LOCUS OF CONTROL AND AUDITORY SELECTIVE ATTENTION AS PREDICTORS OF DRIVING ACCIDENT INVOLVEMENT - A COMPARATIVE LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION

Locus of control, as measured by the Montag Driving Internality and Driving Externality scales (Montag & Comrey, 1987) and auditory selective attention, as measured by the Auditory Selective Attention Test, were used in an attempt to predict driving accidents in a study that used both a predictive (longitudinal) and postdictive design. In 1988, 214 subjects were administered the tests and completed a self report driving record. In 1990, 142 of the subjects responded to a follow-up of the self report driving record. The only significant correlation for the Montag Driving Internality and Driving Externality scales was for 1990 not-at-fault accidents. For the Auditory Selective Attention Test, there were a number of significant relationships with accidents, the highest being .24 for the criterion of combined total accidents. The results concerning selective attention supported the findings of a meta-analysis by Arthur, Barrett, and Alexander (1991a).