Abstract
Intersection accidents result in a significant proportion of road fatalities, and attention allocation likely plays a role. Attention allocation may depend on (limited) working memory (WM) capacity. Driving is often combined with tasks increasing WM load, consequently impairing attention orienting. This study (n = 22) investigated WM load effects on event-related potentials (ERPs) related to attention orienting. A simulated driving environment allowed continuous lane-keeping measurement. Participants were asked to orient attention covertly towards the side indicated by an arrow, and to respond only to moving cars appearing on the attended side by pressing a button. WM load was manipulated using a concurrent memory task. ERPs showed typical attentional modulation (cue: contralateral negativity, LDAP; car: N1, P1, SN, and P3) under low and high load conditions. With increased WM load, lane-keeping performance improved, while dual task performance degraded (memory task: increased error-rate; orienting task: increased false alarms, smaller P3). Practitioner Summary Intersection driver-support systems aim to improve traffic-safety and -flow. However, in-vehicle systems induce working memory (WM) load, increasing the tendency to yield. Traffic flow reduces if drivers stop at inappropriate times, reducing the effectiveness of systems. Consequently, driver-support systems could include WM load measurement during driving in the development phase.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 429-443 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Ergonomics |
Volume | 61 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 10 Jul 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2018 |
Keywords
- Journal Article
- VISUOSPATIAL ATTENTION
- Attention orienting
- ERP COMPONENTS
- CROSSING ASSIST SYSTEM
- DISTRACTION
- SELECTIVE ATTENTION
- working memory load
- COGNITIVE LOAD
- driving simulation
- YOUNG NOVICE DRIVERS
- IMPACT
- OLDER DRIVERS
- EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS
- event-related potentials
- Humans
- Evoked Potentials
- Male
- Reaction Time
- Young Adult
- Computer Simulation
- Adult
- Female
- Task Performance and Analysis
- Workload
- Adolescent
- Attention/physiology
- Memory, Short-Term
- Automobile Driving