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.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Data handling and analysis with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 263 questions, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
