Crossmodal Congruency Benefits of Tactile and Visual Signalling

摘要

We conducted an experiment in which tactile messages were created based on five common military arm and hand signals. We compared response times and accuracy rates of novice individuals responding to visual and tactile representations of these messages, which were displayed either alone or in congruent or incongruent combinations. Analyses were conducted on trials where tactile and visual signals messages were presented either individually or concurrently. Results indicated beneficial effects for concurrent, congruent message presentations with both modalities showing a superior response time and improved accuracy when compared to individual presentations in either modality. These results confirm the promise for tactile messages to augment visual messaging in challenging and stressful environments where visual messaging are not always be possible.