Influence of automation on mind wandering frequency in sustained attention

Gouraud, Jonas; Delorme, Arnaud; Berberian, Bruno · 2018 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.09.012

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Summary

This study investigates how automation influences the frequency of mind wandering (MW) during sustained attention tasks, addressing concerns that automated systems may induce vigilance failures by freeing cognitive resources for task-unrelated thoughts. The research was motivated by evidence that automation, while improving system efficiency, often leads to operator complacency and "out-of-the-loop" performance issues. The authors hypothesized that automation would increase MW frequency over time and that this state would be detectable through physiological markers. The experiment involved 17 participants who performed an obstacle avoidance task using a simulated unmanned air vehicle in two conditions: manual control and automated monitoring. Each condition consisted of a 45-minute session divided into four blocks. In the manual condition, participants actively steered the vehicle to avoid obstacles; in the automated condition, they monitored the system and acknowledged its avoidance decisions. Mind wandering was measured using attentional probes presented every two minutes, asking participants to report whether their attention was on the task, related to the task, unrelated to the task (MW), or distracted by external factors. Additionally, oculometric data, including pupil diameter, blink frequency, saccade frequency, and fixation duration, were recorded using infrared cameras. Post-task workload was assessed using the NASA Task Load Index (TLX). The results demonstrated a significant interaction between time and automation level on MW frequency. While MW frequency remained stable in the manual condition, it significantly increased in the automated condition during the third and fourth blocks compared to the first two. Participants perceived the manual condition as more demanding than the automated one, confirming that automation reduced subjective workload. Regarding physiological markers, pupil diameter was significantly smaller during MW episodes compared to focused periods, with a mean difference of approximately 0.15 mm. This pupillometric difference remained stable across time and conditions. No significant differences were found for blink frequency, saccade frequency, or fixation duration between MW and focus states. The findings suggest that automation promotes mind wandering over time, likely due to complacency arising from high system reliability or a decoupling of agency where operators feel less responsible for the task. The consistent reduction in pupil diameter during MW provides a reliable physiological marker for detecting attentional disengagement in operational settings. These results imply that automation does not merely reduce workload but alters the allocation of cognitive resources, potentially compromising operator readiness for rare critical events. The study highlights the need to consider MW as a distinct mechanism contributing to vigilance failures in automated environments.

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Topics

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• mind wandering
• automation complacency bias
• cognitive
• vigilance
• sustained attention vigilance
• automation surprise

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