Effects of Speed of Visual Processing Training upon Non-Visual Attention in "At-Risk" Older Drivers
DOI: 10.17077/drivingassessment.1063
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Summary
This study investigates whether training designed to improve the speed of visual processing can enhance performance in non-visual attention tasks among "at-risk" older drivers. The research is motivated by the established link between reduced Useful Field of View (UFOV)—a measure dependent on divided attention, selective attention, and processing speed—and increased crash risk in older adults. While previous research indicated that speed of processing training improves UFOV scores and potentially driving performance, this preliminary analysis specifically tests the hypothesis that such visual training transfers to attention-demanding tasks processed outside the visual domain. The study enrolled forty older drivers identified as at-risk based on reduced UFOV scores. Participants were randomly assigned to either a speed of visual processing training group (n=22, mean age 74.4) or a control group (n=18, mean age 75.1) that received Internet usage training. Both groups completed ten one-hour sessions. To assess non-visual attention, all participants performed the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT) before and after training. The PASAT requires subjects to add pairs of random digits presented at 2.4-second and 2.0-second intervals, demanding working memory and sustained auditory attention. Results indicated that the speed of processing training group significantly improved mean scores on all UFOV subtests, including divided attention (66.18ms improvement) and selective attention (244.68ms and 115.27ms improvements; P<0.001). The control group showed significant improvement only on the selective attention subtest (70ms, p=0.049). Crucially, the training group demonstrated a significant 8.6% improvement in PASAT scores at the 2.4-second interval (p=0.01). Although the training group also improved at the more difficult 2.0-second interval (4.4%), the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.11), likely due to a floor effect. The control group showed no significant improvements in PASAT scores at either speed. The findings provide preliminary evidence of cross-modal transfer, suggesting that speed of visual processing training entrains attention resources at supramodal levels beyond the visual domain. This implies that interventions targeting visual processing speed may enhance general attention capabilities relevant to complex driving tasks, such as multitasking, using a cell phone, or engaging in conversation with passengers. These results support the potential for cognitive training to mitigate crash risk in older drivers by improving broader attentional resources.
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | Crossref | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| archive | success | canonical_url | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-26 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| enrich | success | openalex | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 6 | 2026-06-26 |
| verify | partial | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified_with_issues.
Topics
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- useful field of view
- cognitive capacity variation
- peripheral attention
- hazard perception training
- age related perceptual decline
- cognitive aging
Information type
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- Theoretical Contribution: theory or model