Types Of Distraction Research Articles

Driver Distraction Recognition Using Wearable IMU Sensor Data

Distracted driving has become a major cause of road traffic accidents. There are generally four different types of distractions: manual, visual, auditory, and cognitive. Manual distractions are the most common. Previous studies have used physiological indicators, vehicle behavior parameters, or machine-visual features to support research. However, these technologies are not suitable for an in-vehicle environment. To address this need, this study examined a non-intrusive method for detecting in-transit manual distractions. Wrist kinematics data from 20 drivers were collected using wearable inertial measurement units (IMU) to detect four common gestures made while driving: dialing a hand-held cellular phone, adjusting the audio or climate controls, reaching for an object in the back seat, and maneuvering the steering wheel to stay in the lane. The study proposed a progressive classification model for gesture recognition, including two major time-based sequencing components and a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). Results show that the accuracy for detecting disturbances was 95.52%. The accuracy associated with recognizing manual distractions reached 96.63%, using the proposed model. The overall model has the advantages of being sensitive to perceptions of motion, effectively solving the problem of a fall-off in recognition performance due to excessive disturbances in motion samples.

The Effects of Distraction Type and Difficulty on Older Drivers’ Performance and Behaviour: Visual vs. Cognitive

Driver distraction is an important contributing factor to increase crash risks. The effect of secondary task engagement may vary by interaction types and driver age. Thus, it is essential to understand the impacts of distraction type and age on driving performance for improving the safety of in-vehicle secondary task design. This paper aims to assess potential risks induced by visual and auditory secondary tasks while driving. Thirty drivers, consisted of fifteen younger drivers aged 25 ∼ 35 and fifteen older aged 60 ∼ 69, were recruited and asked to drive in a simulator. They conducted two driving sessions, one for visually distracted driving and the other for cognitive distraction. The order in which secondary tasks were presented was counter-balanced. Driving performance and behaviour data were collected continuously using multiple measurement devices for vehicle speed, lane position, electrocardiogram, and gaze pattern. Differences in younger and older drivers’ performance while conducting the secondary tasks were compared. The result indicated that the effect of interaction types, i.e., visual and auditory, on older drivers’ performance was significant. More difficult secondary task creates greater age difference in driving performance. However, eye movement and physiological response were not significantly different between younger and older drivers. This result could suggest older drivers’ lower risk awareness of cognitive distraction.

Vision Based Detection of Driver Cell Phone Usage and Food Consumption

Distracted driving is a problem which yearly causes a large amount of road traffic crashes with high rates of fatalities and injured persons. Recently, car manufacturers started to integrate driver monitoring systems to detect visual distraction. This paper proposes a method to extend such systems by driver posture classification to detect driver cell phone usage and food consumption. Such an extension can be beneficial since systems that focus on the detection of visual distraction mainly rely on head pose and gaze information. Thus, distraction caused by cell phone usage or food consumption can not be detected by these systems when the driver is looking to the road ahead. To robustly detect those types of manual and cognitive distraction, different deep learning models were trained and evaluated based on a new image dataset which was captured by two infrared cameras to ensure that a large range of head angles can be covered by the system. Separate Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) were trained and evaluated for the dataset of the left and the right camera to optimize the classification accuracy. The trained CNNs revealed a competitive test accuracy of 92.88% and 90.36% for the left and the right camera, respectively. In inference mode, the models achieve a frame rate of 44Hz and 28Hz for the left and the right camera, respectively. The combination of the classification output of both networks revealed a test accuracy of 92.54%.

Driver Distraction Detection Methods: A Literature Review and Framework

Driver inattention and distraction are the main causes of road accidents, many of which result in fatalities. To reduce road accidents, the development of information systems to detect driver inattention and distraction is essential. Currently, distraction detection systems for road vehicles are not yet widely available or are limited to specific causes of driver inattention such as driver fatigue. Despite the increasing automation of driving due to the availability of increasingly sophisticated assistance systems, the human driver will continue to play a longer role as supervisor of vehicle automation. With this in mind, we review the published scientific literature on driver distraction detection methods and integrate the identified approaches into a holistic framework that is the main contribution of the paper. Based on published scientific work, our driver distraction detection framework contains a structured summary of reviewed approaches for detecting the three main distraction detection approaches: manual distraction, visual distraction, and cognitive distraction. Our framework visualizes the whole detection information chain from used sensors, measured data, computed data, computed events, inferred behavior, and inferred distraction type. Besides providing a sound summary for researchers interested in distracted driving, we discuss several practical implications for the development of driver distraction detection systems that can also combine different approaches for higher detection quality. We think our research can be useful despite - or even because of - the great developments in automated driving.

Messages beyond the phone: Processing variable message signs while attending hands-free phone calls

We examined the effects of different types of cognitive distraction coming from a hands-free phone conversation on the processing of information provided by variable message signs (VMS), on driving performance indicators, and on a physiological index of mental effort (heart rate). Participants drove a route in a driving simulator and had to respond to VMS messages under three conditions: no-distraction, visuospatial distraction (attending phone calls with questions inducing visuospatial processing), and conceptual distraction (attending phone calls with questions requiring semantic memory). Results showed more errors responding to VMS messages in the visuospatial distraction condition. In addition, both types of questions increased the intraindividual variability of response distances and the heart rate, as compared to the no-distraction condition. These results provide new evidence that talking on a hands-free phone entails costs in the processing of traffic information (in particular, text messages displayed on VMS) and it increases the driver’s cognitive effort. Interestingly, the cognitive distraction had no effect on the driver’s control of the vehicle speed or lateral position. Therefore, the effects of potential risk factors can critically vary among the different driving subtasks due to modulatory factors, such as the level of attentional task demands (relatively high in the processing of messages on VMS, but relatively low in controlling the speed and lateral position of the vehicle in quiet traffic conditions). In consequence, the current paper provides new evidence to discuss hands-free phone policies and highlights the importance of designing technological countermeasures to prevent drivers missing critical information displayed on VMS.

Effects of Individual Differences, Attention, and Memory Deficits on Driver Distraction

The current study was designed to empirically examine the effects of individual differences in attention and memory deficits on driver distraction. Forty-eight participants consisting of 37 non-ADHD and 11 ADHD drivers were tested in a medium fidelity GE-ISIM driving simulator. All participants took part in a series of simulated driving scenarios involving both high and low traffic conditions in conjunction with completing a 20-Questions task either by text- message or phone-call. Measures of UFOV, simulated driving, heart rate variability, and subjective (NASA TLX) workload performance were recorded for each of the experimental tasks. It was hypothesized that ADHD diagnosis, type of cellular distraction, and traffic density would affect driving performance as measured by driving performance, workload assessment, and physiological measures. Preliminary results indicated that ADHD diagnosis, type of cellular distraction, and traffic density affected the performance of the secondary task. These results provide further evidence for the deleterious effects of cellphone use on driver distraction, especially for drivers who are diagnosed with attention-deficit and memory capacity deficits. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and directions for future research are also presented.

Investigating characteristics of cellphone distraction with significance tests and association rule mining

Due to the escalating usage of cellphones, cellphone distracted driving remains one of the fastest-growing traffic safety problems. Two basic types of cellphone distractions are – talking (handheld or hands-free) and manipulating (texting, internet browsing, using apps for social networking, navigation, entertainment, etc.). To explore the association between the cellphone distraction type and characteristics of a driver, roadway, and vehicle, we used Fisher's exact test and association rule mining to analyze the data from ten different hour-long observation sessions performed both at intersections and on straight continuous segments. Among 3727 drivers observed, 22.1% were found distracted by cellphones. More drivers were involved in manipulating (12.8%) than talking on the phone (9.3%). The Fisher's exact test results show that intersections and the presence of passengers may be significantly associated with driver distraction type. This study makes a novel attempt to utilize association rule mining in cellphone distraction observation. A set of generated rules and their network visualization demonstrated how a specific group of characteristics can be related to cellphone conversation or manipulation through the measures of support, confidence, and lift. 'Peak hour', 'Absence of passengers', and 'Urban setting' are more likely to be associated with distracted driving than other characteristics. The results from association rules revealed that male drivers were found to be predominantly involved in cellphone manipulation during peak hours on urban segments than female drivers, and they were also largely involved in cellphone conversation during peak hours on the rural segment. Female drivers engaged in manipulating cellphones at the urban intersection during both peak and off-peak hours. In the rural area during peak hours, female drivers were manipulating at the intersection and were talking while driving on the continuous segment. Drivers aged '30–60 years' were found to be more associated with cellphone use compared to '<30 years' and '>60 years' age group. 'Passenger car drivers during peak hours' were more associated with manipulating cellphones than expected compared to any other collective group, whereas 'female passenger car drivers driving on continuous segment' were strongly associated with cellphone conversation. The detailed discussion of the findings from association rule mining will be useful for targeting a specific group of relevant characteristics in potential cellphone distraction reduction strategies.

Impacts of anger on driving performance: A comparison to texting and conversation while driving

Traditionally, driver distraction has been categorized into four types: visual, biomechanical, auditory, and cognitive. However, the place of emotion in driving research is largely undefined. The present study investigates the specific influences of anger – representative emotion arisen while driving, on driving performance, compared to those of traditional distraction tasks. In total, seventy-eight participants were recruited and placed into one of four driving conditions: physical (visual-biomechanical) distraction, cognitive (cognitive-auditory) distraction, emotional (anger), and control conditions. The results demonstrated that anger degrades driving performance as much as or more than other distraction types, specifically, in a yellow traffic signal situation. The causes for these results, underlying mechanisms, and other considerations are discussed with implications for future research.

Comparisons in Cell Phone Use Rates between Talking and Manually Manipulating the Handheld Device

Cell phone use is among the most prevalent types of in-vehicle distractions. Studies have shown cell phones to have a negative impact on driving performance, with the magnitude of these impacts varying based on the level of engagement required for phone use, as well as the complexity of the driving environment. The development of effective policies and programs to mitigate distracted driving is contingent on an improved understanding of the nature of these relationships. To this end, this study investigates the rate of cell phone use under various settings through a statewide direct observation survey. Data were collected from 200 roadside locations throughout the State of Michigan and a random effects multinomial logit model was estimated to assess how the prevalence of cell phone use varies across drivers. While several studies have investigated the prevalence of cell phone use, this study distinguishes differences in the manner of cell phone use (i.e., talking on a handheld device versus manual manipulation of the device) across drivers while controlling for important contextual factors. The results show cell phone use is generally higher among female drivers and use rates consistently decrease with age. The prevalence of cell phone use is also shown to vary significantly depending on the manner of use. Use rates are shown to differ based on changes in the driving environment, suggesting potential risk compensation on the part of motorists. The results also show a significant correlation in use rates at the same sites over time, which is reflective of important unobserved site-specific factors.

Distraction from pain: The role of selective attention and pain catastrophizing.

BackgroundPrevious research has demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive engagement in reducing concurrent pain. However, little is known about the role of individual differences in inhibitory control abilities and negative pain‐related cognitions in modulating the magnitude of this type of distraction from pain.MethodsIn a pain distraction paradigm, 41 participants completed a working memory task with both a demanding high load condition (2‐back) and an easy low load condition (0‐back), while receiving warm or painful thermal stimuli to their left forearm. To control for individual differences in sensitivity to pain and perceived task difficulty, nociceptive stimulus intensity and task speed were individually calibrated. Additionally, participants completed a set of cognitive inhibition tasks (flanker, go/nogo, Stroop) and questionnaires about negative pain‐related cognitions (fear of pain, pain catastrophizing) prior to the distraction paradigm.ResultsAs expected, engaging in the high load condition significantly reduced perceived intensity and unpleasantness of nociceptive stimuli, compared to the low load condition. The size of the distraction effect correlated significantly with better cognitive inhibition and selective attention abilities, as measured by the flanker task. A moderation analysis revealed a significant interaction between pain catastrophizing and performance in the flanker task in predicting the distraction effect size: Participants who performed well on the flanker task showed more pain reduction, but only when they were average to high pain catastrophizers.ConclusionsSelective attention abilities and pain catastrophizing seem to be important factors in explaining individual differences in the size of the analgesic response to a distractive task.SignificanceUnderstanding which factors influence the effectiveness of cognitive engagement in distracting from pain could help to optimize its therapeutic application in patient care. This study shows that a complex interplay of cognitive inhibition abilities, specifically selective attention, and negative pain‐related cognitions, such as pain catastrophizing, modulate the magnitude of the distraction effect.

Age-related differences in the impact of mind-wandering and visual distraction on performance in a go/no-go task.

Optimal performance in many tasks requires minimizing the impact of both visual distraction and mind-wandering. Yet, so far, these two types of distraction have been studied in isolation and it remains unclear whether they act in similar or dissociable ways across age groups. Here, we studied the impact of visual distraction and mind-wandering on performance in a go/no-go task in young and older adults. Older adults reported higher task focus than young, which was associated with a specific age-related reduction in mind-wandering, rather than to thoughts triggered by the task. Older adults exhibited fewer no-go errors, higher mean reaction time (RT) and reduced RT variability compared to young adults. In contrast, visual distraction was associated with a disproportionate effect in older versus young adults on go accuracy, mean RT, and RT variability. Decreasing task focus was similarly associated with reduced go- and no-go accuracy and increased RT variability across age groups. In summary, our results suggest that whereas older adults are disproportionately affected by visual distraction compared to young, they exhibit a reduction in mind-wandering frequency. Moreover, the impact of decreasing task focus on task performance is similar across age groups. Our results suggest a dissociation of the impact of visual distraction and mind-wandering as a function of age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Wpływ wirtualnej rzeczywistości na poziom dystrakcji od bodźców bólowych

Cel badań Badanie skuteczności rodzaju dystrakcji od bodźców bólowych polegającej na wykorzystaniu wirtualnej rzeczywistości.&#x0D; Materiały i metody. 16 studentów w wieku 20-32 lat wprowadzanych było za pomocą gogli wirtualnej rzeczywistości w warunek dystrakcji pobudzającej - jazda rollercoasterem, relaksującej- spacer przez las, oraz w warunek kontrolny – wyświetlane było czarne tło. Ból wywoływany był poprzez zanurzenie ręki w zimnej wodzie. Skuteczność dystrakcji mierzona była za pomocą deklarowanego poziomu odczuwanego bólu, zaznaczonego na skali VAS, oraz czasu, przez który badany wytrzymywał działanie bodźca bólowego. Na koniec wyniki porównano z testem temperamentu PTS.&#x0D; Rezultaty. Badani istotnie dłużej znosili działanie bodźca bólowego w warunkach dystrakcji, niż w warunku kontrolnym; lecz nie stwierdzono istotnej różnicy pomiędzy warunkiem pobudzającym, a warunkiem relaksującym. Żaden z warunków eksperymentu nie miał wpływu na deklarowany poziom odczuwanego bólu. Kobiety istotnie dłużej znosiły działanie bodźca bólowego w warunku pobudzającym i relaksującym, oraz deklarowały istotnie niższe odczucie bólu w warunku pobudzającym. Wykryto również dodatnią korelację wyników uzyskanych w skali Siły Procesu Hamowania kwestionariusza PTS z czasem wytrzymywania bodźca bólowego we wszystkich trzech warunkach eksperymentu.&#x0D; Wyniki. Udowodniono, że występowanie dystrakcji ma wpływ na zwiększenie czasu znoszenia działania bodźca bólowego przez badanych, jednak nie stwierdzono różnic w skuteczności dystrakcji pomiędzy warunkiem pobudzającym, oraz relaksującym.

Demographic, driving experience, and psychosocial predictors of adolescent distracted driving beliefs

PurposeThe current study had three aims: 1) describe distracted driving beliefs among adolescents by various distraction types (i.e., talking on a hands-free/hands-held cell phone, texting or emailing, taking “selfies,” and updating/checking social media); 2) examine the factor structure of distracted driving beliefs; and 3) test whether individual difference factors, shown in prior work to be related to distracted driving behavior, significantly predicted factors of distracted driving beliefs. MethodsThree hundred seventy-nine high school students enrolled in non-mandatory Driver’s Education courses completed surveys of distracted driving beliefs, sensation seeking, and demographics. ResultsA factor analysis revealed four factors of distracted driving beliefs: 1) self-acceptance of interacting with a cell phone while driving; 2) perceived peer acceptance of interacting with a cell phone while driving; 3) perceived threat of distracted driving to personal safety; and 4) self- and peer- acceptance of talking on a cell phone while driving. Adolescents perceived a greater threat to safety and less self- and peer-acceptance of interacting with cell phones while driving (i.e., texting/emailing, updating/posting to social media, taking selfies) than talking on a cell phone while driving. In general, men, those with more driving experience, higher in sensation seeking, and those placing more importance on checking notifications on a phone had riskier beliefs about distracted driving. ConclusionFindings suggest adolescent distracted driving beliefs are influenced by individual difference factors, providing some knowledge about the motivations for distracted driving. Future work should consider novel strategies for intervening to reduce this common yet extremely dangerous behavior among adolescents.

Evaluating the causal effects of cellphone distraction on crash risk using propensity score methods

Introduction/objectiveThis paper evaluates the causal effects of cellphone distraction on traffic crashes using propensity score weighting approaches and naturalistic driving study (NDS) data. MethodsWe adopt three propensity score weighting approaches to estimate the causal odds ratio (OR) of cellphone use on three different event-populations, including average treatment effect (ATE) on the whole population, average treatment effect on the treated population (ATT), and average treatment effect on the overlapping population (ATO). Three types of cellphone distractions are evaluated: overall cellphone use, talking, and visual-manual tasks. The propensity scores are estimated based on driver, roadway, and environmental characteristics. The Second Strategic Highway Research Program NDS data used in this study include 3400 participant drivers with 1047 severe crashes and 19,798 random case-cohort control driving segments. ResultsThe study reveals several highly imbalanced potential confounding factors among cellphone use groups, e.g., income, age, and time of day, which could lead to biased risk estimation. All three propensity score approaches improve the balance of the baseline characteristics. The propensity score adjusted ORs differ from unweighted ORs substantially, ranging from −44.25% to 54.88%. Specifically, the adjusted ORs for young drivers are higher than unweighted ORs and these for middle-age drivers are lower. Among different cellphone related distractions, the ORs associated with visual-manual tasks (OR range: 3.47–6.63) are uniformly higher than overall cellphone distraction and cellphone talking (OR range: 0.63–4.15). Cellphone talking increases the risk for young drivers but has no significant impact on middle-age drivers. ConclusionPropensity score approaches effectively mitigate potential confounding effect caused by imbalanced driver environmental characteristics in the observational NDS data. The ATT and ATO estimands are recommended for NDS case-cohort studies. ATT reflects the effect among exposed events, i.e. crashes or controls with cellphone exposure and ATO reflects the effect among events with similar characteristics. The study confirms the significant causal effect of overall cellphone distraction on crash risk and the heterogeneity in safety impact by age group.

How drivers adapt their behaviour to changes in task complexity: The role of secondary task demands and road environment factors

The present study investigates the impact of different sources of task complexity such as driving demands and secondary task demands on driver behaviour. Although much research has been dedicated to understanding the impact of secondary task demands or specific road traffic environments on driving performance, there is little information on how drivers adapt their behaviour to their combined presence. This paper aims to describe driver behaviour while negotiating different sources of task complexity, including mobile phone use while driving (i.e., calling and texting) and different road environments (i.e., straight segments, curves, hills, tunnels, and curves on hills). A driving simulator experiment was conducted to explore the effects of different road scenarios and different types of distraction while driving. The collected data was used to estimate driving behaviour through a Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) with repeated measures. The analysis was divided into two phases. Phase one aimed to evaluate driver performance under the presence and absence of pedestrians and oncoming traffic, different lanes width and different types of distraction. The second phase analysed driver behaviour when driving through different road geometries and lane widths and under different types of distraction. The results of the experiment indicated that drivers are likely to overcorrect position in the vehicle lane in the presence of pedestrians and oncoming traffic. The effect of road geometry on driver behaviour was found to be greater than the effect of mobile phone distraction. Curved roads and hills were found to influence preferred speeds and lateral position the most. The results of this investigation also show that drivers under visual-manual distraction had a higher standard deviation of speed and lateral position compared to the cognitive distraction and the non-distraction condition.

Virtual reality distraction induces hypoalgesia in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundAttentional distraction from pain has been shown to be largely ineffective for obtaining a hypoalgesic effect in patients with chronic pain when compared to a control condition. It has been hypothesized that this may be due to the non-engaging types of distraction that have been used so far. Moreover, it is suggested that the hypoalgesic effects of distraction may be attenuated by pain-related cognitions and emotions, as they may increase the attention to pain.MethodsIn this randomized controlled trial, patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain in the intervention group (n = 42) performed a single exercise session with nonimmersive VR games, while those in the control group (n = 42) performed the same exercises without VR games. We investigated whether VR distraction had a hypoalgesic effect during and immediately after the exercises, and whether it reduced the time spent thinking of pain during the exercises. We further explored whether pain-related fear, pain catastrophizing and baseline pain intensity moderated the effects of VR distraction.ResultsVR distraction had a hypoalgesic effect during (Cohen’s d = 1.29) and immediately after (Cohen’s d = 0.85) the exercises, and it also reduced the time spent thinking of pain (Cohen’s d = 1.31). Preliminary exploratory analyses showed that pain-related fear, pain catastrophizing and baseline pain intensity did not moderate the effects of VR distraction.ConclusionsLarge effect sizes of VR distraction induced hypoalgesia were observed. This suggests that nonimmersive VR games can be used when it is deemed important to reduce the pain during exercises in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.Trial registrationNCT02679300. This trial was registered on 10 February 2016.

Road lighting and distraction whilst driving: Establishing the significant types of distraction

There is a body of research showing how changes in lighting conditions affect hazard detection in the context of driving after dark. There is a separate body of research showing that driving is impaired by distraction. The two have yet to be integrated: this is critical for lighting design recommendations because giving consideration to distraction may affect the optimal conditions established in lighting studies. A first step in that process is establishing the critical type(s) of distraction that might then be simulated in lighting research. This paper reviews evidence for the prevalence of driving distractions as recorded by two methods: interviews with drivers following collision and observation of drivers on real roads. These data suggest that auditory distractions such as conversation with passengers and listening to music are prevalent distractions, and are therefore appropriate distractions to incorporate in further research of lighting and hazard detection experiments.

Epidemiology and Imaging Classification of Pediatric Cervical Spine Injuries: 12-Year Experience at a Level 1 Trauma Center.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiology and imaging characteristics of cervical spine injuries in children with blunt trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We conducted a retrospective review of the records of all patients 16 years old or younger with a diagnosis of cervical spine injury in the trauma registry of our level 1 trauma center between July 2006 and June 2018. RESULTS. Two hundred thirty-five patients were included in the study: 125 with subaxial cervical spine injuries, 87 with upper cervical spine injuries, and 23 with both subaxial and upper cervical spine injuries. The frequency of isolated upper cervical spine injuries was 73% in patients younger than 3 years old, 48% in patients 3-8 years old, and 29% in patients older than 8 years old. Seventy-one percent of occipital condyle fractures were avulsions, and 26% of dens fractures were avulsions. Type II dens fractures were found only in patients older than 8 years old. Type I and III dens fractures were almost exclusively in patients 8 years old or younger. Injuries classified as AOSpine types A, B, and C comprised 65.6%, 17.2%, and 17.2% of subaxial injuries, respectively. Despite similar mechanism of injury distribution across age groups, the frequency of AOSpine type A injuries in patients older than 8 years old (70.6%) was significantly higher compared with patients younger than 3 years old (40.0%) and those who were 3-8 years old (45.0%). The frequency of AOSpine type B injuries in patients younger than 3 years old (40.0%) was slightly higher than patients who were 3-8 years old (30.0%) and almost three times higher than in patients older than 8 years old (13.8%). CONCLUSION. Pediatric patients have high rates of upper cervical spine injuries, which tend to be distraction injuries that are frequently associated with avulsion fractures. Injury patterns in pediatric patients vary significantly by age, with patients younger than 3 years old being particularly prone to distraction type injuries.

Intimidation and distraction in an exercise context

ABSTRACT The number of gymnasium, fitness centre, and health club memberships in the US has increased dramatically over the past decade. Those persons who exercise at such facilities can be inspired by a variety of factors to achieve certain performance outcomes. Despite their positive motivations, however, club members may be thwarted in their efforts to achieve desirable exercise outcomes. Deterrents to goal attainment can come in the form of various types of distraction. They can also manifest in terms of what has commonly been referred to as “gymtimidation.” More specifically, individuals may be reluctant to engage in exercise activities due to the presence of hardcore gym “regulars,” exercise “fanatics,” or “beautiful people” who engender negative social comparisons and therefore create an intimidating milieu. In addition, certain aspects of the contextual environment itself can lead to feelings of intimidation. We find that both intimidation and distraction negatively affect performance outcomes. However, distractions such as cell-phone usage can actually have positive consequences for the person being affected if the distraction helps to filter out other negative environmental (intimidating) stimuli.

Mobile virtual reality distraction reduces needle pain and stress in children?

Virtual reality (VR) technology is a remarkably effective method for distracting attention from painful stimuli. This is particularly important for children who undergo painful and stressful medical treatments. The main aim of the present study was to examine whether the type of VR distraction had an effect on reducing pain and stress in children during a short blood sampling treatment, and to investigate the effectiveness of mobile VR.Fifty-seven patients of a pediatric nephrology clinic (Mage = 12, range: 7–17) participated in a between-group experimental design study. Participants in the treatment group (active vs passive VR) underwent a venipuncture procedure with VR distraction. Mobile VR (Samsung gear) was used in this study. Participants in the active VR experimental condition played a game based on the multiple object tracking task paradigm. In the passive VR experimental condition, participants watched a film similar to the presented game. All participants rated their pain and stress levels on the Visual Analogue Scale and completed a short questionnaire.Both VR groups reported significantly lower pain and stress intensity than the control group. When comparing the two experimental groups, no statistically significant differences were found, although participants differed in their level of perceived pain and stress, with greater benefits in the active VR. The present study focused on comparing the effect sizes of active and passive VR interventions. Additionally, the study confirmed feasibility of using Multiple Object Tracking paradigm as a method of attention distraction in VR.