Examining the Effects of Emotional Valence and Arousal on Takeover Performance in Conditionally Automated Driving
URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2001.04509v1
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Abstract
In conditionally automated driving, drivers have difficulty in takeover transitions as they become increasingly decoupled from the operational level of driving. Factors influencing takeover performance, such as takeover lead time and the engagement of non-driving related tasks, have been studied in the past. However, despite the important role emotions play in human-machine interaction and in manual driving, little is known about how emotions influence drivers takeover performance. This study, therefore, examined the effects of emotional valence and arousal on drivers takeover timeliness and quality in conditionally automated driving. We conducted a driving simulation experiment with 32 participants. Movie clips were played for emotion induction. Participants with different levels of emotional valence and arousal were required to take over control from automated driving, and their takeover time and quality were analyzed. Results indicate that positive valence led to better takeover quality in the form of a smaller maximum resulting acceleration and a smaller maximum resulting jerk. However, high arousal did not yield an advantage in takeover time. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how emotional valence and arousal affect takeover performance. The benefits of positive emotions carry over from manual driving to conditionally automated driving while the benefits of arousal do not.
Summary
Du and colleagues examined whether induced emotional valence and arousal affect takeover performance in SAE Level 3 conditional automation. Thirty-two participants viewed movie clips to induce combinations of valence (positive/negative) and arousal (high/low), then completed simulated takeover events; takeover time and quality (max resulting acceleration, max resulting jerk) were recorded. Positive valence improved takeover quality (smaller maximum acceleration and jerk) but high arousal did not shorten takeover time. The authors conclude that the manual-driving benefit of positive emotion carries over to conditionally automated takeovers, while the expected arousal benefit does not.
Key finding
Positive emotional valence improved takeover quality (lower maximum acceleration and jerk) in conditionally automated driving, but high arousal did not produce faster takeover times.
Methodology
Driving simulator experiment with 32 participants in a 2 (valence: positive/negative) x 2 (arousal: high/low) emotion-induction design using movie clips. Participants experienced takeover events from SAE Level 3 conditional automation; dependent measures were takeover time and takeover quality (maximum resulting acceleration, maximum resulting jerk).
Sample size: N=32
Quality score: 5 / 5