Dynamic workload fluctuations in driver/non-driver conversational dyads
DOI: 10.17077/drivingassessment.1659
archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified
Summary
Strayer, Biondi, & Cooper (2017, 9th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment) introduce a dual yoked-DRT method for simultaneously measuring workload of both members of a driver/non-driver conversational dyad. N=40 participants (20 pairs, 28 female, mean age 23 yr, 3-16 yr driving experience) used a DriveSafety DS-600 simulator with a 270-degree screen and a four-lane interstate scenario. Each participant wore a head-mounted DRT (LED at 15° left, 7.5° above pupil) with synchronized stimuli and a 50-dB voice-onset microphone identifying who was speaking. Three conditions (single-task drive, in-vehicle passenger conversation, hands-free cell phone conversation) crossed with talking vs listening for both driver and non-driver.
Key finding
Workload in conversational dyads ebbs and flows with the active speaker - talking is more demanding than listening for both partners regardless of channel (in-vehicle or cell phone), driving adds an additive constant to the driver's workload, and the talking/listening pattern is identical across passenger and cell-phone conversations.
Methodology
simulator
Sample size: 40
Quality score: 5 / 5