The Canberra Weekly (19 January 2012) reports that studies have found a close link between thinking and driving styles. This suggests that by teaching learner drivers a specific way of thinking, they might develop a patient and careful driving style.
A researcher at the University of Canberra, Dr. Lucienne Kleisen, said that hierarchic thinking – thinking that makes a person aware of several events at the same time while being able to prioritize the events into those that are more urgent and important – is possible the best learning technique for learner drivers. Kleisen maintains that thinking styles and driving styles can both be trained. She said that if learner drivers develop hierarchic and effective thinking, it is more likely that young drivers will adopt a safer driving style.
Kleisen’s research has shown that it is possible to identify a young person’s preferred thinking style and to tailor driver training accordingly and therefore potentially influence their driving habits in a positive way.
Gender differences and flexibility of learning
During her research, funded by the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust, Kleisen discovered that young males are less flexible in their use of different driving styles than young females.
Car karma
Kleisen’s driver training research also revealed that young drivers believe in “car karma” – they believe that if you behave nicely to other drivers, your trip will most likely be a pleasant experience, while if you don’t behave nicely to other drivers on the road, negative or less positive events might happen during the drive.
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