Abstract
Objective
We experimentally test the effect of cognitive load on auditory susceptibility during automated driving.
Background
In automated vehicles, auditory alerts are frequently used to request human intervention. To ensure safe operation, human drivers need to be susceptible to auditory information. Previous work found reduced susceptibility during manual driving and in a lesser amount during automated driving. However, in practice, drivers also perform nondriving tasks during automated driving, of which the associated cognitive load may further reduce susceptibility to auditory information. We therefore study the effect of cognitive load during automated driving on auditory susceptibility.
Method
Twenty-four participants were driven in a simulated automated car. Concurrently, they performed a task with two levels of cognitive load: repeat a noun or generate a verb that expresses the use of this noun. Every noun was followed by a probe stimulus to elicit a neurophysiological response: the frontal P3 (fP3), which is a known indicator for the level of auditory susceptibility.
Results
The fP3 was significantly lower during automated driving with cognitive load compared with without. The difficulty level of the cognitive task (repeat or generate) showed no effect.
Conclusion
Engaging in other tasks during automated driving decreases auditory susceptibility as indicated by a reduced fP3.
Application
Nondriving task can create additional cognitive load. Our study shows that performing such tasks during automated driving reduces the susceptibility for auditory alerts. This can inform designers of semi-automated vehicles (SAE levels 3 and 4), where human intervention might be needed.
We experimentally test the effect of cognitive load on auditory susceptibility during automated driving.
Background
In automated vehicles, auditory alerts are frequently used to request human intervention. To ensure safe operation, human drivers need to be susceptible to auditory information. Previous work found reduced susceptibility during manual driving and in a lesser amount during automated driving. However, in practice, drivers also perform nondriving tasks during automated driving, of which the associated cognitive load may further reduce susceptibility to auditory information. We therefore study the effect of cognitive load during automated driving on auditory susceptibility.
Method
Twenty-four participants were driven in a simulated automated car. Concurrently, they performed a task with two levels of cognitive load: repeat a noun or generate a verb that expresses the use of this noun. Every noun was followed by a probe stimulus to elicit a neurophysiological response: the frontal P3 (fP3), which is a known indicator for the level of auditory susceptibility.
Results
The fP3 was significantly lower during automated driving with cognitive load compared with without. The difficulty level of the cognitive task (repeat or generate) showed no effect.
Conclusion
Engaging in other tasks during automated driving decreases auditory susceptibility as indicated by a reduced fP3.
Application
Nondriving task can create additional cognitive load. Our study shows that performing such tasks during automated driving reduces the susceptibility for auditory alerts. This can inform designers of semi-automated vehicles (SAE levels 3 and 4), where human intervention might be needed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1195–1209 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Human Factors |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Early online date | 11 Mar 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Remo van der Heiden was supported by the Dutch Traffic Authority (Rijkswaterstaat). Christian Janssen was supported by a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship of the European Commission (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, grant agreement 705010, Detect and React). The funders had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation. We would like to thank Nina Haukes for her assistance with the data collection. Preliminary results of this work were presented at the Auto-UI 2019 conference during the work-in-progress track (Janssen, van der Heiden, Donker, Kenemans, 2019).
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2021, The Author(s).
Keywords
- autonomous driving
- cognitive neuroscience
- distractions and interruptions
- dual task
- mental workload