Social, Transport and Tourism Solutions

Enjoyment and Task Difficulty: an Overview from a Powered Two-Wheeler Perspective?

Task Difficulty

Fuller (2005) in his appraisal of car driver behaviour suggests that drivers subconsciously attempt to keep task difficulty constant.  In Fuller’s model task difficulty is the “dynamic interface between the demands of the driving task and the capability of the driver.” 

Outcomes of the dynamic interface between task demand and capability.

(Fuller, 2005:464)

While task demand is lower than their capability then the driver is in control, however when task demand exceeds capability then loss of control results, culminating in either ‘a lucky escape’ or a collision.  Although riding is more complex than driving in terms of skills required (Mannering & Grodsky, 1995), similar issues of capability and task demand apply.  For riders seeking ‘Challenge Based Enjoyment’ they would be riding close to where capability equals demand (C≈D).