Visual Search Patterns Research Articles

The effect of eye movement sonification on visual search patterns and anticipation in novices

The effect of eye movement sonification on visual search patterns and anticipation in novices

Temporal Visual Patterns of Construction Hazard Recognition Strategies.

Visual cognitive strategies in construction hazard recognition (CHR) signifies prominent value for the development of CHR computer vision techniques and safety training. Nonetheless, most studies are based on either sparse fixations or cross-sectional (accumulative) statistics, which lack consideration of temporality and yielding limited visual pattern information. This research aims to investigate the temporal visual search patterns for CHR and the cognitive strategies they imply. An experimental study was designed to simulate CHR and document participants’ visual behavior. Temporal qualitative comparative analysis (TQCA) was applied to analyze the CHR visual sequences. The results were triangulated based on post-event interviews and show that: (1) In the potential electrical contact hazards, the intersection of the energy-releasing source and wire that reflected their interaction is the cognitively driven visual area that participants tend to prioritize; (2) in the PPE-related hazards, two different visual strategies, i.e., “scene-related” and “norm-guided”, can usually be generalized according to the participants’ visual cognitive logic, corresponding to the bottom-up (experience oriented) and top-down (safety knowledge oriented) cognitive models. This paper extended recognition-by-components (RBC) model and gestalt model as well as providing feasible practical guide for safety trainings and theoretical foundations of computer vision techniques for CHR.

Visual search patterns, information selection strategies, and information anxiety for online information problem solving

Online information problem solving (OIPS) is essential for 21st century information literacy which often requires information selection competencies. However, students usually have problems in discriminating information from complex web sources. This study, utilizing eye-tracking technology, aims to examine the relationships among learners' visual search patterns, information anxiety and OIPS task performance in web search contexts. In this study, 46 university students volunteered to participate in a web search task for solving a landslide problem. Student’ visual behaviors were recorded by eye-trackers during the task and information anxiety was self-reported immediately after the task. Reaction time and task performance were also recorded and scored. Pearson's correlation analyses, multiple regression analyses, cluster analyses and lag sequential analyses (LSA) were conducted. The results show that learners' eye-tracking measures, information anxiety, and task performances are significantly correlated in OIPS. Students' visual attention paid onto irrelevant web information can significantly and positively predicts their information anxiety, but negatively predicts their task performance. Additionally, based on eye-tracking measures and reaction time, three visual search patterns are identified: Confused, Slow-thinking and Fast-thinking. The LSA results further show that different information selection and attentional control strategies are utilized by different groups, especially when discriminating the relevancy of web information. This study bridges the associations among eye-tracking measures, information anxiety and task performances in OIPS contexts. Future studies are suggested to analyze eye-tracking data using cluster analyses plus LSAs to profile online learners' characteristics in terms of visual search or information processing patterns.

Learning in Virtual Reality: Bridging the Motivation Gap by Adding Annotations.

One challenge while learning scientific concepts is to select relevant information and to integrate different representations of the learning content into one coherent mental model. Virtual reality learning environments (VRLEs) offer new possibilities to support learners and foster learning processes. Whether learning in VR is successful, however, depends to a large extent on the design of the VRLE and the learners themselves. Hence, adding supportive elements in VRLEs, such as annotations, might facilitate the learning process by guiding attention and supporting the selection of relevant information. Additionally, the mapping of pictorial and verbal information is eased by these annotations. The beneficial effect of annotations is highly dependent on learners' intrinsic motivation as intrinsic motivation while learning also affects the information selection and visual search patterns. In our experimental study (N = 61), we compared two conditions: learning in a VRLE with or without annotations. We measured the learning outcome on three different levels (knowledge, comprehension, and application). Additionally, we investigated intrinsic motivation as a moderator for the effect of annotations on learning outcome. We found no significant main effect of annotations on learning outcome. The moderating effect of intrinsic motivation for annotations on the overall learning outcome was significant. Our results imply that learners are either intrinsically motivated or need additional support by annotations as these support the selection of relevant information in the VRLE and therefore enable them to learn successfully. Which type or quantity of annotations supports learning processes best needs to be explored in future research.

Investigating Offshore Helicopter Pilots’ Cognitive Load and Physiological Responses during Simulated In-Flight Emergencies

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study was designed to explore pilots’ emergency response performance by collecting real-time physiological and cognitive workload data during pre-defined offshore helicopter scenarios in a flight simulator. Background: Qualification processes require helicopter pilots to complete scheduled simulation training to ensure competency in areas that would otherwise be too dangerous to practice while flying the actual helicopter. Unfortunately, little is known about how effective this simulation training is in regard to cognitive and physiological responses. Methods: Ten qualified pilots completed six flight simulations while real-time eye tracking and physiological data were collected. The pilots were assigned to one of two groups based on their regular flying position (First Officer (FO) or Captain). Results: The findings indicated that there is a significant difference in maximal Index of Cognitive Activity (ICAmax) and maximal heart rate (HRmax) values between the two groups while completing the same in-flight emergency scenarios. Conclusions: Results suggest that FOs found the sessions more cognitively demanding and also indicated they would benefit from learning how Captains conduct their radial scan of instruments. Therefore, it is recommended that visual search patterns are included in initial training, all flight simulator training includes eye tracking, heart rate data are collected, and that future longitudinal research follows new pilots through their training/upgrading process.

Eye tracking for work-related visual search: a cognitive task analysis

Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) is an important methodology in ergonomics for studying workplaces and work patterns. Using eye tracking as a CTA methodology, this article explores visual search patterns in complex work environments and situations. It presents a simulated crime scene case study that applies eye tracking-based experiments in foraging and sense-making loops to elicit and represent knowledge on expert versus novice search patterns for complex work. The case probes the visual search task of preliminarily evaluating and documenting potential crime scene evidence. The experimental protocol relies on the ASL Mobile Eye and the analyses of experimental data include preliminary inspections of live-viewing data on eye-movements, precedence matrices detailing scan paths, and gaze charts that illustrate participants’ attention based on fixation counts and durations. In line with the CTA methodology, the article uses concept maps to represent knowledge derived from different phases of the study. The article also discusses the research implications and methodologically reflects on the case study. Practitioner summary: This study offers valuable insights for work design. The use of eye tracking as a CTA methodology offers potentials for translating visual search tasks into defined visual search concepts for complex work environments and situations. The ability to model visual attention is valuable for work designs that improve complex work performance, reduce work stress, and promote work satisfaction.

Visuomotor control of walking in Parkinson’s disease: Exploring possible links between conscious movement processing and freezing of gait

IntroductionChanges in visual attention have been argued to influence freezing of gait (FOG) in people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). However, the specific visual search patterns of people with FOG pathology (PD + FOG) and potential underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The current study explored visual search behavior in PD + FOG while walking on a pathway featuring environmental features known to exacerbate FOG (e.g., narrow doorway and tripping hazards). Potential underpinning attentional mechanisms were also assessed, such as conscious movement processing. MethodsVisual search behavior of twelve people with PD + FOG tested in ON-state (Mage = 74.3) and twelve age-matched healthy controls (Mage = 72.5) were analyzed during a complex walking task. The task required participants to step over an obstacle and navigate through a narrow doorway, surrounded by clutter. ResultsPeople with PD + FOG more frequently directed visual attention to ongoing and imminent steps compared to healthy controls (Mdn = 26% vs Mdn = 14%, respectively; p = 0.042). Self-reported conscious movement processing was also significantly higher in people with PD + FOG. The one participant who froze during the walking task fixated the future trip hazard (obstacle, approximately 6 steps ahead) almost exclusively during freezing trials (i.e., 60-100% of the trial). In contrast, during ‘non-freeze’ trials, this participant increased the duration of fixations towards ongoing and imminent steps. ConclusionResults suggest that people with PD + FOG strongly monitor/control ongoing and immediately upcoming stepping movements. However, prolonged fixations towards threats to future movements might prevent people with PD + FOG from processing the visual information needed to do this, thereby provoke freezing episodes.

Keeping an eye on visual search patterns in visuospatial neglect: A systematic review

Patients with visuospatial neglect exhibit a failure to detect, respond, or orient towards information located in the side of space opposite to their brain lesion. To extend our understanding of the underlying cognitive processes involved in neglect, some studies have used eye movement measurements to complement behavioural data. We provide a qualitative synthesis of studies that have used eye-tracking in patients with neglect, with a focus on highlighting the utility of examining eye movements and reporting what eye-tracking has revealed about visual search patterns in these patients. This systematic review includes twenty studies that met the eligibility criteria. We extracted information pertaining to patient characteristics (e.g., age, type of stroke, time since stroke), neglect test(s) used, type of stimuli (e.g., static, dynamic), eye-tracker specifications (e.g., temporal and spatial resolution), and eye movement measurements (e.g., saccade amplitude, fixation duration). Five key themes were identified. First, eye-tracking is a useful tool to complement pen-and-paper neglect tests. Second, the lateral asymmetrical bias in eye movement patterns observed during active exploration also occurred while at rest. Third, the lateral asymmetrical bias was evident not only in the horizontal plane but also in the vertical plane. Fourth, eye movement patterns were modulated by stimulus- and task-related factors (e.g., visual salience, local perceptual features, image content, stimulus duration, presence of distractors). Fifth, measuring eye movements in patients with neglect is useful for determining and understanding other cognitive impairments, such as spatial working memory. To develop a fuller, and a more accurate, picture of neglect, future research would benefit from eye movement measurements.

Eye-Tracking Experimental Study Investigating the Influence Factors of Construction Safety Hazard Recognition

Construction site accidents can be reduced if hazards leading to accidents are correctly and promptly detected by employees. Proactive safety measures such as safety perception and safety detection capability of employees play an important role in improving the safety performance. This study was initiated by three research questions related to (1) the measurement indicators of employees’ cognitive load in recognizing safety hazards; (2) site condition factors (e.g., brightness) that can affect subjects’ cognitive load; and (3) the quantification of the effects of these site factors on cognitive load. An eye-tracking experimental approach was adopted by recruiting a total of 55 students from construction management or other civil engineering disciplines to visually search hazards in 20 given site scenes. These site scenes were defined by a combination of three different categories, namely distinctiveness of hazards, site brightness, and tidiness. Quantitative measurements of experimental participants’ visual search patterns were obtained from data captured by the eye-tracking apparatus. Based on metrics related to experimental participants’ fixation, visual search track, and attention map, these measurements were computed to evaluate participants’ cognitive load in detecting hazards. Descriptive statistical comparisons analyzed these metrics under predefined categories of site conditions, i.e., distinctness versus obscurity/blurriness, brightness versus darkness, and tidiness versus messiness. The findings revealed that distinct site conditions reduced participants’ time in saccades to search hazards but did not improve the accuracy rate of first fixation; messy sites with disorganized items increased participants’ cognitive load in detecting hazards in terms of all five measurement items (i.e., accuracy rate of first fixation, fixation count, intersection coefficient, fixation duration, and fixation count in the attention center); the effect of increased brightness on-site needs further studies to determine the optimal balance of brightness level and allocation. Recommendations based on the findings were provided to enhance safety education in terms of site hazard distinctiveness, brightness, and housekeeping best practice. This study extended a few prior studies of adopting eye-tracking technology for safety monitoring by evaluating the impacts of site conditions on participants’ cognitive load, which was linked to their hazard detection performance. The study provided insights for evaluating construction employees’ hazard detection capabilities to enhance safety education. Future work is proposed to evaluate employees’ safety hazard detection pattern under dynamic construction scenarios.

Are you copying me? Leveraging Expert Visual Scan Path to Transmit Visual Literacy In Novice Histology Students

Histology requires visual literacy, the recognition and interpretation of tissue organization in the body, but this is a challenging skill for novice students to acquire. Developing pattern recognition requires expert guidance and exposure to diverse visual objects, which is limited by minimal contact hours in health sciences curricula. Using eye tracking, visual literacy is interpreted through visual scan paths. Novice students demonstrate improved visual scan paths and recognition of simple tissues after feed forward training (FFT) of an expert’s scan path, but this has yet to be tested in more complex tissues. The aim of the current IRB approved (#19‐1820) study is to apply FFT to complex histological tissues. Evidence suggests a high mental rotation test (MRT) score, ability to cognitively rotate and manipulate 2D objects, correlates with accelerated learning of visual objects. To account to MRT differences, this study evenly distributed participants into two groups, based on their MRT scores; while sex was evenly distributed. Both groups were a part of a two‐phase study. In phase one, group A received FFT on a series of 3 gastrointestinal (GI) organ micrographs showing: areas where the expert’s eyes fixated, pathway the eyes traveled across the micrograph (scan path), without focusing on distractors (saccades), and the total distance their eyes traveled across the image (total scan path distance). Group B viewed the same training micrographs, but FFT was omitted. Both groups were tested on visual identification of the 3 GI organs while their eye movements were captured by an eye‐tracking device, Gazepoint. Phase two was identical to phase one, except, students were exposed to the lymphatic system and group B received the FFT. 3,150 data points (N = 25) were collected and analyzed with MATLAB and SPSS. Neither group had a significant difference in scan path distance (A: p = 0.96; B: p = 0.83), or average fixation numbers (A: p = 0.25; B: p = 0.70) when analyzed individually. At phase two, both groups answered significantly faster (A: p < 0.01; B: p = 0.04) and their mean saccade length reduced (A: p = 0.01; B: p = 0.02). One‐way ANOVA on phase one data revealed female participants in both groups exhibiting less proficiency in visual search patterns with a significantly higher average fixation number (p < 0.01) and total scan path distance (p < 0.001) compared to their male counterparts. A linear regression revealed no correlation between the MRT and tissue identification accuracy (r = 0.35, p = 0.15), suggesting a high MRT may not be related to success in histology. Our data suggests watching an expert’s scan path improves visual literacy, and, for the first time, that there is a sex difference in histological search strategies. Future studies should examine if amount of time examining tissue specific areas of interest predict accuracy in testing.

Considerations for the study of individual differences in gaze control during expert visual anticipation: an exploratory study

Recent perspectives for the study of perceptual-motor expertise have highlighted the importance for considering variability in gaze behaviour. The present paper explores the prevalence of variability in gaze behaviour in an anticipation task through examining goalkeepers gaze behaviours when saving soccer penalty kicks, with a primary focus on offering new considerations for the study of variability in gaze behaviour. A subset of data from five goalkeepers in the previously published article of Dicks et al. (2010) (Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 72(3), 706–720) were reanalysed, with a focus on ten successful penalty saves for each goalkeeper. As the aim was to conduct exploratory analyses of individual differences in goalkeeping performance, data were not averaged across participants and instead intra- and inter-individual differences are described using descriptive statistics. The main observation was that variation in the goalkeepers’ gaze behaviours existed and were evident both between and within individuals, specifically with regards to quiet eye duration but also for percentage viewing time and visual search patterns. However, QE location appeared to represent the only invariant gaze measure with the location being on the ball for the majority of trials. The current exploratory analysis suggested that experienced goalkeepers did not converge on the same gaze patterns during successful anticipation performance. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to extant gaze behaviour literature before considering implications for future research.

An Eye Tracking Analysis on Diagnostic Performance of Digital Fundus Photography Images between Ophthalmologists and Optometrists.

To investigate the parameters of eye movement between ophthalmologists and optometrists while diagnosing digital fundus photographs, sixteen participants (eight ophthalmologists and eight optometrists) were recruited in this study. Every participant’s eye movement during diagnosis of a randomized set of fundus photographs displayed on an eye tracker were recorded. Fixation metrics (duration, count and rate) and scan path patterns were extracted from the eye tracker. These parameters of eye movement and correct diagnosis score were compared between both groups. Correlation analyses between fixation metrics and correct diagnosis score were also performed. Although fixation metrics between ophthalmologists and optometrists were not statistically different (p > 0.05), these parameters were statistically different when compared between different area of interests. Both participant groups had a similar correct diagnosis score. No correlation was found between fixation metrics and correct diagnosis score between both groups, except for total fixation duration and ophthalmologists’ diagnosis score of diabetic retinopathy photographs. The ophthalmologists’ scan paths were simpler, with larger saccades, and were distributed at the middle region of the photographs. Conversely, optometrists’ scan paths were extensive, with shorter saccades covering wider fundus areas, and were accumulated in some unrelated fundus areas. These findings indicated comparable efficiency and systematic visual search patterns between both the groups. Understanding visual search strategy could expedite the creation of a novel training routine for interpretation of ophthalmic diagnostic imaging.

"Seeing" Data Like an Expert: An Eye-Tracking Study Using Graphical Data Representations.

Given the centrality of data visualizations in communicating scientific information, increased emphasis has been placed on the development of students’ graph literacy—the ability to generate and interpret data representations—to foster understanding of domain-specific knowledge and the successful navigation of everyday life. Despite prior literature that identifies student difficulties and methods to improve graphing competencies, there is little understanding as to how learners develop these skills. To gain a better resolution of the cognitive basis by which individuals “see” graphs, this study uses eye tracking (ET) to compare the strategies of non–science undergraduates (n = 9), early (n = 7) and advanced (n = 8) biology undergraduates, graduate students (n = 6), and science faculty (n = 6) in making sense of data displays. Results highlight variation in how individuals direct their attention (i.e., fixations and visual search patterns) when completing graph-based tasks as a function of science expertise. As research on the transition from novice to expert is crucially important in understanding how we might design curricula that help novices move toward more expert-like performance, this study has implications for the advancement of new strategies to aid the teaching and learning of data analysis skills.

Visual search characteristics of precise map reading by orienteers.

This article compares the differences in eye movements between orienteers of different skill levels on map information searches and explores the visual search patterns of orienteers during precise map reading so as to explore the cognitive characteristics of orienteers’ visual search. We recruited 44 orienteers at different skill levels (experts, advanced beginners, and novices), and recorded their behavioral responses and eye movement data when reading maps of different complexities. We found that the complexity of map (complex vs. simple) affects the quality of orienteers’ route planning during precise map reading. Specifically, when observing complex maps, orienteers of higher competency tend to have a better quality of route planning (i.e., a shorter route planning time, a longer gaze time, and a more concentrate distribution of gazes). Expert orienteers demonstrated obvious cognitive advantages in the ability to find key information. We also found that in the stage of route planning, expert orienteers and advanced beginners first pay attention to the checkpoint description table. The expert group extracted information faster, and their attention was more concentrated, whereas the novice group paid less attention to the checkpoint description table, and their gaze was scattered. We found that experts regarded the information in the checkpoint description table as the key to the problem and they give priority to this area in route decision making. These results advance our understanding of professional knowledge and problem solving in orienteering.

Eye Tracking Measures Reveal How Changes in the Design of Displays for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Influence Visual Search in Individuals With Down Syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose This research note reports on how small changes to the organization of a simulated display for augmentative and alternative communication influence the visual search patterns of individuals with Down syndrome or autism, as measured through eye tracking technologies. Prior research had demonstrated that clustering symbols by their internal color facilitates search and reduces attention to distracters, in children with typical development. This research systematically replicated the procedures with individuals with Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder. Method Participants engaged in a visual search task on a monitor with embedded automated eye tracking technology. Patterns of gaze during search were measured via this technology. Results Participants were significantly faster to fixate on the target and to select it with the mouse when the like-colored symbols were clustered together. In addition, participants were significantly less likely to fixate on distracters in the clustered condition. No group differences were found. Conclusions Small changes to the organization of the simulated augmentative and alternative communication display resulted in substantial differences in eye gaze and speed to find a target. Of greatest clinical import is the finding that clustering symbols reduced attention to distracters, given that individuals with disabilities may be prone to distraction.

Evidence of a Link Between Fall-Related Anxiety and High-Risk Patterns of Visual Search in Older Adults During Adaptive Locomotion

BackgroundOlder adults deemed to be at a high risk of falling will often display visual search behaviors likely to impair movement planning when negotiating environmental hazards. It has been proposed that these behaviors may be underpinned by fall-related anxiety. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of fall-related anxiety on visual search and stepping behaviors during adaptive gait.MethodsForty-four community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 74.61; standard deviation = 6.83) walked along a path and stepped into two raised targets. All participants completed walks at ground level, whereas participants deemed to be at a low risk of falling (n = 24) also completed walks under conditions designed to induce fall-related anxiety (walkway elevated 0.6 m). Participants’ movement kinematics and gaze behavior were measured.ResultsDuring ground trials, “high-risk” participants visually prioritized the immediate walkway areas 1–2 steps ahead, at the expense of previewing future stepping constraints. This reduced planning appeared to negatively affect safety, with greater stepping errors observed for future constraints. When completing walks on the elevated walkway, “low-risk” participants similarly prioritized immediate walkway areas, at the expense of planning future stepping actions. These behaviors were associated with greater attention directed toward consciously processing walking movements.ConclusionsThese findings provide evidence of a link between heightened fall-related anxiety and “high-risk” visual search behaviors associated with greater stepping errors. This information enhances our understanding of why high-risk older adults are less able to safely navigate environmental constraints.

The visual search patterns of drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorders in complex driving scenarios

BackgroundDriving is a highly demanding task which presents itself with various unpredictable and potentially hazardous situations. The failure to visually scan the driving environment and strategically search for potential road hazards, can be considered as unsafe driving practices. Little is known about how licensed drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) visually scan the roads while driving. The present study assessed the visual scanning and fixation patterns of drivers with and without ASD during a simulated drive. MethodsTwenty-eight licensed drivers between the age of 18–40 years old, including 14 drivers with ASD (male = 13) driving at least 2 h per week participated in a simulated drive with 14 matched controls. Psychometric profiles and visual scanning patterns on various objects of interest were analysed between groups. ResultsDrivers with ASD were found to fixate and spend significantly more time focusing on the central visual field and less time scanning where hazards potentially emerge. They also tended to allocate less visual attention on social stimuli (i.e., involving a person), and failed to stop in time at the red lights. Psychometric profiles confirmed poorer visual scanning and motor processing speed but less risk-taking behaviour in drivers with ASD. ConclusionLicensed drivers with ASD were found to allocate visual attention differently compared to licensed drivers without ASD. Poor scanning patterns with an over-focus on the road ahead and less scanning of the road side and periphery may possibly result in unsafe driving. However, risk-taking behaviour was not prevalent in these drivers. Effective visual scanning strategies could be incorporated in the driver training of individuals with ASD.

Visual search in breast imaging.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females worldwide and large volumes of breast images are produced and interpreted annually. As long as radiologists interpret these images, the diagnostic accuracy will be limited by human factors and both false-positive and false-negative errors might occur. By understanding visual search in breast images, we may be able to identify causes of diagnostic errors, find ways to reduce them, and also provide a better education to radiology residents. Many visual search studies in breast radiology have been devoted to mammography. These studies showed that 70% of missed lesions on mammograms attract radiologists' visual attention and that a plethora of different reasons, such as satisfaction of search, incorrect background sampling, and incorrect first impression can cause diagnostic errors in the interpretation of mammograms. Recently, highly accurate tools, which rely on both eye-tracking data and the content of the mammogram, have been proposed to provide feedback to the radiologists. Improving these tools and determining the optimal pathway to integrate them in the radiology workflow could be a possible line of future research. Moreover, in the past few years deep learning has led to improving diagnostic accuracy of computerized diagnostic tools and visual search studies will be required to understand how radiologists interact with the prompts from these tools, and to identify the best way to utilize them. Visual search in other breast imaging modalities, such as breast ultrasound and digital breast tomosynthesis, have so far received less attention, probably due to associated complexities of eye-tracking monitoring and analysing the data. For example, in digital breast tomosynthesis, scrolling through the image results in longer trials, adds a new factor to the study's complexity and makes calculation of gaze parameters more difficult. However, considering the wide utilization of three-dimensional imaging modalities, more visual search studies involving reading stack-view examinations are required in the future. To conclude, in the past few decades visual search studies provided extensive understanding about underlying reasons for diagnostic errors in breast radiology and characterized differences between experts' and novices' visual search patterns. Further visual search studies are required to investigate radiologists' interaction with relatively newer imaging modalities and artificial intelligence tools.

The influence of anxiety and attentional focus on visual search during adaptive gait.

Research demonstrates the multifaceted influence of fall-related anxiety on postural control. However, very little work has sought to identify psychological mechanisms through which anxiety influences movement planning and jeopardizes balance safety. Experiment 1 demonstrates evidence of a causal link between postural threat and altered visual search during adaptive gait, indicative of both increased online control of stepping movements (at the expense planning future stepping actions) and a gaze bias toward threats to balance. Participants also reported allocating greater attention toward both conscious movement processing and external threatening stimuli. Experiment 2 sought to further evaluate possible attentional factors underpinning changes observed in Experiment 1. Here, participants completed the same task under conditions of (a) internal focus of attention and (b) reduced resources available for movement planning. Similar to when anxious, participants displayed increased online control of stepping-at the expense of feedforward planning-when focusing attention "internally." However, no such changes were observed during conditions of reduced resources. We consequently interpret altered patterns of visual search observed during anxious gait to represent both a gaze bias toward threats to balance (i.e., increased reliance on the stimulus-driven attentional system) and the subsequent conscious processing of movement to prevent a fall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Getting the driver back into the loop: the quality of manual vehicle control following long and short non-critical transfer-of-control requests: TI:NS

ABSTRACTSpecific vehicle automation use-cases such as traffic jams will be the first level 3 functions on the market. When the ‘traffic jam pilot’ nears its limits in non-critical situations, control needs to be handed back to the driver, enabling appropriate situation awareness (SA) and vehicle handling. According to previous research, operational vehicle stabilisation can be achieved within a transfer-of-control (TOC) of a few seconds in simple traffic environments, but tactical level decisions benefit from longer hand-over times. To date, the effects of non-critical TOCs have not been studied using set time frames. To investigate the impact of short (unplanned, 5 seconds) and long (planned, 50 seconds) TOC requests, while playing/not playing an engaging tablet game, a simulator experiment was conducted with 16 participants. Comparisons of the 60-second-period of manual driving following automation suggest better longitudinal vehicle control as well as more appropriate SA following the long TOC request, and automation periods without the game. However, following no engaging game, lateral performance was worse during the first 10 seconds of manual driving. Control-level visual search patterns did not change with TOC time or the game. Future research needs to consider support for drivers’ SA maintenance and readiness to drive following high automation.