The driving process in traffic psychology: Digital needs to re-explore theory

Context: The Driving Process (TDP) is an analytical learning framework pertaining to how the driver senses, perceives, decides, and acts. TDP is fully based on “learning by doing.” Driving is however redefined and transformed: digital vehicle development involves the outsourcing of tasks, from driver to technology. The “doing” part diminishes. Study: The study returns to Gibson and Crooks’ (1938) formative work that coined TDP, as part of their perception-based psychological theory of driving. Aim: Perform a theoretical “gap analysis,” to identify how current vehicle development deviates from Gibson and Crooks’ ideas. Gibson and Crooks’ principles are re-explored through the lens of three “digitally produced gaps:” (1) contextual ignorance, (2) one-dimensional perception, and (3) corrosion of agency. Fig. 1 presents the logic and progression of the gap analysis. Results: The gap-analysis brings attention to the fact that the theory no longer matches the reality: outsourcing of driving tasks, from driver to technology. Although Gibson and Crooks’ principles of driver perception still serve as the theoretical foundation for today’s application of TDP, the digital transformation of vehicles creates a need for theoretical development that matches a redefined way of driving. Conclusion. It is advocated that TDP (in current form and as defined by Gibson and Crooks), resembles self-regulation as goal-directed behavioral adjustment. On this premise, the study concludes by arguing that a viable approach for theoretical development will be to expand on the self-control side of self-regulation. • Gibson and Crooks’ (1938) theory on driver perception still serve as underlying model. • However: the theory no longer matches the reality (digital automation). • Digital redefinition of driving implies that The Driving Process needs elaboration. • The Driving Process as is: self-regulation as goal-directed behavioral adjustment. • Suggested development: expand on the self- control side of self-regulation. The Driving Process (TDP) is an analytical learning framework pertaining to how the driver senses, perceives, decides, and acts. TDP is fully based on “learning by doing.” Driving is however redefined and transformed: digital vehicle development involves the outsourcing of tasks, from driver to technology. The “doing” part diminishes. This study returns to Gibson and Crooks’ (1938) formative work that coined TDP, as part of their perception-based psychological theory of driving. The aim is to perform a theoretical “gap-analysis,” to identify how current vehicle development deviates from Gibson and Crooks’ ideas. Gibson and Crooks’ principles of perception are re-explored through the lens of three “gaps:” (1) contextual ignorance, (2) one-dimensional perception, and (3) corrosion of agency. These are “digitally produced gaps;” i.e., changes brought on by digital vehicle automation that arguably alters the very premise of traffic psychological theories and explanatory models. The results of the analysis bring attention to the fact that Gibson and Crooks’ principal ideas concerning driver perception still today, serves as the underlying model for TDP. However, the theory (original, tacit ideas) no longer matches the reality (outsourcing of driving tasks, from driver to technology). It is advocated that the digital redefinition of driving implies that TDP theory needs to be elaborated. TDP (in current form and as defined by Gibson and Crooks), resembles self-regulation as goal-directed behavioral adjustment. The article concludes by arguing that a viable approach for theoretical development will be to expand on the self-control side of self-regulation.