Dissociating eye movements and workload on lateral lane position variability

Medeiros-Ward, N; Seegmiller, J; Cooper, JM; Strayer, D · 2010 · publications_jsonl

DOI: 10.1037/e578852012-010

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Summary

This study investigates the counterintuitive phenomenon where increased cognitive workload during driving reduces lateral lane position variability. Previous research suggested that this reduction might be driven by changes in eye movements, as drivers tend to steer in the direction they look and often exhibit more central gaze patterns under high workload. However, prior attempts to dissociate these factors yielded mixed results. This research specifically aims to determine whether eye movement eccentricity (the lateral distance of gaze shifts) or mental workload is the primary driver of reduced lateral vehicle movement. The experiment utilized a high-fidelity, fixed-base driving simulator with thirty-two participants. Participants completed nine five-minute driving scenarios on a straight, three-lane highway, following five motorcycles. The study employed a 3x3 factorial design manipulating two variables: eye movement eccentricity and workload. Eye movement eccentricity was controlled by instructing participants to fixate on illuminated brake lights on motorcycles in the outer lanes (large lateral shifts), inner lanes (small lateral shifts), or the center lane (no lateral shifts). Workload was varied across three levels: low (driving only), medium (digit classification task), and high (backward counting task). Driving performance was measured using lane crossings, lateral distance traveled, and the standard deviation of lateral lane position. The results demonstrated that increased workload consistently led to decreased lateral lane position variability across all three driving measures. Specifically, participants made significantly fewer lane crossings and exhibited lower standard deviation in lateral position under high workload compared to low workload conditions. In contrast, the effect of eye movement eccentricity was minimal and inconsistent. While lateral distance traveled was significantly affected by eccentricity—with drivers traveling further laterally in the outer eye movement condition—this factor had no significant impact on lane crossings or the standard deviation of lateral position. Furthermore, there were no significant interactions between workload and eye movement eccentricity. The findings suggest that the impact of eye movements on lateral vehicle control is substantially smaller than previously hypothesized. While eye movements may play a minor role in specific aspects of lateral distance, mental workload is the dominant factor influencing lateral lane position variability. The study concludes that the reduction in lateral movement observed during high-workload tasks is not primarily mediated by changes in gaze eccentricity. Instead, cognitive load itself appears to directly constrain lateral vehicle movement, challenging the notion that eye movements are the main predictor of this driving behavior. Future research is recommended to explore the potential effects of eye movement frequency and more complex driving environments.

Key finding

Increased workload decreased lateral vehicle movement, but eye movement eccentricity affected lateral distance traveled only, suggesting the impact of eye movements on lateral control is smaller than previously hypothesized.

Methodology

simulator

Sample size: 27

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-nvidia on 2026-08-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• lane positioning
• eye movements scanning
• visual manual
• work zones
• peripheral attention
• visual

Information type

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