Do familiarity and expectations change perception? DriversÂ’ glances and response to changes
article
The present study shows that repeated exposure to a road environment changes eye movement behaviour. In addition,
repeated exposure may result in inadequate responses to unexpected changes in the road environment. Participants drove
a low-cost simulator while their eye movements were recorded. With repeated exposure participantsÂ’ glances at traffic signs
along the route were shorter while having a better recollection of the traffic signs along the route. At the last drive, the priority
situation at an intersection was changed (a priority road was changed into a yield situation). Even though drivers glanced at
the sign that indicated the new priority situation, they did not sufficiently process the information to show an adequate
response. Only two out of 12 drivers showed any response, being a response only after crossing the priority road markings.
The current finding that unexpected but relevant information may be missed by drivers is relevant for other monitoring tasks.
Keywords: Expectations; Driving; Traffic sign; Glance duration; Familiarity; Change
repeated exposure may result in inadequate responses to unexpected changes in the road environment. Participants drove
a low-cost simulator while their eye movements were recorded. With repeated exposure participantsÂ’ glances at traffic signs
along the route were shorter while having a better recollection of the traffic signs along the route. At the last drive, the priority
situation at an intersection was changed (a priority road was changed into a yield situation). Even though drivers glanced at
the sign that indicated the new priority situation, they did not sufficiently process the information to show an adequate
response. Only two out of 12 drivers showed any response, being a response only after crossing the priority road markings.
The current finding that unexpected but relevant information may be missed by drivers is relevant for other monitoring tasks.
Keywords: Expectations; Driving; Traffic sign; Glance duration; Familiarity; Change
Topics
TNO Identifier
19068
Source
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 10(6), pp. 476-492.
Pages
476-492
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