Cognitive Load and Situation Awareness for Soldiers: Effects of Message Presentation Rate and Sensory Modality

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 763-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin G. Hollands ◽  
Tzvi Spivak ◽  
Eric W. Kramkowski
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Presentation Rate ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Auditory Presentation ◽  
Presentation Modality ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Response Task

Objective: We sought to determine the influence of message presentation rate (MPR) and sensory modality on soldier cognitive load. Background: Soldiers commonly communicate tactical information by radio. The Canadian Army is equipping soldiers with a battle management system (BMS), which also allows them to communicate by text. Method: We varied presentation modality (auditory vs. visual) and MPR (fast or slow) in an experiment involving a tactical scenario. Participants (soldiers) received messages and periodically provided situation reports to higher level command, and the scored reports were used to provide a measure of situation awareness (SA). The detection response task (DRT) and NASA-TLX were used to measure cognitive load. Results: The fast MPR reduced DRT accuracy and increased response times relative to slow MPR. The NASA-TLX results also showed higher subjective workload ratings for several subscales with fast MPR. Messages presented visually produced greater cognitive load, with slower DRT response times for the visual than the auditory condition. SA scores were higher with slower MPR and auditory presentation. There was no statistical interaction of presentation modality and rate for any measure. Conclusion: Fast MPR and visual presentation increased cognitive load and degraded SA. Application: These findings show that the DRT can be used to measure workload effectively in a tactical military context and that the method of information presentation affects how soldiers process information in a BMS.

scholarly journals Cognitive Load and Situation Awareness for Soldiers: Using an Auditory Detection Response Task

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 272-276
Author(s):  
Tzvi Spivak ◽  
Justin G. Hollands ◽  
Eric W. Kramkowski
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Auditory Presentation ◽  
Auditory Detection ◽  
Processing Information ◽  
Tactical Decision ◽  
Detection Response ◽  
Response Task

We examined the cognitive load and situation awareness of tactical decision makers processing information with a battle management system. We presented information in visual and auditory form. To measure workload, we used an auditory detection response task (DRT). We found that DRT performance was worse with faster message presentation and with auditory presentation, indicating greater workload in those conditions. We also found that situation awareness was lower with faster presentation. However, we found that auditory presentation produced greater situation awareness than visual presentation. These results are partially consistent with results of a previous study (Hollands, Spivak, & Kramkowski, in press), but suggest that workload and situation awareness can sometimes diverge.

The Effects of Cognitive and Visual Workload on Peripheral Detection in the Detection Response Task

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 855-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim van Winsum
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Detection Response ◽  
Response Task ◽  
Stimulus Eccentricity

Objective: The independent effects of cognitive and visual load on visual Detection Response Task (vDRT) reaction times were studied in a driving simulator by performing a backwards counting task and a simple driving task that required continuous focused visual attention to the forward view of the road. The study aimed to unravel the attentional processes underlying the Detection Response Task effects. Background: The claim of previous studies that performance degradation on the vDRT is due to a general interference instead of visual tunneling was challenged in this experiment. Method: vDRT stimulus eccentricity and stimulus conspicuity were applied as within-subject factors. Results: Increased cognitive load and visual load both resulted in increased response times (RTs) on the vDRT. Cognitive load increased RT but revealed no task by stimulus eccentricity interaction. However, effects of visual load on RT showed a strong task by stimulus eccentricity interaction under conditions of low stimulus conspicuity. Also, more experienced drivers performed better on the vDRT while driving. Conclusion: This was seen as evidence for a differential effect of cognitive and visual workload. The results supported the tunnel vision model for visual workload, where the sensitivity of the peripheral visual field reduced as a function of visual load. However, the results supported the general interference model for cognitive workload. Application: This has implications for the diagnosticity of the vDRT: The pattern of results differentiated between visual task load and cognitive task load. It also has implications for theory development and workload measurement for different types of tasks.

Effect of Sensory Modality for Presentation and Word Imagery on Paired-Associate Learning

1981 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 747-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Papineau ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lohr
Keyword(s):  
Paired Associate ◽  
Recall Performance ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Paired Associate Learning ◽  
Auditory Presentation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Associate Learning

Recall performance on a paired-associate learning task was investigated as a function of word imagery modality (visual or auditory), presentation mode (visual or auditory), and sex. Analysis showed greater recall of visual imagery words, and the results are consistent with Paivio's (1971) conceptual-peg hypothesis. Visual presentation of word lists produced greater recall than auditory presentation, and females exhibited greater recall performance than did males. A predicted interaction between modality for presentation and for word imagery did not reach statistical significance. The implications for future research with sensory imagery in learning are discussed.

scholarly journals Response Complexity Reduces Errors on a Response Inhibition Task

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 787-799
Author(s):  
James Head ◽  
Matthew S. Tenan ◽  
Andrew J. Tweedell ◽  
Kyle M. Wilson ◽  
William S. Helton
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Overt Response ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Friendly Fire ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Response Task ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index

Objective The purpose of this investigation was to elucidate the role of button-response complexity to targets in a response inhibition task. Background Response inhibition is the ability to correctly inhibit an overt response to a target. The U.S. military is actively pursuing development of armed, combat robots as a force multiplier, which may present challenges to operators of combat robots in the form of response inhibition errors. Method A total of 15 participants completed two 51-min versions of a modified sustained attention to response task (SART). Participants were outfitted with an electrocardiogram to index heart-rate variability and completed the NASA–Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) to index workload. Results The results demonstrated that the complex SART reduced errors of commission (4%) and slowed response times (874 ms) to correct Go targets relative to the simple SART (14%, 739 ms). The NASA-TLX did not show differences between the modified SARTs; however, heart-rate variability did demonstrate that Soldiers had an increased autonomic stress response to the complex SART. Conclusion Increasing the behavioral response requirement during a response inhibition task can decrease errors of commission; however, it comes at the cost of slower response times to target stimuli. Heart-rate variability may provide better insight into objective workload relative to subjective measures. Application The use of complex behavioral responses may provide a viable option to reduce potential “friendly fire” or collateral damage by Soldiers remotely engaging a target-rich environment.

Interactions between Presentation Modality and Encoding Task in Frequency Judgements

1993 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-532
Author(s):  
Catherine G. Penney
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Discrimination ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Auditory Presentation ◽  
Presentation Modality ◽  
Target Words

In two experiments, presentation modality of a list of items and encoding task were varied, and subjects judged the frequency with which certain words had been presented in the list. In Experiment 1, auditory presentation led to higher judgements of frequency than did visual presentation when subjects counted the consonants in the words but not when they rated imageability or when they kept a running count of the number of presentations of each word. In Experiment 2, encoding questions about the rhyme or spelling patterns of target words produced opposite effects for auditory and visual items. The results are interpreted as indicating that cross-modal translation during encoding produces a bias towards higher-frequency judgements and may also produce better frequency discrimination.

Rapid Serial Auditory Presentation

2015 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 346-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Franco ◽  
Julia Eberlen ◽  
Arnaud Destrebecqz ◽  
Axel Cleeremans ◽  
Julie Bertels
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Learning ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Detection Task ◽  
Speech Segmentation ◽  
Auditory Presentation ◽  
Indirect Measure ◽  
Speech Stream ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Presentation Procedure

Abstract. The Rapid Serial Visual Presentation procedure is a method widely used in visual perception research. In this paper we propose an adaptation of this method which can be used with auditory material and enables assessment of statistical learning in speech segmentation. Adult participants were exposed to an artificial speech stream composed of statistically defined trisyllabic nonsense words. They were subsequently instructed to perform a detection task in a Rapid Serial Auditory Presentation (RSAP) stream in which they had to detect a syllable in a short speech stream. Results showed that reaction times varied as a function of the statistical predictability of the syllable: second and third syllables of each word were responded to faster than first syllables. This result suggests that the RSAP procedure provides a reliable and sensitive indirect measure of auditory statistical learning.

scholarly journals Coherence formation during narrative text processing: a comparison between auditory and audiovisual text presentation in 9- to 12-year-old children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wienke Wannagat ◽  
Gesine Waizenegger ◽  
Gerhild Nieding
Keyword(s):  
Response Times ◽  
Text Processing ◽  
Auditory Presentation ◽  
Narrative Texts ◽  
Global Coherence ◽  
Text Presentation ◽  
Final Sentence ◽  
Query Word ◽  
Audiovisual Presentation ◽  
Short Narrative

AbstractIn an experiment with 114 children aged 9–12 years, we compared the ability to establish local and global coherence of narrative texts between auditory and audiovisual (auditory text and pictures) presentation. The participants listened to a series of short narrative texts, in each of which a protagonist pursued a goal. Following each text, we collected the response time to a query word that was either associated with a near or a distant causal antecedent of the final sentence. Analysis of these response times indicated that audiovisual presentation has advantages over auditory presentation for accessing information relevant for establishing both local and global coherence, but there are indications that this effect may be slightly more pronounced for global coherence.

The Effects of Practice on Navigation Performance and Mental Workload with a Mirror-In-The-Sky Map

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1546-1550
Author(s):  
Holland M. Vasquez ◽  
Justin G. Hollands ◽  
Greg A. Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Secondary Task ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Practice Performance ◽  
Global Ratings ◽  
Detection Response ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Response Task ◽  
Completion Times

Some previous research using a new augmented reality map display called Mirror-in-the-Sky (MitS) showed that performance was worse and mental workload (MWL) greater with MitS relative to a track-up map for navigation and wayfinding tasks. The purpose of the current study was to determine—for both MitS and track-up map—how much performance improves and MWL decreases with practice in a simple navigation task. We conducted a three-session experiment in which twenty participants completed a route following task in a virtual environment. Task completion times and collisions decreased, subjective MWL decreased, and secondary task performance improved with practice. The NASA-TLX Global ratings and Detection Response Task Hit Rates showed a larger decrease in MWL with MitS than the track-up map. Additionally, means for performance and workload measures showed that differences between the MitS and track-up map decreased in the first session. In later sessions the differences between the MitS and track-up map were negligible. As such, with practice performance and MWL may be comparable to a traditional track-up map.

The effects of cognitive load on query reformulation: mental demand, temporal demand and frustration

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoungsik Na
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Query Reformulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Demand ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nasa Tlx

PurposeThis study explores the effects of cognitive load on the propensity to reformulate queries during information seeking on the web.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs an experimental design to analyze the effect of manipulations of cognitive load on the propensity for query reformulation between experimental and control groups. In total, three affective components that contribute to cognitive load were manipulated: mental demand, temporal demand and frustration.FindingsA significant difference in the propensity of query reformulation behavior was found between searchers exposed to cognitive load manipulations and searchers who were not exposed. Those exposed to cognitive load manipulations made half as many search query reformulations as searchers not exposed. Furthermore, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) cognitive load scores of searchers who were exposed to the three cognitive load manipulations were higher than those of searchers who were not exposed indicating that the manipulation was effective. Query reformulation behavior did not differ across task types.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that a dual-task method and NASA-TLX assessment serve as good indicators of cognitive load. Because the findings show that cognitive load hinders a searcher's interaction with information search tools, this study provides empirical support for reducing cognitive load when designing information systems or user interfaces.

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