Effects of remote and in-person verbal interactions on verbalization rates and attention to dynamic spatial scenes.
This study focused on how teams allocated attention between a driving-related spatial task and a verbal task, and how different kinds of verbal interactions affected performance of the driving-related task. In Experiment 1, 29 two-person teams performed an interactive verbal task while one team member also performed a simulated driving task. Of the team members performing only the verbal task, half could see their partner's spatial situation, as a car passenger can (in-person condition), and half were remotely located, similar to someone speaking to a driver using a cell-phone. Teams interacted verbally at an overall slower rate during remote than in-person interactions, suggesting that remote verbal interactions are more difficult than in-person interactions. Verbal interactions degraded situation awareness for driving-related information while performing the spatial task; and this degradation was not greater during remote than in-person interactions. Experiment 2 used a faster-paced verbal task and found greater degradation of situation awareness due to the verbal task. These findings are potentially relevant to the issue of how passenger and cell-phone conversations affect driving performance.
Gugerty
Leo
L
Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA. gugerty@clemson.edu
Rakauskas
Mick
M
Brooks
Johnell
J
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D001334:Automobile Driving; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D013022:South Carolina; D013028:Space Perception; D014705:Verbal Behavior