A study was conducted to investigate the stress levels of drivers when transitioning control from an autonomous driving system back to manual steering under adverse weather conditions.
The sample consisted of 40 experienced drivers who were tested in a high-fidelity motion simulator. The transition events occurred unexpectedly during a simulated heavy rainstorm.
During the 30 seconds following the takeover request, researchers measured the drivers' physiological responses, specifically heart rate variability and galvanic skin response. To standardize the measurement, these physiological metrics were combined using a weighted formula to produce a single quantitative "Physiological Stress Index" (PSI) on a scale from 0 to 100 for each driver.
Explain one reason why collecting only quantitative data (such as the Physiological Stress Index) could reduce the validity of this study.
235 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Data handling and analysis. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.