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Miles away: determining the extent of secondary task interference on simulated driving

Miles away: determining the extent of secondary task interference on simulated driving
Miles away: determining the extent of secondary task interference on simulated driving
There is a seemingly perennial debate in the literature about the relative merits of using a secondary task as a measure of spare attentional capacity. One of the main drawbacks is that it could adversely affect the primary task, or other measures of mental workload. The present experiment therefore addressed an important methodological issue for the dual-task experimental approach-that of secondary task interference. The current experiment recorded data in both single- and dual-task scenarios to ascertain the level of secondary task interference in the Southampton Driving Simulator. The results indicated that a spatial secondary task did not have a detrimental effect on driving performance, although it consistently inflated subjective mental workload ratings. However, the latter effect was so consistent across all conditions that it was not considered to pose a problem. General issues of experimental design, as well as wider implications of the findings for multiple resources theory, are discussed.
attentional resources, driving simulator, experimental design, mental workload, secondary task
1464-536X
233-253
Young, Mark S.
3f79589e-2000-4cb0-832a-6eba54f50130
Stanton, Neville A.
351a44ab-09a0-422a-a738-01df1fe0fadd
Young, Mark S.
3f79589e-2000-4cb0-832a-6eba54f50130
Stanton, Neville A.
351a44ab-09a0-422a-a738-01df1fe0fadd

Young, Mark S. and Stanton, Neville A. (2007) Miles away: determining the extent of secondary task interference on simulated driving. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 8 (3), 233-253. (doi:10.1080/14639220601129228).

Record type: Article

Abstract

There is a seemingly perennial debate in the literature about the relative merits of using a secondary task as a measure of spare attentional capacity. One of the main drawbacks is that it could adversely affect the primary task, or other measures of mental workload. The present experiment therefore addressed an important methodological issue for the dual-task experimental approach-that of secondary task interference. The current experiment recorded data in both single- and dual-task scenarios to ascertain the level of secondary task interference in the Southampton Driving Simulator. The results indicated that a spatial secondary task did not have a detrimental effect on driving performance, although it consistently inflated subjective mental workload ratings. However, the latter effect was so consistent across all conditions that it was not considered to pose a problem. General issues of experimental design, as well as wider implications of the findings for multiple resources theory, are discussed.

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More information

Published date: 2007
Keywords: attentional resources, driving simulator, experimental design, mental workload, secondary task

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 73738
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/73738
ISSN: 1464-536X
PURE UUID: 376270cc-4953-4840-9aa8-a82923a9e020
ORCID for Mark S. Young: ORCID iD orcid.org/0009-0001-2594-453X
ORCID for Neville A. Stanton: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8562-3279

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Date deposited: 15 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 03:27

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Author: Mark S. Young ORCID iD

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