Development and Validation of a Psychological Scale for Work-Related Drivers

Abstract

Work-related drivers are in high demand in Nigeria because their services are needed in virtually all the private and public business sectors of the economy. Due to exposure to long hours of driving, work-related drivers are prone to vehicle crashes resulting in injuries, loss of man hours, or death. Psychological dimensions of driving have been implicated in literature as positive indicators to successful driving performance. However, there is a dearth of an indigenous psychological scale for assessing automobile drivers in Nigeria. This study was therefore designed to develop and validate a psychological scale for the selection of work-related drivers in Nigeria. This study utilized a cross sectional survey research design, and was carried out in metropolitan Lagos through pilot, main and validation studies utilising 715 participants in all. Using the inclusion criterion of ? 0.40, a 26-item composite scale (? = .80) was identified. Further analysis revealed four psychological dimensions of driving. The psychometric properties of the four dimensions revealed coefficient alphas of 0.75 to 0.96. These dimensions correlated positively and significantly with other similar measures. The scale is useful for identifying behavioural dispositions of drivers in the work setting. The scale also has implications for selection, training, transfer and promotion of drivers.

Keywords – development, validation, work-related drivers, psychological dimensions, Nigeria