The Gender Congruency Effect and the Selection of Freestanding and Bound Morphemes: Evidence From Croatian.

The authors report 3 picture-word interference experiments in which they explore some properties of the agreement process in speech production. In Experiment 1, Croatian speakers were asked to produce utterances in which the noun's gender value had an impact on the selection of gender-marked freestanding morphemes (pronouns) while ignoring the presentation of same- or different-gender distractor words. In Experiments 2 and 3, Croatian speakers were asked to name the same pictures using noun phrases in which the noun's gender value surfaced as an inflectional suffix. Different-gender distractors interfered more than same-gender distractors (the gender congruency effect) in Experiment 1, but not in Experiments 2 and 3. These contrasting results show that the cause of the gender congruency effect is not at the level where lexical-grammatical information is selected but at the level of selection of freestanding morphemes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Context-sensitive distraction warnings – Effects on drivers׳ visual behavior and acceptance

In this study, we investigated the effects of context-sensitive distraction warnings on drivers׳ in-car glance behaviors and acceptance. The studied prototype warning application functions on a smart phone. The novelty of the application is its proactive and context-sensitive approach to the adjustment of warning thresholds according to the estimated visual demands of the driving situation ahead. In our study, novice and experienced drivers conducted in-car tasks with a smart phone on a test track with and without the warnings. The application gave a warning if the driver׳s gaze was recognized to remain on the smart phone over a situation-specific threshold time, or if the driver was approaching a high-demand part of the track (an intersection or a tight curve). Glance metrics indicated a significant increasing effect of the warnings on glance time on road while multitasking. The effect varied between 5% and 30% increase depending on the in-car task. A text message reading task was the most visually demanding activity and indicated the greatest effect of the warnings on glance time on road. Driving experience did not have an effect on the efficiency of the warnings. The proposed gaze tracking with current smart phone technology proved to be highly unreliable in varying lighting conditions. However, the findings suggest that location-based proactive distraction warnings of high-demanding driving situations ahead could help all drivers in overcoming the inability to evaluate situational demands while interacting with complex in-car tasks and to place more attention on the road. Furthermore, survey results indicate that it is possible to achieve high levels of trust, perceived usefulness, and acceptance with these kinds of context-sensitive distraction warnings for drivers.     

Driving with pets and motor vehicle collision involvement among older drivers: A prospective population-based study

ObjectiveDistracted driving is a major cause of motor vehicle collision (MVC) involvement. Pets have been identified as potential distraction to drivers, particularly in the front. This type of distraction could be worse for those with impairment in the cognitive aspects of visual processing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between driving with pets and rates of motor vehicle collision involvement in a cohort of older drivers.MethodsA three-year prospective study was conducted in a population-based sample of 2000 licensed drivers aged 70 years and older. At the baseline visit, a trained interviewer asked participants about pet ownership, whether they drive with pets, how frequently, and where the pet sits in the vehicle. Motor vehicle collision (MVC) involvement during the three-year study period was obtained from the Alabama Department of Public Safety. At-fault status was determined by the police officer who arrived on the scene. Participants were followed until the earliest of death, driving cessation, or end of the study period. Poisson regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted rate ratios (RR) examining the association between pet ownership, presence of a pet in a vehicle, frequency of driving with a pet, and location of the pet inside with vehicle with any and at-fault MVC involvement. We examined whether the associations differed by higher order visual processing impairment status, as measured by Useful Field of View, Trails B, and Motor-free Visual Perception Test.ResultsRates of crash involvement were similar for older adults who have ever driven with a pet compared to those who never drove with their pet (RR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.76–1.75). Drivers who reported always or sometimes driving with their pet had higher MVC rates compared to pet owners who never drive with a pet, but this association was not statistically significant (RR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.86–2.24). In terms of location, those reporting having a pet frequently ride in the front of the vehicle had similar rates of MVC involvement compared to those who did not drive with a pet in the front. A similar pattern of results was observed for at-fault MVCs. This association was not modified by visual processing impairment status.ConclusionThe current study demonstrates a positive but non-significant association between frequently driving with pets and MVC involvement. More research is needed, particularly on restraint use and whether the pet was in the car at the time of the crash, to help characterize the public safety benefit of regulations on driving with pets.     

Multi-modal demands of a smartphone used to place calls and enter addresses during highway driving relative to two embedded systems

There is limited research on trade-offs in demand between manual and voice interfaces of embedded and portable technologies. Mehler et al. identified differences in driving performance, visual engagement and workload between two contrasting embedded vehicle system designs (Chevrolet MyLink and Volvo Sensus). The current study extends this work by comparing these embedded systems with a smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S4). None of the voice interfaces eliminated visual demand. Relative to placing calls manually, both embedded voice interfaces resulted in less eyes-off-road time than the smartphone. Errors were most frequent when calling contacts using the smartphone. The smartphone and MyLink allowed addresses to be entered using compound voice commands resulting in shorter eyes-off-road time compared with the menu-based Sensus but with many more errors. Driving performance and physiological measures indicated increased demand when performing secondary tasks relative to ‘just driving’, but were not significantly different between the smartphone and embedded systems.

Practitioner Summary: The findings show that embedded system and portable device voice interfaces place fewer visual demands on the driver than manual interfaces, but they also underscore how differences in system designs can significantly affect not only the demands placed on drivers, but also the successful completion of tasks.     

Driver training: a perceptual-motor skill approach

Driving behaviour was analysed in the light of cognitive psychology and perceptual-motor skill learning and categorization of the causation of driving errors was suggested. On this basis, two techniques aimed at correcting inappropriate driving habits were derived and tried out experimentally: (a) mass observation and personal communications; and (b) self-recording of near accidents and mental (imagery) practice. Findings show the efficiency of both these techniques.     

前瞻记忆与紧张度的关系研究

紧张状态下的前瞻记忆表现是应急反应研究的一个新视角。运用自行研制的实验材料，在前瞻记忆的实验法范式下，对不同呈现速度(即紧张程度)和分心条件下，前瞻记忆的绩效进行了比较。结果发现前瞻记忆的绩效随紧张程度增大而显著降低；快速比慢速受分心影响小，并且这种趋势接近显著水平。此研究对于探讨前瞻记忆在紧急突发事件中的应用，具有重要的借鉴意义。     

Speech Recognition and In-Vehicle Telematics Devices: Potential Reductions in Driver Distraction

Speech Recognition is frequently cited as a potential remedy to distraction resulting from drivers' operation of in-vehicle devices. This position typically assumes that the introduction of speech recognition will result in reduced cognitive workload and improved driving performance. Past research neither fully supports nor fully discounts this assumption. However, it is difficult to compare many of these studies, due to differences in device operation tasks, the pacing of those tasks, speech recognition system performance, and system interface designs. In an effort to directly address the effect of voice recognition on driver distraction, the present authors developed a capability to manipulate the performance characteristics of a speech recognition system through a Wizard of Oz speech recognition system and installed this system in a simulated driving environment. The sensitivity of the simulated driving environment and speech recognition accuracy manipulation were evaluated in an initial study comparing driver cognitive workload and driving performance during self-paced simulated operation of a personal digital assistant (PDA) during no PDA use, manual control of the PDA, and speech control of the PDA. In the Speech PDA condition, speech recognition accuracy was varied between drivers. Analysis of drivers' emergency braking response times and rated cognitive workload revealed significantly lower cognitive demand and better performance in the No PDA condition when compared to the Manual PDA condition. The Speech PDA condition resulted in response times and rated cognitive workload levels that were between the No PDA and Manual PDA conditions, but not significantly different from either of these conditions. Further analysis of emergency braking performance revealed a non-significant trend towards better performance in conjunction with higher speech recognition accuracy levels. The potential for reducing driver distraction through the careful development and evaluation of speech recognition systems is discussed.     

In the eye of the beholder: A simulator study of the impact of Google Glass on driving performance

This study examined whether, and to what extent, driving is affected by reading text on Google Glass. Reading text requires a high level of visual resources and can interfere with safe driving. However, it is currently unclear if the impact of reading text on a head-mounted display, such as Google Glass (Glass), will differ from that found with more traditional head-down electronic devices, such as a dash-mounted smartphone. A total of 20 drivers (22–48 years) completed the Lane Change Test while driving undistracted and while reading text on Glass and on a smartphone. Measures of lateral vehicle control and event detection were examined along with subjective workload and secondary task performance. Results revealed that drivers’ lane keeping ability was significantly impaired by reading text on both Glass and the smartphone. When using Glass, drivers also failed to detect a greater number of lane change signs compared to when using the phone or driving undistracted. In terms of subjective workload, drivers rated reading on Glass as subjectively easier than on the smartphone, which may possibly encourage greater use of this device while driving. Overall, the results suggest that, despite Glass allowing drivers to better maintain their visual attention on the forward scene, drivers are still not able to effectively divide their cognitive attention across the Glass display and the road environment, resulting in impaired driving performance.     

How do drivers behave during indecision zone maneuvers?

Yellow signal indications at intersections are well-known to be a contributor to traffic crashes. This study examined drivers’ behavior during yellow signal indication (i.e., indecision zone) maneuvers. Data from a driving simulator study was used, which included drivers’ performance data when they encountered a yellow signal indication at intersections under different secondary-task conditions. This study calculated drivers’ likelihood to go through a yellow signal indication and examined factors that are related to drivers’ decision making on intersection traversing. The results showed that drivers’ decision on stopping or not at a yellow signal indication was associated with different variables including age, distraction, pedal conditions, and time to stop line. Distracted drivers’ insensitive behavior was also captured from the significant interaction effect between time to stop line and distraction conditions, which implied that intersection related crash risk may increase when drivers were distracted.     

Vehicle guidance by delineation systems at night

Abstract

Car and road designs are considered to be better when they require less driver attention and allow drivers to behave more as a supervisory controller in coping with normal, multi-task driving. In this paper an example is presented with respect to road design and, more specifically, with respect to various configurations of delineation on wet roads at night. The criteria for supervisory control are focused on drivers' observation strategy in terms of ‘free times’ available for tasks beyond lateral vehicle control, on drivers' control strategy in terms of amplitudes and frequencies of steering-wheel movements, and on the overall driving performance in terms of variations in lateral position and yaw rate.

The research findings on straight and curved roads recommend the necessity of using delineation devices at both sides of the traffic lane by the implementation of profiled stripes, raised pavement markers at the location of the centre and/or lane boundaries, or post-mounted delineators just beside the boundary. Post-mounted delineators on larger cross distances are less effective. The longitudinal spacing between the raised pavement markers has to be restricted up to 12 m for curves with radii for 200 m and up to 24 m for straight roads.