Monotonous driving induces shifts in spatial attention as a function of handedness

Chandrakumar, D.; Coussens, S.; Keage, H. A. D.; Banks, S.; Dorrian, J.; Loetscher, T. · 2021 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89054-1

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Summary

This study investigates how monotonous driving affects spatial attention and alertness, specifically examining whether these effects differ between left- and right-handed individuals. Previous research, primarily conducted on right-handers using laboratory tasks, suggests that lowered alertness causes a rightward shift in spatial attention, impairing detection of left-sided stimuli. However, it remains unclear if this pattern holds in real-world contexts like driving or if left-handers exhibit opposite impairments due to potential differences in neural attention networks. The authors hypothesized that handedness modulates the relationship between alertness and spatial attention, predicting that right-handers would show slowed reactions to left-sided stimuli over time, while left-handers would show slowed reactions to right-sided stimuli. The researchers employed a simulated driving task lasting approximately 60 minutes to induce a time-on-task effect, thereby reducing alertness. The final sample consisted of 42 participants (22 right-handed, 20 left-handed). Participants drove at a constant speed of 50 km/h in a monotonous environment while responding to peripheral visual stimuli appearing at six horizontal locations. Data collection included behavioral measures (reaction times, omission errors, lane variability, and speed adherence), subjective sleepiness ratings via the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), and physiological measures including electroencephalography (EEG) alpha power and galvanic skin response (GSR). Statistical analyses utilized mixed-effects models to assess changes in alertness and performance across the first and second halves of the drive. Results indicated that alertness decreased significantly over time, evidenced by increased subjective sleepiness and higher EEG alpha power in the second half of the drive. Driving performance also declined, with increased lane variability observed as the task progressed. Crucially, handedness influenced spatial attention patterns: right-handers reacted significantly slower to leftmost stimuli in the second half of the drive compared to the first. Left-handers exhibited an opposite trend, reacting slower to rightmost stimuli in the second half, although this effect did not reach statistical significance. No significant differences were found in GSR or speed adherence between groups. The findings support the hypothesis that handedness modulates the interaction between alertness and spatial attention. The study demonstrates that the rightward attentional shift associated with decreased alertness in right-handers translates to a simulated driving context, potentially increasing risk for missing left-sided hazards. The opposing, albeit non-significant, trend in left-handers suggests distinct neural mechanisms may underlie attentional allocation in this group. These results highlight the importance of considering handedness in driver safety research and suggest that monotonous driving may impair spatial attention asymmetrically depending on an individual’s handedness.

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Topics

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• attention allocation
• vigilance
• manual
• inattentional change blindness
• peripheral attention
• useful field of view

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data, physiological data
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model