Robert Loo

Role of primary personality factors in the perception of traffic signs and driver violations and accidents

The paper stressed the study not only of the relationships involving personality dimensions with driver behavior and performance in driving-related tasks, but also of the need to study these relationships in terms of primary personality dimensions or factors. The roles of the primary dimensions of impulsivity, sensation seeking and decision time from Eysencks extroversion dimension were examined in relation to driver behavior and to the ability to perceive traffic signs. Similarly, the role of decision time in relation to field dependence was examined.

Individual Differences and the Perception of Traffic Signs

The study focused on the relationship between field dependence and the ability to perceive traffic signs in embedded and disembedded contexts as measured by verbal reaction times. Intercorrelations among the reaction times, personality measures, and driving record items were also tested. Twenty-eight females were blocked into four quartiles according to their score on the Group Embedded Figures Test. Subjects completed the traffic-sign task, the Eysenck Personality Inventory, and a driving experience questionnaire. Field-dependent subjects had longer reaction times to embedded traffic signs and more traffic accidents than did field-independent subjects. Also, extraverts had longer reaction times to the embedded traffic signs, more accidents, and more traffic convictions than introverts. No relationships were found for neuroticism.

Personality Correlates of the Fear of Death and Dying Scale.

A total of 88 female and male undergraduates completed the Fear of Death and Dying Scale, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory A-Trait scale. The four subscales on the Fear of Death and Dying Scale correlated significantly with the Neuroticism and Anxiety scales, but were independent of the Lie scale. No sex differences were found on the four subscales. These findings lend support to the validity of the Fear of Death and Dying Scale and its independence of social desirability.

The Orthogonal Rotation of Factors in Clinical Research: A Critical Note.

Examined the current trends in rotation procedures used in factor analyses in clinical research. It was found that orthogonal rotations, usually varimax procedure, were overwhelmingly the rotational choice. It was suggested that in many analyses, investigators in this area of research may be imposing orthogonality on data that might better be interpreted as oblique factors. Guidelines were presented for consideration in the selection and reporting of rotational procedures in clinical research.

CAVEAT ON SAMPLE SIZES IN FACTOR ANALYSIS

In examining considerations in determining sample sizes for factor analyses attention was given to the effects of outliers, the standard error of correlations and their effect on factor structure, sample heterogeneity, and the misuse of rules of thumb for sample sizes.

An evaluation of the Briggs-Nebes modified version of Annett's handedness inventory.

The Briggs-Nebes (1975) modified version of Annetts (1967) handedness inventory was administered to 59 female and 51 male undergraduates and 101 nursing students. J-shaped distributions of scores in the dextral direction and significant sex differences such that males were more sinistral than females were found. The inventory was found to be multi-dimensional with up to three factors, power, skill, and rhythm in order of importance. The utility of the modified inventory was supported and recommendations were made concerning the use of subscale or factor scores in addition to overall scores.

FIELD DEPENDENCE AND THE EYSENCK PERSONALITY INVENTORY

Relationships have been reported between field dependence as measured by the Embedded Figures Test and the dimensions of extraversion and neuroticisrn as measured by the Maudsley Personality Inventory (Evans, 1967). This srudy describes the relationships between a more recent measure of field dependence, one which is administered to groups, the Group Embedded Figures Test (Oltman, Raskin, & Witkin, 1971), and a more recent measure of extraversion and neuroticism, the Eysenck Personality Inventory (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1963). A significant relationship was predicted between scores on the group test and the Extraversion scale of Eysencks inventory such that field dependence is associated with extraversion. Predictions of no significant relationships were made for correlations between the group test and the Neuroticism scale and between the Eysencks two subscales, Extraversion and Neuroticism. The Group Embedded Figures Test and Eysenck Personality Inventory, Form A, were administered to 35 female university students who ranged in age from 18 to 29 yr. A significant Pearson correlation was obtained between scores of the group test and Eysencks Extraversion scale, indicating that field-dependent persons are more extraverted than field-independent persons ( r = -.35, df = 33, p < .025). The correlation between embedded figures and Eysencks Neuroticism scale scores was insignificant ( 7 = -.03, df = 33, p > .05). The correlation between the two Eysenck scales, Extraversion and Neuroticism, was insignificant ( r = -.lo, df = 33, p > .05). There were insignificant correlations between scores on the Eysenck Lie scale and each of the other two subscales and the embedded figures. A test of the difference between the significant Pearson correlation obtained by Evans (1967) between the Group Embedded Figures Test and the Maudsley Personality Inventory Extraversion scale, and the significant correlation obtained in this study between them was insignificant (z = .18, p > .O5). These results suggest that the more recent measures used in this study maintain the relationships reported earlier (e.g., Evans, 1967).

CORRELATES OF REPORTED ATTITUDE TOWARDS AND USE OF SEAT BELTS

This paper examines the relationships among self-reported seat-belt use, attitudes towards compulsory seat-belt use, and individual differences dimensions in samples of 91 females and 89 males ranging in age from 18 to 24 yr. The results show (a) support for the compulsory use of seat belts (78% for females, 66% for males); (b) significant relationships between reported seat belt use and four fear of death and dying subscales; and, (c) no relationships between the seat-belt variables and Eysenckian personality variables. One caveat is that the generalizability of results from this student sample to other driver populations may be limited.

Components underlying the relation between field dependence and extraversion.

Components of Eysencks Extraversion scale were examined to account for previous findings indicating that field independence, as measured by individual and group forms of the embedded-figures test, is associated with Introversion. In two of the three samples of female university students, field independence, as measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test, was associated with low impulsivity and slow decision time, as measured by items on Eysencks Extraversion scale.

The Eysenck Personality Scores of Japanese and Canadian Undergraduates

Summary This study examined and compared personality structures, as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, across cultures and sex for Japanese (127 female, 131 male) and Canadian (136 female and 142 male) Ss. Second-order factors labelled Social Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Social Desirability were identified across all four subsamples; also, two factors were identified as culture specific. Comparisons of scale means showed both cross-cultural and sex differences, as well as differences from the British norms.