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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE
A threshold model for stimulus detection in the Peripheral Detection Task (PDT) was presented to explain the results of three previous experiments in terms of underlying processes. In a new experiment the model was applied to test whether the visual tunneling induced by optic flow was affected by time-on-task while driving.
Background
The effects of stimulus conspicuity, eccentricity, optic flow, age and cognitive load on PDT response time found in earlier studies have been difficult to interpret because of lack of an explanatory model.
Method
The results from three earlier experiments were re-analyzed statistically in order to test the model, and in a new experiment the effect of time-on-task while driving on visual tunneling was evaluated.
Results
The results supported the model predictions: speed of the evidence accumulation process was affected by stimulus conspicuity and age, while the sensitivity of the visual field was affected by stimulus eccentricity, optic flow and time-on-task. Short stimulus duration resulted in lower hit rate. This generated response time compression due to under-representation of slower responses: lower hit rate reduced the reliability of RT.
Conclusion
The results support the presented threshold model for stimulus detection in the PDT. Also, a reduced hit rate because of short stimulus duration reduces the reliability of response time measurement because of response time compression.
Application
The significance of the paper is both methodological and theoretical. It describes a method to assess the effects of experimental factors on different psychological processes, and discusses the relation between hit rate and response time. The theoretical significance is that it sheds light on the underlying processes of PDT performance and of processes affected by cognitive load. In addition it shows that visual tunneling increases during with time-on-task during driving which affects traffic safety.
Language: en |