Is improved lane keeping during cognitive load caused by increased physical arousal or gaze concentration toward the road center?

Li, Penghui; Markkula, Gustav; Li, Yibing; Merat, Natasha · 2018 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2018.03.034

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Summary

This study investigates the mechanisms behind the counterintuitive finding that cognitive load often improves lane-keeping performance, typically measured by a reduced standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). While visual distraction degrades lateral control, cognitive distraction (e.g., hands-free phone use) has been shown to reduce SDLP. Two primary competing hypotheses attempt to explain this: the global arousal hypothesis, which posits that increased physical arousal enhances micro-steering activity, and the active gaze hypothesis, which suggests that concentrated gaze toward the road center leads to improved steering. The authors aimed to determine whether these mechanisms operate independently, sequentially, or simultaneously. The researchers conducted a driving simulator study with 27 participants who performed an n-back working memory task at varying difficulty levels (0-back, 1-back, and 2-back) while driving on a straight urban road. Data were collected on lane-keeping performance (SDLP), micro-steering activity (steering reversal rate), physical arousal (mean standard deviation of skin conductance level), and gaze concentration (standard deviation of horizontal gaze position). The analysis employed time-course methods to establish temporal precedence and multilevel regression models to assess causal associations between these variables. Results indicated that cognitive load increased physical arousal, concentrated gaze toward the road center, and increased micro-steering activity, all of which were associated with improved lane keeping. Time-course analysis revealed that arousal and gaze concentration changed immediately upon task onset, preceding changes in micro-steering activity, which in turn preceded improvements in lane keeping. Pairwise regression showed significant associations between arousal and micro-steering, gaze and micro-steering, and both mediators with lane keeping. Crucially, no significant correlation was found between arousal and gaze concentration, suggesting they are independent phenomena. Multilevel modeling demonstrated that a combined model including both arousal and gaze concentration provided a significantly better fit than models relying on either factor alone. The study concludes that improved lane keeping during cognitive load is not caused by a single mechanism but by the simultaneous operation of both increased physical arousal and increased gaze concentration. Arousal directly increases micro-steering activity, while gaze concentration improves lane keeping both by further increasing micro-steering and by directing steering toward the gaze target. These findings resolve the debate by showing that existing hypotheses are complementary rather than mutually exclusive, offering a more comprehensive understanding of how cognitive distraction influences driver behavior.

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Topics

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• cognitive
• mental demand
• stress arousal performance
• lane positioning
• workload measurement
• temporal

Information type

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