Driving With the Wandering Mind: The Effect That Mind-Wandering Has on Driving Performance

Objective: The principal objective of the present work was to examine the effects of mind state (mind-wandering vs. on-task) on driving performance in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Background: Mind-wandering is thought to interfere with goal-directed thought. It is likely, then, that when drivi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human factors 2014-03, Vol.56 (2), p.260-269
Main Authors: Yanko, Matthew R., Spalek, Thomas M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied psychology
Attention
Automobile drivers
Automobile driving
Automobile Driving - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Crashes
Driving ability
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Headways
Human factors
Humans
Impairment
Male
Mindfulness
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Response time
Risk
Risk factors
Simulation
Space life sciences
Task Performance and Analysis
Traffic accidents & safety
Transportation. City planning
Young Adult
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Summary:Objective: The principal objective of the present work was to examine the effects of mind state (mind-wandering vs. on-task) on driving performance in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Background: Mind-wandering is thought to interfere with goal-directed thought. It is likely, then, that when driving, mind-wandering might lead to impairments in critical aspects of driving performance. In two experiments, we assess the extent to which mind-wandering interferes with responsiveness to sudden events, mean velocity, and headway distance. Method: Using a car-following procedure in a high-fidelity driving simulator, participants were probed at random times to indicate whether they were on-task at that moment or mind-wandering. The dependent measures were analyzed based on the participant’s response to the probe. Results: Compared to when on-task, when mind-wandering participants showed longer response times to sudden events, drove at a higher velocity, and maintained a shorter headway distance. Conclusion: Collectively, these findings indicate that mind-wandering affects a broad range of driving responses and may therefore lead to higher crash risk. Application: The results suggest that situations that are likely associated with mind-wandering (e.g., route familiarity) can impair driving performance.
ISSN:0018-7208
1547-8181
DOI:10.1177/0018720813495280