Talking to your car can drive you to distraction
DOI: 10.1186/s41235-016-0018-3
archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified
Summary
Strayer, Cooper, Turrill, Coleman, & Hopman (2016, Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications) ran a weeklong evaluation of voice-based IVIS interactions in ten model-year 2015 vehicles with N=257 participants spanning a wide age range. After an initial DRT-based assessment, drivers took the test vehicle home for 5 days of practice, then returned for re-assessment. Cognitive workload averaged 3.34 on the 5-point cognitive distraction scale (range 2.37-4.57), with workload tied to system intuitiveness/complexity and interaction completion time. Older drivers experienced significantly higher workload than younger drivers on identical operations, and 5 days of practice did not eliminate the interference - difficult systems remained difficult.
Key finding
Production voice-based IVIS systems impose moderate-to-high cognitive workload (mean 3.34/5) that persists after a week of real-world practice, is amplified for older drivers, and produces long-lasting residual costs after the interaction ends; intuitiveness and task completion time predict the workload differences across vehicles.
Methodology
on_road
Sample size: 257
Quality score: 5 / 5