Wertheim’s hypothesis on ‘highway hypnosis’: empirical evidence from a study on motorway and conventional road driving

Cerezuela, Gemma Pastor; Gimeno, Pilar Tejero; Chóliz, Mariano; Chisvert-Perales, Mauricio; Monteagudo, M.José

doi:10.1016/j.aap.2004.02.002

Cited by 42 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Therefore, they appear to be the most promising models to detect lapses in vigilance in real time during monotonous tasks. Particularly, such modelling could be of interest to road safety research, since drivers are prone to feel bored or experience highway hypnosis symptoms without being fatigued (Wertheim 1978, Cerezuela et al 2004.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-time performance modelling of a Sustained Attention to Response Task

2010

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Vigilance declines when exposed to highly predictable and uneventful tasks. Monotonous tasks provide little cognitive and motor stimulation and contribute to human errors. This paper aims to model and detect vigilance decline in real time through participants' reaction times during a monotonous task. A laboratory-based experiment adapting the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) is conducted to quantify the effect of monotony on overall performance. Relevant parameters are then used to build a model detecting hypovigilance throughout the experiment. The accuracy of different mathematical models is compared to detect in real time - minute by minute - the lapses in vigilance during the task. It is shown that monotonous tasks can lead to an average decline in performance of 45%. Furthermore, vigilance modelling enables the detection of vigilance decline through reaction times with an accuracy of 72% and a 29% false alarm rate. Bayesian models are identified as a better model to detect lapses in vigilance as compared with neural networks and generalised linear mixed models. This modelling could be used as a framework to detect vigilance decline of any human performing monotonous tasks. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Existing research on monotony is largely entangled with endogenous factors such as sleep deprivation, fatigue and circadian rhythm. This paper uses a Bayesian model to assess the effects of a monotonous task on vigilance in real time. It is shown that the negative effects of monotony on the ability to sustain attention can be mathematically modelled and predicted in real time using surrogate measures, such as reaction times. This allows the modelling of vigilance fluctuations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-time performance modelling of a Sustained Attention to Response Task

2010

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“…One view of sustained attention suggests that performance decrements are due to the understimulating nature of the primary task (Cerezuela et al, 2004;Manly, et al, 1999;Robertson, et al, 1997;Wertheim, 1978). Reduced cerebral blood flow to cortical and subcortical regions with increasing time-on-task has been suggested to indicate that under-stimulation reduces resources necessary for peak performance (Foucher, Otzenberger, & Gounot, 2004;Paus, et al, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Strategically Timed Verbal Task Improves Performance and Neurophysiological Alertness During Fatiguing Drives

2013

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PrécisEngagement in a concurrent task, such as a verbal task while driving has been found to improve driving performance during periods of monotonous driving. This study extends this research to longer, fatiguing monotonous drives. Neurophysiological recordings show that a verbal task improved driver alertness when performance also improved. Background: Previous research showed that a secondary task can improve performance on a

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“…the electroencephalogram (EEG; Craig, 2000, 2002;De Waard, 1996;De Waard and Brookhuis, 1991). Wertheim's hypothesis on highway hypnosis has been tested by means of recording EEG activity during driving (Cerezuela et al, 2004). These authors have shown that alertness was lower during driving on a highway than on conventional roads.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Event-related potentials and secondary task performance during simulated driving

Wester

Böcker

Volkerts

et al. 2008

Accident Analysis & Prevention

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Inattention and distraction account for a substantial number of traffic accidents. Therefore, we examined the impact of secondary task performance (an auditory oddball task) on a primary driving task (lane keeping). Twenty healthy participants performed two 20-min tests in the Divided Attention Steering Simulator (DASS). The visual secondary task of the DASS was replaced by an auditory oddball task to allow recording of brain activity. The driving task and the secondary (distracting) oddball task were presented in isolation and simultaneously, to assess their mutual interference. In addition to performance measures (lane keeping in the primary driving task and reaction speed in the secondary oddball task), brain activity, i.e. event-related potentials (ERPs), was recorded. Performance parameters on the driving test and the secondary oddball task did not differ between performance in isolation and simultaneous performance. However, when both tasks were performed simultaneously, reaction time variability increased in the secondary oddball task. Analysis of brain activity indicated that ERP amplitude (P3a amplitude) related to the secondary task, was significantly reduced when the task was performed simultaneously with the driving test. This study shows that when performing a simple secondary task during driving, performance of the driving task and this secondary task are both unaffected. However, analysis of brain activity shows reduced cortical processing of irrelevant, potentially distracting stimuli from the secondary task during driving.

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Wertheim’s hypothesis on ‘highway hypnosis’: empirical evidence from a study on motorway and conventional road driving

Cited by 42 publications

References 30 publications

Real-time performance modelling of a Sustained Attention to Response Task

Real-time performance modelling of a Sustained Attention to Response Task

A Strategically Timed Verbal Task Improves Performance and Neurophysiological Alertness During Fatiguing Drives

Event-related potentials and secondary task performance during simulated driving

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