How visual information influences dual-task driving and tracking

Broeker, Laura; Haeger, Mathias; Bock, Otmar; Kretschmann, Bettina; Ewolds, Harald; Künzell, Stefan; Raab, Markus · 2020 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05744-8

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Summary

This study investigates how visual predictability influences dual-task performance in both complex driving simulations and basic pursuit tracking tasks. The research addresses the debate over whether the benefits of predictability are universal or task-specific, particularly regarding how advance visual information affects interference between primary motor tasks and secondary auditory tasks. While previous studies suggested predictability reduces resource competition, it remained unclear if these effects translate from simple tracking to complex driving scenarios. The experiment employed a within-participants design with 27 healthy adults. Participants performed two primary tasks: a simulated driving task and a joystick-controlled pursuit tracking task. In the driving paradigm, visual predictability was manipulated by varying lighting conditions: low predictability (night with low-beam headlights), medium predictability (night with high-beam headlights), and high predictability (daylight). In the tracking paradigm, predictability was manipulated by displaying a white line indicating the future target trajectory for 200 ms, 400 ms, or 800 ms. Concurrently, participants performed an auditory discrimination task, requiring them to press a brake pedal upon hearing a high-pitched target sound. Performance was measured using standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP) for driving and root mean square error (RMSE) for tracking, alongside reaction times for the auditory task. The results revealed distinct patterns of optimal predictability for each task. In the driving simulation, dual-task performance was best under high predictability (daylight conditions), with SDLP decreasing linearly as visual information increased. Conversely, in the tracking task, dual-task performance was optimal at medium predictability (400 ms advance information), following a quadratic function where both lower and higher predictability levels resulted in worse performance. Despite these differences in primary task optimization, braking reaction times for the auditory task were unaffected by visual predictability in either scenario. However, reaction times were significantly slower in dual-task conditions compared to single-task conditions. Furthermore, manual accuracy in both driving and tracking decreased specifically around the moment participants pressed the pedal for the auditory task, indicating transient motor interference. The study concludes that while visual predictability generally benefits performance, its optimal level is task-specific rather than universal. High predictability aids complex driving, whereas medium predictability is optimal for basic tracking, likely because excessive information increases processing load without adding benefit. The findings suggest that interference between driving/tracking and audiomotor tasks is comparable in nature, characterized by temporary manual disruption during secondary responses. This implies that while predictability can mitigate some dual-task costs, it does not eliminate the fundamental interference between concurrent motor and auditory processing demands.

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Topics

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• dual task performance
• temporal
• visual manual
• dual task multitasking
• visual
• auditory

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data
• Methodological Resource: measurement protocol
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model