A Field Study Assessing Driving Performance, Visual Attention, Heart Rate and Subjective Ratings in Response to Two Types of Cognitive Workload

Abstract

In an on-road experiment, driving performance, visual attention, heart rate and subjective ratings of workload were evaluated in response to a working memory (n-back) and a visual-spatial (clock) task. Subjective workload ratings for the two types of tasks did not statistically differ, suggesting a similar level of overall workload. Gaze concentration and heart rate showed significant changes relative to single task driving during the extra tasks and the magnitude of change was similar for both, while driving performance measures were not sensitive to the increase in workload. The results suggest high sensitivity of both gaze dispersion and heart rate as measures of workload across these two different types of cognitive demand