Rubén Daniel Ledesma

• Psychology
• Researcher at National University of Mar del Plata

Resumen Las conductas de protección vial son clave para reducir las lesiones y muertes en sinies-tros viales. Este estudio analiza la prevalencia del uso de cinturón, casco y sistemas de retención infantil, así como los factores humanos, vehiculares y ambientales asociados. Se llevó a cabo un estudio observacional en 12 puntos distribuidos en disti...

Las campañas de comunicación son un elemento clave en las políticas de seguridad vial. Sin embargo, la investigación en el campo es escasa. Este estudio analiza los enfoques y contenidos involucrados en anuncios de seguridad vial, tomando como caso particular las campañas orientadas a la reducción de la velocidad. Se trabajó con una muestra de cinc...

Background Road traffic deaths (RTDs) are a significant global issue, particularly affecting young people. In 2016, 1.35 million RTDs occurred globally, with children and young adults aged 5–29 being the most vulnerable.¹Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for 93% of RTDs.¹ In Latin America and the Caribbean, where almost half of the p...

Background/Objective Road traffic injuries (RTIs) pose a significant public health problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where most injuries occur. Speeding, helmet use, and seat-belt and child restraint use are three major risk factors for RTIs. This study aims to characterize these factors in Latin America, provide further insi...

Although women drivers engage in fewer risky behaviors and have a lower involvement in traffic accidents than men, there is a commonly held stereotype that they are bad drivers. To understand this perception, various psychosocial factors related to sexism have been studied. However, very little is known about sexist attitudes towards women drivers,...

Objetivo: Analizar la frecuencia observada de tres comportamientos de riesgo en usuarios de motocicletas (uso de celular, ausencia de uso de casco y traslado de menores) e identificar posibles factores humanos, vehiculares y ambientales asociados a esos comportamientos. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal basado en observaciones...

Objective: Excessive speed is a major risk factor for serious injuries and death. However, speeding remains a pervasive problem around the world. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with speeding behavior in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Methods: A sample of vehicles (n = 34,967) from ten locations in the city was obser...

The Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES) is a self-report measure of individual differences in driving inattention. ARDES was originally developed in Spanish (Argentina), and later adapted to other countries and languages. Evidence supporting the reliability and validity of ARDES scores has been obtained in various different countries. Ho...

El Plan Mundial para el segundo Decenio de Acción para la Seguridad Vial 2021-2030 incluye entre sus recomendaciones fundamentales la sanción, adecuación y vigilancia de leyes que regulen los comportamientos viales y el diseño y construcción de infraestructura bajo un modelo de Sistema Seguro. En este trabajo se analizan las opiniones de personas d...

The Family Climate for Road Safety Scale (FCRSS; Taubman - Ben-Ari & Katz - Ben-Ami, 2013) is a comprehensive measure originally developed in Israel to assess parent-children relations in the specific context of driving. The scale consists of seven dimensions: Modelling, Feedback, Communication, Monitoring, Messages, Limits, and Non-commitment to S...

Research on motorcycle rider distraction and inattention is limited, especially when compared to that on car drivers. This study examines motorcycle rider error and its relationship with engagement in distracting activities. Additionally, it provides an adaptation of the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale for use with motorcycle riders (ARDES-M...

Although taxi drivers are more exposed to traffic crashes, they usually exhibit riskier behaviors and more negative attitudes toward road safety. For example, previous research suggests that they are particularly reluctant to wear seat belts. The research aimed (a) to estimate the prevalence of seat belt use among taxi drivers compared to other pro...

La inclusión del modelo dimensional en el DSM-5 representa un avance conceptual en el campo de los trastornos de personalidad. Este modelo contempla rasgos patológicos de personalidad organizados en cinco grandes áreas: desapego, afectividad negativa, psicoticismo, antagonismo y desinhibición. Para evaluar dicho modelo, se desarrolló el Personality...

The study was aimed at analysing learning styles, learning strategies, and learning approaches altogether in order to identify psychological variables likely to explain academic achievement in college students. Data were gathered using the locally adapted versions of the Honey-Alonso Questionnaire of Learning Styles, the Learning and Study Strategi...

The current paper reports a field study of 132 Argentinian individuals who experienced a road traffic crash (RTC), focusing on the role of physical injury in the early aftermath of the crash. Three groups of participants were studied: 1) individuals who were <1 month post-RTC who were not injured (<1 mo, Not Injured, n = 89), 2) individuals who wer...

Introduction: Peer pressure is a main factor influencing risky driving behavior in young people. Most empirical studies have focused either on direct or indirect peer pressure, and comprehensive measures assessing both are currently lacking. The present study aimed at developing and validating a scale to examine the influence of different types of...

Fatigue is considered a risk factor in traffic accidents, particularly in the case of professional drivers. In this population, extended working hours constitute one of the main precursors of fatigue. The objective of this work was to study the subjective perception of fatigue and the attentional performance in taxi / remise drivers at the beginnin...

La fatiga se considera un factor de riesgo en accidentes de tránsito, especialmente en población de conductores profesionales. En este grupo, la jornada laboral extendida constituye uno de los principales precursores de la fatiga. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la percepción subjetiva de la fatiga y el desempeño atencional en choferes de...

Las lesiones físicas y los trastornos psicológicos que se producen como consecuencia de un siniestro de tránsito (ST)constituyen un grave problema de salud pública. En este trabajo se realiza una revisión sistemática y actualización de estudios sobre prevalencia y variables predictoras de estrés postraumático (TEPT) luego de un ST. Se realizó una b...

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is a widely used statistical method in traffic and transportation research, particularly for the development and validation of measurement instruments. This article critically examines current practices in conducting and reporting EFA in published transportation studies. One hundred and eighty papers published betw...

Physical injuries and psychological disorders following a road traffic accident (RTAs) are a serious public health problem. The objective of this work was to conduct a systematic review and update of studies on the prevalence and predictive variables of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after RTAs. A systematic search was performed in databases...

INTRODUCCIÓN: las lesiones y muertes de tránsito constituyen un problema importante de salud pública. El presente trabajo se propuso analizar, desde una perspectiva multidimensional, los datos oficiales sobre fallecidos por siniestros viales en la provincia de Buenos Aires. En primer lugar, se buscó construir una tipología de siniestros viales, y...

Dual-Process Models of Attitudes (DPMA) have provided new concepts and methods for attitude-behavior research in the field of transportation. Notwithstanding, there is a lack of critical reviews on this topic; leaving researchers with an unclear picture of the key issues to consider in developing new research. This paper reviews previous studies on...

In low- and middle-income countries, the motorcycle has increasingly become a means of family transportation due to its low cost and the poor quality of public transportation. Consequently, many child motorcycle passengers are at an elevated risk of serious injury in the event of a traffic crash. The available research on child safety devices is sc...

Introduction: Attitudes toward risky driving behaviors are commonly evaluated through direct self-report measures. Nevertheless, these instruments have limitations, such as socially-desirable responding. This study examines the validity of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) as an indirect measure of attitudes towards risky driving. An IAT with "r...

To improve the safety of bicycle users, some countries have enacted, or considered enacting, mandatory helmet legislation. Of course, the enactment of such legislation in a country assumes that its citizens will be well-informed of it, and consequently, will use the helmet more frequently than before. However, in the survey described in this paper...

The Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS) is a self-report instrument to assess risky driving behaviours among youth population. Although previous studies have offered evidences of reliability and validity for the BYNDS scores, results are not conclusive as regards its factor structure. The aim of this research was to assess the factor st...

The Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI) is the most comprehensive measure of typical driving behavior to date and has been frequently used to compare driving styles across different groups of drivers, particularly between gender- and age-related groups. However, the factor structure of MDSI has not been clearly established and its measu...

The main objective of this research was to investigate the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language version of the Attitudes toward Traffic Safety Scale (ATTS) for the assessment of risky driving attitudes among Spanish-speaking populations. Five hundred and fifty-eight drivers from Argentina participated in the study. Confirmatory factor anal...

La atención selectiva es la función cognitiva que orienta la atención hacia los objetos o estímulos que resultan relevantes evitando la distracción frente a aquellos que son irrelevantes. En general la literatura indica que el desempeño de la atención selectiva mejora notablemente con la edad, sin embargo, las diferencias vinculadas a esta variable...

This paper provides a review of recent research using implicit attitudes models in Environmental Psychology. Twenty-five studies published between 2004 and 2017 were analyzed. They cover the following topics: (a) pro-environmental behaviors, (b) preferences for natural vs built environments, (c) connection with nature, and (d) changes in implicit a...

Las distracciones durante la conducción son uno de los principales factores explicativos de siniestros viales. El objetivo de este capítulo es ofrecer una visión general sobre el problema de las distracciones: definición; tipos y principales fuentes; impacto en el desempeño del conductor; y formas de intervención para su prevención. En primer lugar...

Driving behaviors and attitudes are deemed critical factors in road safety. The present study examines risky driving attitudes and risky driving behaviors in drivers from Cordoba, Argentina. A convenience sample of 258 drivers (51.1% female; 18-75 years old) completed a questionnaire assessing attitudes and risky driving behaviors. Results revealed...

Latin American cities are facing crucial changes to become cycling cities. To develop effective policies in this regard, it is essential to understand the factors influencing bicycle commuting. The Theory of Planned Behavior-tpb-(Ajzen 1991) has provided a useful model to explain travel mode choice. The present study tested the tpb within the domai...

Latin American cities are facing crucial changes to become cycling cities. To develop effective policies in this regard, it is essential to understand the factors influencing bicycle commuting. The Theory of Planned Behavior —tpb— (Ajzen 1991) has provided a useful model to explain travel mode choice. The present study tested the tpb within the dom...

Cycling is a healthy mode of transportation that also reduces car use and its associated environmental impact. The present study seeks to examine attitudes toward bicycles (versus cars) from a dual-process perspective. Implicit and explicit attitudes were evaluated in a sample of people who commute to university on bicycle, by car or via public tra...

Risk perception is one of the most relevant factors influencing human behavior and decision-making while driving. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Aversion to Risk Taking Scale in a convenience sample of 447 drivers (54.4% men; age range: 18-78 years) from Córdoba, Argentina. The scale was administered togethe...

Este trabajo evaluó la presencia de síntomas de Estrés Agudo y factores de riesgo asociados en conductores participantes en siniestros viales (n=100). Según los resultados, el 13% de la muestra reuniría criterios diagnósticos de TEA según el DSM 5, siendo el síntoma más frecuente la re-experimentación (recuerdos desagradables sobre el accidente). S...

Women seem to use the helmet when riding a bicycle less frequently than men. Two possible explanations for this behavior are that 1) it is less appalling to them because of lack of comfort or other reasons, or 2) they use bicycles in a more cautious way than men so they feel that they do not need the helmet as much. The present paper explores these...

This study analyzes some psychometric properties of a task in moving object trajectory estimation. This type of task is often used as part of driver evaluation exams in many countries, but available validity evidence is scarce. Sixty participants (split evenly between professional drivers and general population) completed the test on two occasions....

Introduction The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is one of the most widely used psychological models when it comes to explaining road safety behaviors. Recently, studies have also been conducted from the perspective of dual-process models. However, the present is the first study on road safety behaviors that integrates both perspectives. The study...

We argue that making accept/reject decisions on scientific hypotheses, including a recent call for changing the canonical alpha level from p = 0.05 to p = 0.005, is deleterious for the finding of new discoveries and the progress of science. Given that blanket and variable alpha levels both are problematic, it is sensible to dispense with significan...

We argue that making accept/reject decisions on scientific hypotheses, including a recent call for changing the canonical alpha level from p = 0.05 to p = 0.005, is deleterious for the finding of new discoveries and the progress of science. Given that blanket and variable alpha levels both are problematic, it is sensible to dispense with significan...

We argue that depending on p-values to reject null hypotheses, including a recent call for changing the canonical alpha level for statistical significance from .05 to .005, is deleterious for the finding of new discoveries and the progress of science. Given that blanket and variable criterion levels both are problematic, it is sensible to dispense...

Objectives: Pedestrian crashes are a critical problem in Latin American countries. However, little research has been published about pedestrians and even less about their behaviors in a naturalistic context. The objective of the present research was to explore risky pedestrian crossing behaviors in traffic intersections in an argentine city (Ushuai...

Police crash reports are often the main source for official data in many countries. However, police sampling and data are known to be subject to bias, making the countermeasures adopted according to them possibly inefficient. In the case of bicycle crashes, this bias is most acute and it probably varies across countries, with some of them being mor...

The taxi industry plays an important role in urban transportation systems, both in economic and mobility terms. In the case of the former, it provides employment for a large number of people and circulates significant amounts of money. In the case of the latter, it is a flexible means of transportation capable of arriving at any destination. Althou...

Este trabajo analiza algunas propiedades psicométricas de una tarea de estimación de trayectorias de objetos móviles. Este tipo de pruebas suele utilizarse como parte de las baterías de evaluación de conductores en muchos países, pero son escasas las evidencias de validez disponibles. Sesenta participantes (treinta conductores profesionales y trei...

Taxi driving is a potentially unhealthy activity due to working conditions such as piecework or the exposure to different sources of health risk. Some of the typical problems in the industry have been widely studied (e.g. car crashes) while others have received less attention (e.g. coping strategies). Moreover, most of the research comes from Anglo...

Learning styles and learning strategies describe students' preferences while they are developing learning activities-grasping and transforming experience-, successfully integrating new and previous information-. 438 college students between 19 and 36 years old participated. Significant differences by sociodemographic and academic variables were ver...

The purpose of this study was to translate and examine the psychometric properties of a driving self-efficacy scale developed by Dorn and Machin (2004). The factor structure, reliability and external validity of the scale were examined in a sample of 447 drivers from Cordoba, Argentina. In addition, measurement invariance across sex was also tested...

Learning styles and learning strategies describe students’ preferences while they are developing learning activities-grasping and transforming experience-, successfully integrating new and previous information-. 438 college students between 19 and 36 years old participated. Significant differences by sociodemographic and academic variables were ver...

Resumen Introducción: los enfoques de aprendizaje aluden a la predisposición para aprender en diferentes situaciones académicas. Objetivo: se analizan estos enfoques (tipos profundo y superficial) en estudiantes universitarios de Buenos Aires. Metodología: participaron 397 estudiantes de diferentes facultades (Exactas y Naturales, Psicología, Ingen...

Police crash reports are often the main source for official data in many countries. However, police sampling and data are known to be subject to bias, making the countermeasures adopted according to them possibly inefficient. In the case of bicycle crashes, this bias is most acute and it probably varies across countries, with some of them being mor...

Introduction: Knowledge on mobility and road injuries among cyclists in Argentina is scarce. This work presents some indicators of bicycle use and accidents in adolescents and young adults. Gender, age, and city differences are analyzed. Methods: Sample: A total of 10390 Argentine youth (15 to 25 years of age) from five cities participated in the s...

Dynamic-interactive graphics are graphics that can move smoothly and change in response to a data analyst's actions, with the changes being computed and presented in real time. This article presents an example of these kind of graphics, an overview of their history from mainframes computers, passing by desktop computers and the Internet and a discu...

Los siniestros viales que involucran a motociclistas conforman un problema creciente en los países de ingresos bajos y medios. La medida de protección por excelencia en estos usuarios viales es el casco. Sin embargo, una proporción considerable de motociclistas no lo usa. El objetivo de este trabajo es informar la evolución del uso de casco durante...

El uso de la bicicleta como modo de transporte se asocia con numerosos beneficios ambientales y sociales, no obstante, se desconoce cuáles son los más valorados por los ciclistas. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer en qué medida el Sistema de Transporte Público de Bicicletas (STPB) de la ciudad de Buenos Aires produjo impactos positivos sobre...

ResumenDesde su aparición, en la década del 70, el Modelo del Doble Procesamiento (MDP) ha ganado una gran popularidad en diversos ámbitos de la psicología, entre ellos, en el estudio de las adicciones. Según este modelo existirían dos sistemas cognitivos: uno explícito, conciente y controlable; y otro implícito, automático y más ligado a la intuic...

This document reports the results of the final evaluation of the SR4Y project implemented in Argentina from the years 2012-2015 in the cities of Balcarce, Río Cuarto and Tandil (the latter joined the project at a later date and therefore the initial data correspond to 2013). The project consists basically of preventive measures focused on the issue...

The increasing motorization of mobility has turned urban environment in a complex and dangerous place for children. As a consequence they are one of the most vulnerable groups of traffic users. In this stage of development, education could be a key tool for preventing risky behaviour and promoting more healthy mobility habits. The present study dis...

We studied the role of implicit attitudes on road safety behaviors. We also explored the methodological benefits of using implicit measures to complement conventional self-reporting instruments. The results suggest that: (a) implicit attitudes are capable of predicting observed differences in the use of protective devices (helmet use); (b) implicit...

Exploratory Factor Analysis and Principal Component Analysis are two data analysis methods that are commonly used in psychological research. When applying these techniques, it is important to determine how many factors to retain. This decision is sometimes based on a visual inspection of the Scree plot. However, the Scree plot may at times be ambig...

The following study will explore the link between mindfulness, driver inattention and a number of driving performance variables that were tested using the SIMUVEG driving simulator. 67 subjects between the ages of 19 and 27 completed the mindful attention awareness scale, attention-related driving errors scale and attention-related cognitive errors...

The aim of this research was (a) to study driver inattention as a trait-like variable and (b) to provide new evidence of validity for the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES). Driving inattention is approached from an individual differences perspective. We are interested in how drivers vary in their propensity to experience failures of at...

Selective attention is a fundamental ability for safe driving. The objective of this work was to analyze the relationship between selective attention and a predisposition to experience inattention errors while driving. Thirty drivers from the City of Mar del Plata, Argentina, participated in the study and completed a selective attention task (Conju...

The study of individual differences in prejudice has received significant attention in the psychological literature. However, very little research has been published on Latin American countries. To address this gap, 300 residents from the general population in Mar del Plata, Argentina, were surveyed. The main objective of the study was to assess th...

This paper briefly reviews the history of dynamic-interactive graphics for statistics, introduces an example of such graphics, and provides a few glimpses as to the current state of things and the future trends we envision. The general conclusion is that dynamic-interactive graphics for statistics are thriving more than ever as they shift from the...

Este trabajo analiza la situación académica de la investigación en Psicología del Tránsito en el contexto argentino, sus logros y desafíos de futuro. El análisis se apoya, principalmente, en la experiencia de trabajo realizada en el marco del Grupo “Modelos y Métodos de Investigación en Psicología del Tránsito”, radicado en la Universidad Nacional...

SAFE ROADS 4YOUTH (SR4Y) is an action-research project which aims to prevent drinking and driving in young people from three different countries: South Africa, Vietnam, and Argentina. This report gives an initial diagnostic (previous to the interventions) in four cities that have been selected for the Argentine part of the project. The report has t...

Injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes constitute a growing problem in Argentina and other Latin American countries. The problem is aggravated because helmet use is not widespread. This observational study analysed the prevalence of helmet use and related factors in a city in Argentina. The sample consisted of 2542 observations of motorcyclists...

There is growing evidence about the riskiness of driver distraction and inattention for traffic safety. The present study is a revision of the literature about inattention and distraction while driving. First, the revision shows the dificults and controversies arisen in the definition of both constructs. Second, the paper describes different method...

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence of validity for the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale scores in an Argentine sample (Spanish-language version). Results indicated satisfactory psychometric properties (a one-factor structure, good item discrimination, high reliability, and significant correlations with additional measures). This ver...

En el presente trabajo se analizaron las relaciones entre una serie de habilidades consideradas precursoras de la lectura y la escritura convencional en 80 niños de 4 años de edad, diferenciados por sector social de procedencia. Se evaluó a los niños con tareas de vocabulario receptivo y productivo, representaciones fonológicas y reconocimiento de...

In this paper we examine the psychometric properties and provide normative data for the AEP “Adjectives Checklist to Assess Personality.” The AEP is an instrument developed in Argentina to assess the “Big Five” personality factors. A total of 1,680 participants residing in the city of Mar del Plata (Argentina) completed the AEP and a socio-descript...

En este trabajo se analizan las propiedades psicométricas y se presentan datos normativos locales para el AEP “Listado de Adjetivos para Evaluar la Personalidad”. El AEP es un instrumento desarrollado en Argentina para evaluar el modelo de los “Cinco Grandes” factores de personalidad. Un total de 1.680 participantes residentes en la ciudad de Mar d...

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue proporcionar evidencia de validez para los puntajes del cuestionario de personalidad ZKPQ-50-CC en población argentina. Este instrumento fue desarrollado simultáneamente en varios países e idiomas, lo que le otorga un especial interés para la investigación transcultural. Se trabajó con una muestra de 895 adultos...

The aim of this study was to provide evidence of the validity of the ZKPQ-50-CC in the Argentinean population. The ZKPQ-50-CC is a brief personality measure to assess Zuckerman's Alternative Five-Factor Model. This instrument was simultaneously developed in different countries and languages, which makes it of special interest to cross-cultural rese...

Objective: Research on driving behavior and personality traits is a key factor in the development of driver-oriented safety interventions. However, research is fragmented and a multidimensional perspective is lacking. The primary aim of this study is to assess the multiple relationships between driving styles and personality traits using the alter...

The Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI) was originally built and validated in Israel to measure four broad dimensions of driving styles: Reckless, Angry, Anxious, and Careful. This research was designed to adapt and validate a Spanish version of the MDSI for the assessment of driving styles in Argentina, provide evidence for its externa...