lateral control of the vehicle and trajectory were impaired during low demand rather than in high demand driving episodes. The study also showed that the fatigue state is a multidimensional state which is principally characterised by a reduction in motivation. The second and third studies attempted to explore the role of motivational mechanisms in fatigue-related impairments. This phase of the research showed that impairments in low demand driving conditions may be reduced by enhancing the driver's motivational state. The fourth study explored the development of subjective fatigue in two types of task-induced fatigue. The study showed that there is a dissociation between subjective and objective fatigue. The second phase of the research examined the links between stress and fatigue in simulated and real-life driving environments. The studies showed that stress and fatigue are similar states but there are particular features which make them distinct states. The results from simulated and real-life driving environments showed a high degree of consistency.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:364944 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Desmond, Paula A. |
| Publisher | University of Dundee |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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