Abstract
Age-related changes to perceptual and cognitive abilities have been implicated in an increased risk of collision in older adults. This may be due, in part, to their reduced ability to attend to potentially relevant aspects of their driving environment. An associated general phenomenon of inattentional blindness involves a failure to notice visually presented objects or events when attention is directed elsewhere. Previous studies of inattentional blindness using computer paradigms report higher incidence of this effect in older compared to younger adults. However, little is known about whether these age-related effects are observed during more complex, realistic, everyday tasks, such as driving. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore whether younger and older adults differ in their awareness of objects in their driving environment when their attention is directed toward another primary driving task. This study took place in a high-fidelity, full field of view, driving simulator. Thirty-two younger (Mage = 25.41) and 32 older (Mage = 73.41) adults drove through 19 short scenarios and were asked to first judge whether their vehicle could fit between two rows of vehicles parked on either side of the road and then to perform the associated driving maneuver (i.e., drive through or drive around). On four critical trials, objects were placed on the side of the road that differed in terms of animacy. Specifically, animate objects consisted of 3D humans standing by a bus shelter and inanimate objects consisted of photographs of the same individuals on a bus shelter advertisement. Inattentional blindness was measured via a post-drive, tablet-based recognition task immediately following the critical trials. Results revealed high rates of inattentional blindness across both age groups, with significantly lower levels of awareness for inanimate objects compared to animate objects. Further, whereas younger adults demonstrated reduced inattentional blindness following the first critical trial, older adults did not show this immediate improvement in recognition performance. Overall, this study provides unique insights into the factors associated with age-related changes to attention and how they may affect important driving-related outcomes.
Highlights
For many older adults, driving provides a sense of autonomy, contributes to community mobility, and helps to maintain overall quality of life
The goal of this study was to explore whether younger and older adults differ in terms of their awareness of objects in their driving environment when their attention is directed toward a primary driving task
A study by Pammer et al (2015), in which participants were presented with photographs of driving scenes, revealed a reduction in the rate of inattentional blindness as the threat of a hazard increased
Summary
For many older adults, driving provides a sense of autonomy, contributes to community mobility, and helps to maintain overall quality of life. Older drivers are vulnerable to collisions during conditions of high sensory, perceptual, and cognitive load (e.g., when making left turns at intersections; Cantin et al, 2009; Road Safety Canada, 2011; Vichitvanichphong et al, 2015). These types of driving errors and increased collision rates are likely attributable to a variety of age-related changes, including but not limited to changes in sensory abilities (e.g., visual acuity, contrast sensitivity), perceptual abilities (e.g., time to contact estimation), and cognitive abilities (e.g., selective attention and working memory). The goal of this study was to explore whether younger and older adults differ in terms of their awareness of objects in their driving environment when their attention is directed toward a primary driving task
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
