Predictors of Mind-Wandering While Driving

Rodd, Heather E K; Trick, Paul M · 2017 · Crossref

DOI: 10.17077/drivingassessment.1654

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Summary

This study investigates the predictors of mind-wandering while driving, specifically examining the roles of time on task and individual differences in executive working memory. Mind-wandering, defined as the intrusion of task-unrelated thoughts, poses significant safety risks by diverting attention from the driving environment. The researchers hypothesized that mind-wandering would increase with prolonged driving time and that individuals with poorer executive control, as measured by the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), would exhibit higher rates of mind-wandering and degraded driving performance. The experiment utilized a mixed factorial design with 40 licensed drivers participating in three consecutive 20-minute simulated highway drives. Executive working memory was assessed via the SART, a go/no-go task measuring sustained attentional control. During the drives, participants were periodically queried to report whether they were thinking about driving or engaged in off-task thoughts. Additional measures included self-reported difficulty focusing, driving speed, steering variability (standard deviation of lateral position), and post-drive questionnaires assessing fatigue, sleep duration, and emotional rumination. The results indicated that self-reported difficulty in focusing increased significantly across the three drives, although the proportion of reported off-task thoughts did not reach statistical significance. Driving speeds increased significantly with time on task, particularly in the final drive, while steering variability showed only a marginal increase. Individual differences in SART scores predicted driving speed, with participants scoring lower on the SART driving significantly faster than those with higher scores. However, SART scores did not significantly predict mind-wandering incidence or perceived difficulty focusing. Correlational analyses revealed that the strongest predictors of mind-wandering were the number of hours of sleep obtained the previous night and levels of emotional rumination, such as worry and guilt. Notably, self-rated fatigue did not significantly correlate with off-task thoughts. The findings suggest that while executive working memory influences driving speed, it is not the primary determinant of mind-wandering during simulated driving. Instead, physiological factors like sleep duration and psychological states like emotional rumination are more robust predictors. The increase in driving speed and perceived difficulty focusing over time indicates that executive resources may become depleted during monotonous driving, potentially compromising safety. These results highlight the importance of considering sleep hygiene and emotional state in driver safety assessments, rather than relying solely on measures of executive function.

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Topics

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• mind wandering
• cognitive
• cognitive capacity variation
• time on task
• temporal
• vigilance

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