Auditory-Visual Redundancy in Vehicle Control Interruptions

Abstract

Two novel versions of a meta analysis were employed to assess the conditions of ongoing vehicle control task simulations in which (1) auditory presentation of an interrupting task were beneficial over visual presentations and (2) redundant (av) presentation was better than single modality presentation (providing redundancy gain). Altogether 29 studies were identified. The results revealed that the interrupting task benefited from auditory presentation, but the ongoing task (visual vehicle control task) generally did not. Performance of the visual interrupting task was slightly hindered by separation from the ongoing task. The redundancy analysis revealed that the interrupting task benefited from redundancy when it involved spatial localization and alerting and the accuracy of verbal communications; but suffered when speed of the verbal communications response was measured, and when the two visual channels were separated. Implications for multi-modal presentation of information on vehicle workstations are discussed.