How Perceptual and Cognitive Factors are Involved in a Car Accident: A Case Study

Authors

• Vanessa Dominguez, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Marc Gentzler

Mentor

Dr. Andrew P. Daire

Abstract

Several factors are considered in car accident analysis. Human factors research has shown that different perceptual and cognitive factors influence driving performance, leading to improvements in vehicle and road design. This case study provides a deeper understanding of the potential influence of major perceptual and cognitive variables on driving performance in general, including (a) driver expectancy effects, (b) glare, (c) general visibility such as lighting, (d) driver's dark adaptation, (e) road illusions, and (f) driver perception-reaction time. This analysis describes in detail how these certain perceptual and cognitive factors may have been involved in a particular car accident. Future research suggestions to improve driver safety and traffic regulations are provided.

About the Author

In 2009, Vanessa Dominguez began working as a Research and Mentoring Program research assistant at the UCF Marriage and Family Research Institute. She has presented at showcases and conferences, including the 2010 and 2011 UCF Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence, receiving an Honorable Mention for her work in 2010. She will present her research at the 2011 European-Branch American Counseling Association conference in Bad Herrenalb, Germany, and at the 2012 ACA conference in San Francisco. In Human Factors psychology, she explores the perceptual and cognitive factors involved in human capabilities with machines and tasks.

Recommended Citation

Dominguez, Vanessa and Gentzler, Marc (2011) "How Perceptual and Cognitive Factors are Involved in a Car Accident: A Case Study," The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/urj/vol5/iss1/5