Inattentional Blindness in a Simulated Driving Task

Abstract

This study was a subset of a larger investigation on the role of task load on IB occurrences in the context of driving. The focus of this study was the relationship between mental demand and inattentional blindness (IB) occurrences for a critical stimulus that is directly relevant to primary task performance. Forty-four undergraduates followed a series of auditory directives in a simulated driving environment to reach a destination. The final directive instructed participants to turn left at an intersection clearly marked with a “no left turn” sign. Of the total number of participants in this study, 79.5% (35 of 44) failed to detect the “no-left turn” road sign critical stimulus. Results revealed that individuals who detected the “no left turn” sign had significantly higher scores on the mental demand component of the NASA-TLX compared to those who failed to detect the sign. The negative relationship between IB occurrences and the subjective mental demand ratings suggest another factor, such as task engagement, may also impact IB occurrences.