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				Be guided by research themes
					Encourage an internalising thinking style People learn from watching the world around them. They see events happen, attribute cause to them, and construct meaning from them. The thinking style used to create meaning and attribute cause guides the person's behaviour. Just as people explain the cause of an event in different ways, they each behave differently in the same situation. Here we explain the link between a person's understanding of the causes of a crash (explanatory style), and his or her tendency to take risks. World view When people explain what they think caused an event, their description is based on what may be called their world view. A world view builds up over time, in response to answers given to questions such as: 'why did that happen?' or 'what caused that?' Such a process starts very early in life, and continues whenever something new or unexpected is experienced. This world view may lead people to see themselves as having caused either all or part of an event. On the other hand, it may lead them to see the cause as being outside their control. Internalising and externalising Some researchers suggest that people who attribute the cause of an event to factors outside their control will behave differently from those who take all or some responsibility for the cause of those events. This approach to analysing people's world view is called 'causal attribution theory'. In attribution theory, taking responsibility for the cause of an event is called internalising. For situations that have an undesired outcome, internalising could be described as taking a 'my mistake' view. Attributing cause to other factors such as other people or 'just bad luck', is called externalising. Attribution theory suggests that people with a 'my mistake' world view will be more cautious in risky situations. To avoid causing problems, they anticipate problematic events. When they make mistakes, they recognise the part they play and look for ways to avoid repeating the mistake. Making use of internalising People who internalise are more likely to give themselves useful feedback on their performance than people who externalise. But internalising alone will not guarantee improved performance. Knowledge is necessary, both of the specific cause, and of what may lead to the solution - otherwise the why questions may be answered incorrectly. With the appropriate knowledge, skill and internal world view, people can explore their explanations and make improvements. People with an external view use knowledge largely to provide excuses. Training advice Causal attribution theory presents itself as a powerful tool for improving drivers' skill and, more importantly, driver behaviour. Encourage participants to adopt a world view that: recognises failure when it occurs and situations that could have resulted in failure asks challenging and appropriate 'why?' questions seeks explanations that point to internal factors provides achievable solutions Many drivers frequently use the thinking style that says, I did not cause that incident. Taking ownership of unpleasant events is difficult. Participants must discover that the learning opportunities resulting from an internalising world view outweigh the advantages of an externalising world view. Just as an internalising world view can be shaped, so too can an externalising one. Change simple comments such as, 'Look out for idiot drivers,' to 'You may fail to anticipate another driver's mistake.' All elements of a training program should exploit every opportunity to promote in the student a safe world view. Elements of the standard that are most relevant to this theme are: Drives in a manner that reflects valuing of life and property, and specifically Acts to avoid possible crash situations regardless of what others are legally required to do. Reviews and adjusts driving
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