Driving simulation sickness and the sense of presence: Correlation and contributing factors

Driving simulators are useful and effective tools for conducting studies in the field of traffic safety. Simulation sickness (SS) and the sense of presence (SP) are two well-known factors that could affect the results of the driving simulator experiments. This study investigated the relationship between SP and SS in a medium-fidelity driving simulator. Additionally, the impact of the road environment (urban arterials or rural expressways) on these subscales was investigated. Data was collected by means of self-reported questionnaires, which were conducted after the participants have driven the simulation scenarios in a fixed-base medium-fidelity driving simulator. A total of 125 drivers participated in this study. Results showed that females reported significantly higher SS scores than males. An increasing trend in the SS was observed with the increase of age. Importantly, designing buildings that replicate a real-world environment could increase SP and decrease SS. Moreover, designing high quality and resolution scenarios could also increase SP, thus decreasing the severity of SS symptoms. The results of this study can help researchers using medium-fidelity driving simulators to know the influencing factors for each subscale of SP on SS. Adjustments in the driving simulator and scenario settings as well as additional training exercises for higher speed scenarios can be beneficial in reducing the severity of SS.     

双眼性的深度运动速度与方向知觉研究

研究双眼性的深度运动知觉,结果表明,双眼视网膜象的速度差信息,在深度运动的速度检测中起重要作用;而速度比信息则有助于判断深度运动的方向,人眼感知的深度运动的速度大小正比于双眼网膜象的速度差,感知的运动方向则取决于速度比。提出人类视觉系统具有从二维网膜信息获得三维运动知党的双限性机制,据此解释了双眼视觉的速度检测特性以及所具有的０．２°的方向分辨率,理论模型与实验结果及日常视知觉符合良好。     

Inspection time and everyday functioning: A longitudinal study

We tested whether level and/or changes in inspection time (IT) in an elderly sample (70–85 years at baseline) predicted future independence in everyday functioning, independent from chronological age. Sixty-eight participants were initially assessed on IT and cognitive abilities in 2003, reassessed on IT in 2005, and then completed the Everyday Problems Test, a test of independence in everyday living, in 2008. Controlling for age, lower fluid reasoning at baseline (Raven’s-subset) and slowing IT over 18 months independently predicted poorer everyday functioning in 2008, together accounting for one-third variance. This supports the proposition that IT has utility as a biomarker for less favourable ageing.     

Pedestrians at the kerb – Recognising the action intentions of humans

Aim of the presented research is the development of a cognitive driver assistance system, which can capture the traffic situation, analyse it, and warn the driver in case a pedestrian is a potential hazard. Hence parameters have to be identified by which the intention of the pedestrian can be unambiguously predicted. Two approaches to the topic are addressed. First, the pedestrian’s perspective was taken. The question was how crossing decisions were influenced by the parameters distance and velocity of the car. Following a signal, participants had to choose to cross the road in front of or behind the car. The data analysis showed that pedestrians relied on the distance of the car rather than the time to collision for their decision. In the second experiment the observer’s perspective raised the question what parameters humans use to predict pedestrians’ intentions. Videos of natural traffic scenes were presented. Participants had to make statements about whether the shown pedestrian would cross the street during the next moment. In a baseline and four experimental conditions, certain information was masked in the videos. Just the condition in which only the trajectory information of the pedestrian was available produced a higher error rate.     

Analysing the influence of visible roadwork activity on drivers’ speed choice at work zones using a video-based experiment

The present study used a video-based experimental design to investigate the influence of visible roadwork activity on speed preferences at work zones. Four videos from real work zones in Norway were used. Two roadwork areas were filmed at two moments – with and without visible roadwork activity. A total of 815 drivers watched two videos and answered a questionnaire online. Participants stated speed preferences for both videos and then evaluated the influence of 17 common work zone elements on their speed choice. The results showed lower preferred speeds for the videos with visible roadwork activity. The elements considered by drivers to influence their speed included speed regulation (e.g. speed limit signs), transient motives (e.g. time pressure), flow pressure (e.g. speed of the rear driver) and situational conditions (e.g. road situation). Results from the regression analysis showed that visible roadwork activity was the strongest predictor of lower preferred speeds. Speed regulation and transient motives were also significant predictors of preferred speeds. Those who considered speed regulation more important to influence their speed choice at work zones were likely to state lower preferred speeds, while those who considered transient motives as more important were likely to state higher preferred speeds. These findings support the hypothesis that visible roadwork activity is an important factor for lower speed preferences at work zones. The main practical implication is that road authorities should consider various countermeasures to achieve safe driving speeds at work zones, not only roadworks warning signs.     

An experimental comparison between rival theories of rapid automatized naming performance and its relationship to reading

Two studies investigated the degree to which the relationship between rapid automatized naming (RAN) performance and reading development is driven by shared phonological processes. Study 1 assessed RAN, phonological awareness, and reading performance in 1010 7- to 10-year-olds. Results showed that RAN deficits occurred in the absence of phonological awareness deficits. These were accompanied by modest reading delays. In structural equation modeling, solutions where RAN was subsumed within a phonological processing factor did not provide a good fit to the data, suggesting that processes outside phonology may drive RAN performance and its association with reading. Study 2 investigated Kail's proposal that speed of processing underlies this relationship. Children with single RAN deficits showed slower speed of processing than did closely matched controls performing normally on RAN. However, regression analysis revealed that RAN made a unique contribution to reading even after accounting for processing speed. Theoretical implications are discussed.     

If and Then: A Critique of Speculative NanoEthics

Most known technology serves to ingeniously adapt the world to the physical and mental limitations of human beings. Humankind has acquired awesome power with its rather limited means. Nanotechnological capabilities further this power. On some accounts, however, nanotechnological research will contribute to a rather different kind of technological development, namely one that changes human beings so as to remove or reduce their physical and mental limitations. The prospect of this technological development has inspired a fair amount of ethical debate. Here, proponents and opponents of such visions of human enhancement are criticized alike for engaging in speculative ethics. This critique exposes a general pattern that extends to other nano-, bio-, or neuroethical debates. While it does not apply to all discussions of “enhancement technologies” it does apply to all ethical discourse that constructs and validates an incredible future which it only then proceeds to endorse or critique. This discourse violates conditions of intelligibility, squanders the scarce and valuable resource of ethical concern, and misleads by casting remote possibilities or philosophical thought-experiments as foresight about likely technical developments. In effect, it deflects consideration from the transformative technologies of the present.

Driving mental workload and performance of ageing drivers

The World Health Organization stated that the global ageing population is increasing rapidly as well as the case of road accidents involving ageing drivers. This study presents the driving mental workload and performance model of ageing drivers in the context of real-time road driving. Twenty paid participants (ten males) with a mean age of 57.8 years old (SD = 2.7) and mean driving experience of 29.6 years (SD = 8.5) took part in driving experiments with three complexity levels of situation: simple situation (SS), moderately complex situation (MCS), and very complex situation (VCS). The subjective ratings using NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), physiological measure using electroencephalogram, number of traffic violations (NTVs), speed variability, and reaction time of peripheral detection task were measured. The driving experiments reveal the following: (1) The subjective workload ratings on mean physical demand score were the highest. (2) The electroencephalogram results show that situation complexity had significant effects on theta relative power and alpha relative power of two channel locations (3) The highest mean NTVs was in VCS. (4) The mean speed variability in the MCS was significantly lower than that of in the SS and VCS. (5) The maximum reaction time was recorded in VCS while the minimum reaction time was recorded in the MCS. The overall driving performance score regression models were developed based on the strong correlation and linear relationship between mental workload and driving performance elements. The models may benefit as a reference for designers, manufacturers, developers, and policymakers in designing better driving environment for ageing drivers by integrating safety and transportation, thus, optimizing and sustaining the driving performance of ageing drivers.     

诚信的三个限度

诚信作为一种德性或规范并非绝对普适,而是有其限度。它至少面临着三个方面的限度:个体理性的限度、根本利益的限度和社会正义的限度。对于缺乏起码的理性行为能力的人,社会不能提出诚信要求。诚信不可能出现在没有任何共同利益尤其是根本利益相互冲突的双方之间。社会正义是诚信的一条重要边界,诚信应当在正义的范围内活动。逾越正义的诚信是自我背叛、自我否定的诚信,因而不是真正的诚信。深入认识诚信的限度,是为了更适当地要求诚信和更合理地践行诚信。