Angle of Camera View Influences Resumption Lag in a Visual-Motor Task

Abstract

To determine whether top-view and side-view camera angles, which putatively impose different cognitive demands, differentially affect the resumption lag in a visual-motor task relevant to laparoscopic surgery. Prior research showed that the time to resume a primary task after performing an interrupting task (resumption lag) increases with increases in the subjective workload of the primary task. Camera views used in laparoscopic surgery provide different views of the anatomy and have different cognitive costs and associated levels of workload. Participants completed a peg transfer task while interrupted with a mental rotation task of different durations and angles of stimulus rotation. Participants required significantly more time to resume the peg transfer task when using a side view than a top view and when interrupted for a longer duration. Participants' ratings of subjective workload were consistent with these patterns of performance data; the side view resulted in longer resumption lags and was rated as greater in mental demand. Additionally, the time needed to resume the peg transfer task decreased across trials for both views. More time is required to resume an interrupted visual-motor task when it is more cognitively demanding than when it is less cognitively demanding possibly due to needing more time to learn the visual-motor mapping of the task higher in cognitive demand. Training for laparoscopic surgery should include interruptions to allow surgeons to practice resuming a surgery-related task after an interruption and consequently shorten the time needed to resume the surgery-related task.