The aim of this study was to validate the Mindfulness during Worship Scale (MWS) in a British Muslim sample (n = 122). Confirmatory factors analysis and reliability analysis were used to test the internal validity of the MWS, while bivariate correlations were used to test the external validity. The results showed that the MWS factor structure (which was originally validated in a Christian sample) retained its validity in a Muslim sample, also demonstrating good internal consistency. In addition, the MWS subscales (concentration, presence and absorption) were significantly related to both a dispositional mindfulness measure and the strength of religious faith. Finally, the results also indicated that stronger experiences of presence and absorption during worship are associated with more frequent religious practices, more favourable attitudes towards religious practices and a stronger belief in God.

This study explored how self-reported drink drivers perceive alcohol to affect their psychological functioning, and how these perceptions contributed to drink driving behaviour. Twenty-one Australian self-reported drink drivers participated in semi-structured interviews, and data were analysed using hybrid inductive-deductive Thematic Analysis. Consistent with the metacognitive model of problem drinking, the first four themes suggested alcohol was used to regulate emotional distress, reinforcing beliefs about the benefits and harms of alcohol, while simultaneously reducing awareness of its effects on thinking and behaviour. The final two themes extended the model by identifying that impaired monitoring contributed to increased alcohol use and reduced perceptions of drink driving risk. Moral disengagement also emerged as a novel mechanism through which participants justified drink driving via social comparison and self-justification, further reinforcing alcohol use and drink driving behaviour. Together, the findings suggest that emotional dysregulation, maladaptive metacognitive beliefs, impaired self-monitoring, and moral disengagement operate in a self-reinforcing cycle sustaining problematic alcohol use and drink driving behaviour. These findings provide the first qualitative evidence supporting the application of the metacognitive model to drink driving. The findings could also inform future quantitative drink driving research investigating the role of metacognition and emotion dysregulation in drink driving behaviour.

Introduction: Speeding continues to be the largest contributor to road fatalities, with speed enforcement the primary countermeasure in place to prevent this behavior. Mobile average speed cameras have the potential to further prevent speeding behavior, as they are more unpredictable and can capture speeding along wider lengths of road. However, little is known about how drivers perceive these cameras, including deterrence related perceptions and perceptions of procedural justice. As such, this study aimed to examine the perceptions, attitudes, and concerns about mobile average speed camera enforcement methods, compared to other traditional methods (e.g., fixed spot speed cameras, mobile spot speed cameras, vehicle mounted mobile radar, and fixed average speed cameras). Method: A total of 887 respondents (M age = 42.8 years, SD = 17.7 years), completed a cross-sectional survey. Results: It was identified that mobile average speed enforcement occupied a middle ground in terms of deterrence perceptions compared to the other enforcement methods, yet they were viewed less favorably than fixed enforcement methods in terms of fairness, respect, and trustworthiness. Correlations, a linear regression and ANOVAs revealed the large role dysfunctional attitudes plays in intention to speed when there is mobile average speed enforcement. It was also found that respondents expressed reduced confidence in mobile average speed camera effectiveness across complex road environments, particularly among those holding stronger dysfunctional, pro-speeding attitudes. Conclusions: The results highlight that, in addition to deterrence capacity, perceived legitimacy and attitudes towards speeding can influence the effectiveness of mobile average speed enforcement. Practical Applications: The findings therefore suggest that transparent implementation, community engagement, and complementary behavioral interventions should also be considered to maximize road safety outcomes.

Driving simulators are valuable for investigating driving impairment since ethical and safety considerations limit the ability to conduct such research on roads. Although simulators have generally demonstrated relative validity, alcohol is often referred to as a reference for impairment due to well-established legal limits and its known effects on driving ability. However, there is a relative lack of large-sample studies that systematically assess the sensitivity of established driving performance metrics to alcohol-induced impairment, alongside the application of rigorous methodological approaches designed to minimise bias in estimating alcohol-related effects on driving performance. Therefore, this study employed a between-subjects alcohol dose-response experimental design using a driving simulator to assess the effects of alcohol on driving performance. Participants (N = 165, 77 females, mean age = 34.62 years) were randomly allocated to one of three single-blind conditions (range BAC: 0.020% - 0.085) and completed a short motorway driving task while wearing an eye tracker. A causal framework was employed to identify and adjust for potential confounders, and Bayesian modelling was used to estimate alcohol-related effects on driving performance and quantify uncertainty. The study showed first that simulator sickness is unlikely to bias driving performance estimates in driving simulator studies using alcohol. Then, the study assessed the sensitivity of established driving performance metrics as a result of alcohol. The largest effects were found on speed selection and lateral control while driving on a motorway, followed by reaction time during an emergency braking event and longitudinal control when following a vehicle. Limited changes in gaze patterns were found on this simple motorway drive. The findings of this study provide the basis for the development of models of impairment that are anchored on BAC levels, which is currently the sole impairment with widely accepted levels in the road safety domain.

Driving is a cognitively demanding task that may become more challenging with age-related changes in physical and cognitive functioning. These changes may lead to greater experiences of anxiety in some older adults, which could subsequently impact attention whilst driving. This study investigated the complex relationships between subjective cognitive decline, metacognition, driving anxiety, and self-reported attention in older drivers. A sample of 330 Australian drivers aged 60 years and over who self-reported recent driving-related decline completed an online survey. Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between metacognitive awareness, metacognitive beliefs, driving anxiety, and driving attention, while subjective cognitive decline exhibited small inconsistent relationships at the bivariate level. Structural equation modelling supported theoretical propositions and indicated that dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and metacognitive awareness indirectly influenced attention regulation whilst driving, via the effects they had on driving anxiety. Subjective cognitive decline also indirectly affected attention regulation through the influence it had on increased dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and reduced metacognitive awareness. Comparisons across demographic groups showed that older males reported higher metacognitive awareness and attention regulation compared to females, despite also reporting a greater perceived need to control thoughts. The findings suggest that metacognitive processes may play a role in the development and maintenance of driving anxiety and attentional control among older drivers.