Exploring the effect of cognitive load in scenarios of daily driving

Abstract

Although driving to and from work is an unavoidable part of the working life of many people, little is known about the relationship between work-related and drive-related cognitive load in daily commuting. To explore those relationships, Study 1 examined the effect of a demanding driving period on the performance of a subsequent cognitive task (mimicking a home-to-work commuting scenario). That driving-related higher cognitive load than the control condition was associated with an increased accuracy in the following cognitive task. Study 2 examined the effects of a period of demanding cognitive tasks on the performance of a subsequent driving task (mimicking a work-to-home commuting scenario). Although no reliable effect on speed or lane keeping ability in a virtual motorway scenario was observed, the completion of tasks under the higher cognitive load condition before driving led to a modest increase in the distance kept from the car ahead. The two sets of findings suggest that moderate levels of cognitive load could modulate the performance in timely contiguous tasks. The process underpinning possible spillover effects with such timestamp is unknow but might be linked to the activation of long-lasting attentional processes involving alertness. Hence, this exploratory study can be a catalyst for future studies investigating the interplay between cognitive load and driving in scenarios of daily commuting.