Does it deliver what it promises? Evaluation of cognitive distraction caused by speech-based interfaces with detection response and box task

Speech is considered a promising modality for human-machine interaction while driving, especially in reducing visual and manual distraction. However, speech-based user interfaces themselves have shown to increase cognitive distraction. There remains a lack of standardized and unambiguous methods for measuring the impact of speech-based assistants on cognitive distraction while driving. This work aims to investigate whether the combination of the box task and the detection response task (DRT) is a suitable method for assessing the cognitive distraction caused by speech-based assistants. For this purpose, participants (N = 39) engaged in artificial (n-back tasks) and natural speech-based secondary tasks (interaction with Android’s Google Assistant and Apple's Siri) differing in predefined levels of cognitive workload while performing the box task and the DRT. The results showed that DRT performance differed between the 0-back and 1-back task but not between the different cognitive workload levels of the speech-based assistants. No clear effects emerged for the box task parameters. Thus, the combination of the box task and DRT is well-suited for measuring cognitive distraction caused by artificial secondary tasks but not by natural interactions with speech-based assistants.     

Curvilinear relationship between phonological working memory load and social-emotional modulation

Evaluative conditioning refers to the changes in liking of an evaluatively neutral stimulus (the conditional stimulus or CS) as a result of merely pairing it with another, already liked or disliked stimulus (the unconditional stimulus or US). We examined whether other, non‐evaluative stimulus properties of a US can also be associatively transferred to a CS. In a series of experiments, we tried to transfer perceptions of the gender of children and the gender of first names. We found evidence for the associative transfer of these properties but only when participants were aware of the contingencies.     

Stop crying! The impact of situational demands on interpersonal emotion regulation

ABSTRACT

Crying is a common response to emotional distress that elicits support from the environment. People may regulate another’s crying in several ways, such as by providing socio-affective support (e.g. comforting) or cognitive support (e.g. reappraisal), or by trying to emotionally disengage the other by suppression or distraction. We examined whether people adapt their interpersonal emotion regulation strategies to the situational context, by manipulating the regulatory demand of the situation in which someone is crying. Participants watched a video of a crying man and provided support by recording a video message. We hypothesised that when immediate down-regulation was required (i.e. high regulatory demand), participants would provide lower levels of socio-affective and cognitive support, and instead distract the crying person or encourage them to suppress their emotions, compared to when there is no such urgency (i.e. low regulatory demand). As predicted, both self-reported and behavioural responses indicated that high (as compared to low) regulatory demand led to a reduction in socio-affective support provision, and a strong increase in suppression and distraction. Cognitive support provision, however, was unaffected by regulatory demand. When the context required more immediate down-regulation, participants thus employed more regulation strategies aimed at disengaging from the emotional experience. This study provides a first step in showing that people take the context into account when attempting to regulate others’ emotions.     

The impact of smart driving aids on driving performance and driver distraction

In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) have been shown to increase driver workload and cause distraction, both of which are causal factors for accidents. This simulator study evaluates the impact that two prototype ergonomic designs for a smart driving aid have on workload, distraction and driving performance. Scenario complexity was also manipulated as an independent variable. Results showed that real-time delivery of smart driving information did not increase driver workload or adversely affect driver distraction, while also having the positive effect of decreasing mean driving speed in both the simple and complex driving scenarios. Subjective workload was shown to increase with task difficulty, as well as revealing important differences between the two interface designs. The findings are relevant to the development and implementation of smart driving interface designs in the future.     

Conversing while driving: The importance of visual information for conversation modulation

Multiple studies have shown an increased accident risk due to telephoning while driving. On the other hand, driving with passengers leads to a decreased accident risk. One explanation is a conversation modulation by passengers in cars which leads to a different conversation pattern which is not so detrimental to driving as that when phoning. A driving simulator study was conducted in order to examine this conversation modulation more closely and to find out more about the factors involved in this modulation, especially about the role of visual information available to the passenger. In a within-subject design the conversational patterns of 33 drivers and passengers in different in-car settings (passenger as usual, passenger without front view or passenger without view of the driver) were compared to a hands-free cell phone and to a hands-free cell phone with additional visual information either about the driving situation or the driver. Participants were instructed to have a naturalistic small-talk with a friend. Results of the drivers’ speaking behavior showed a reduction of speaking while driving. Compared to a conversation partner on the cell phone, a passenger in the car varies his speaking rhythm by speaking more often but shorter. Further analyses showed that this effect is also found with a cell phone when providing the conversation partner additional visual information either about the driving situation or the driver. This latter finding supports the idea that conversation modulation is not triggered by being in the car but by the visual information about the driver’s state and the driving situation.     

累积环境风险与大学生自伤的关系:情绪调节策略的作用

通过两个子研究分别考察累积环境风险与大学生自伤行为间的关系模式,并探讨注意分散与认知重评两种情绪调节策略对高风险大学生自伤意图的缓解作用。研究1在1066名大学生中采用问卷调查,探索累积环境风险对大学生自伤行为的作用及模式。基于研究1的结果,研究2选取符合高风险背景的62名大学生为被试,采用实验室实验对两种情绪调节策略的作用予以考察。本研究结果表明：累积环境风险对男女大学生自伤行为均有显著的正向作用,且均符合非线性“正加速模式”,但男生群体随累积风险数量增加而引发的自伤行为增长速度明显快于女生。对于高环境风险背景下的大学生,注意分散和认知重评两种策略均能降低其自伤倾向性与自伤认同,但不能降低其自伤意念。这提示应重视对经历了高环境风险的大学生进行情绪调节策略等方面的干预,以减少其采取自伤行为的倾向性。     

Letting go of yesterday: Effect of distraction on post-event processing and anticipatory anxiety in a socially anxious sample

According to cognitive models, post-event processing (PEP) is a key factor in the maintenance of social anxiety. Given that decreasing PEP can be challenging for socially anxious individuals, it is important to identify potentially useful strategies. Although distraction may help to decrease PEP, the findings have been equivocal. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether a brief distraction period immediately following a speech would lead to less PEP the next day. The secondary aim was to examine the effect of distraction following an initial speech on anticipatory anxiety for a second speech, via reductions in PEP. Participants (N = 77 undergraduates with elevated social anxiety; 67.53% female) delivered a speech and were randomly assigned to a distraction, rumination, or control condition. The following day, participants reported levels of PEP in relation to the first speech, as well as anxiety regarding a second, upcoming speech. As expected, those in the distraction condition reported less PEP than those in the rumination and control conditions. Additionally, distraction following the first speech was indirectly related to anticipatory anxiety for the second speech, via PEP. Distraction may represent a potentially useful strategy for reducing PEP and other maladaptive processes that may maintain social anxiety.     

Better control with less effort: The advantage of using focused-breathing strategy over focused-distraction strategy on thought suppression

It has been suggested that unwanted thoughts usually intrude during mind wandering due to a shortage of mental resources. However, strategies for suppressing such thoughts have never been examined from a mind wandering perspective. Here, we compare the effectiveness of two types of attention distraction strategies that either redirect users’ attention to their own breathing (focused-breathing strategy, FBS) or to a mental image (focused-distraction strategy, FDS) as related to working memory capacities. Eighty-two undergraduates were randomly assigned into a FBS or FDS group. They completed a concentration task and a thought suppression task, in which mind wandering and thought intrusions were each measured. Our results support the hypothesis that mind wandering is positively correlated to thought intrusions and shows that FBS is more effective than FDS in reducing mind wandering and thought intrusions. Moreover, in contrast to FDS, the effect of FBS is independent of users’ mental resources.     

Examination of driver detection of roadside traffic signs and advertisements using eye tracking

Research shows that driver factors, particularly driver distraction, are the most common cause of traffic accidents. Among various visual distractions, objects such as advertisements that are commonly prevailing elements at the roadside, represent an important external distractor that may affect driving performance. Research findings on the influence that roadside signs or advertisements have on driver’s attention focus are not consistent. Therefore, with the application of eye-tracking technology, this research was designed to test several assumptions regarding drivers’ detection and perception of roadside elements. Seventeen volunteer participants, 19–76 years old, performed ten kilometres of urban driving, in which they were visually challenged with 56 traffic signs and 31 advertisements. It was found that drivers’ age is not associated with the number of roadside objects detected. Those drivers who detected more traffic signs were also more attentive to visual advertisements. Furthermore, a positive and large effect size between the number of detected street-level and raised-level advertisements was also found.     

A Comparison of Distractors for Controlling Distress in Young Children During Medical Procedures

Distraction is a strategy that has been shown to be effective and safe in the control of pain and distress. We assessed the utility of two simple distraction procedures for reducing children's pain and distress. Three conditions, control, brief film, and short story, were delivered during repeated medical procedures in a randomized sequence to eight young children with cancer. Scores on the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress (OSBD-R) as well as observer ratings of overall behavioral distress showed that the short story procedure was more effective than either the control condition or the cartoon film. These results argue for the utility of simple parent–child interactive distraction tasks to ameliorate children's procedural distress.