How fleeting emotions affect hazard perception and steering while driving: The impact of image arousal and valence

Video-billboards and portable video-display devices are becoming increasingly common and the images they project can often be dramatic or provocative. This study investigated the lingering effects of emotion-evoking images on driving as measured in a driving simulator. Images were projected on an in-vehicle display while drivers followed a lead vehicle at a safe distance. To ensure attention to the images drivers were required to indicate whether each image was positive or negative by pressing a button. Occasional braking events (sudden decelerations in the lead vehicle that necessitated braking) occurred either 250 or 500 ms after the button press. In the 250 ms delay condition braking RT was faster after high arousal images (fastest for high arousal positive images); following a 500 ms delay braking RT was slower after high arousal images (slowest for high arousal negative images). Responding to all images reduced steering performance (in the period after the image but before the button press) but image valence had an effect on steering as well. Positive images were associated with better steering performance than negative images, especially when they were both low in arousal: a result that supports the broaden-and-build hypothesis of positive emotions and the theory that ambient (wide field/peripheral) vision controls steering performance. We discuss implications for both basic research on attention–emotion and applied research on driving.