Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Practical Methodology of Cognitive Tasks Within a Navigational Assessment
Published on: June 1, 2015
Anxiety in driving assessment of individuals with cognitive impairment
Judith Leung1, Frank P Deane, Joanne E Taylor
1School of Psychology, Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
Purpose:
This study explores the effects of anxiety on driving performance in a sample of 35 individuals with cognitive impairment who underwent driving reassessment 2 weeks after neuropsychological assessment.
Method:
Participants completed measures of test, state and driving anxiety prior to the neuropsychological assessment. Measures of state anxiety were re-administered immediately before and after the on-road driving test.
Results:
Higher anxiety before the on-road test was associated with fewer errors, although regression analyses showed that anxiety was not a unique predictor of driving performance.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that anxiety has a positive influence on driving performance but does not predict driving assessment outcome. Occupational therapists and driving instructors were better judges of the effects of anxiety on driving performance than were the participants themselves. Implications of these findings for clinical and medico-legal contexts are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory
Primary Appraisal:...

