Effects of Cross-Modal Sensory Cueing Automation Failure in a Simulated Target Detection Task

摘要

Cross-modal sensory cueing is a highly useful because it provides redundant information that reduces the workload of the user. However, understanding how performance is affected in a cross-modal sensory cueing target detection task in which automation fails will facilitate mitigation strategies (e.g., implementation of improved automation). As automation use progressively increases, particularly within in visual displays, it becomes vital to maximize its efficiency. If automation is improperly used in a target detection task, targets are missed, false alarms occur and performance is degraded. Twenty-seven participants volunteered to take part in a cross-modal sensory automation target detection task with three automation types (auditory, tactile, or combination of auditory and tactile). Our results show that regardless of the type of automation used (auditory, tactile, or a combination both of auditory and tactile), automation failure led to a significant response time and accuracy decrement. Automated auditory cueing failure resulted in a sevenfold decrease in response time, tactile cueing automation failure resulted in a fourfold decrease in response time, and combined auditory and tactile cueing automation failure also resulted in a fourfold decrease in response time. These results are not due to a speed-accuracy trade-off. This is support by the fact that auditory cueing automation failure resulted in a twofold decrease in accuracy, tactile cueing automation failure resulted in a twofold decrease in accuracy, and combined auditory and tactile cueing automation failure resulted in a threefold decrease in accuracy.