Performing E-Mail Tasks while Driving: the Impact of Speech-Based Tasks on Visual Detection

Drivers listened and responded to e-mail messages presented in a human voice and two types of synthetic speech (concatenative and formant) while driving a simulator. Their performance for visual event detection, vehicle control, and message responses was assessed. Results indicated that the type of speech output system affected drivers’ detection of visual changes in the driving environment; they were poorer at detecting these events when either of the synthetic speech systems was used. Drivers detected fewer visual changes during the difficult messages than during the baseline driving. No effects of the speech system type or e-mail message difficulty were observed on the vehicle control measures. Drivers were also less accurate when responding to message content for messages presented in synthetic speech (concatenative) compared with recorded human voice. Subjective ratings indicated that listening to the synthetic speech required more mental effort than listening to the recorded human voice. Preference ratings for the interfaces decreased as mental effort increased. The results indicated that although drivers were not required to direct their attention away from the road, using the speech-based interfaces reduced drivers’ visual event detection and their response accuracy to messages themselves.

• Record URL:
  http://drivingassessment.uiowa.edu/DA2005/PDF/46_Harblukformat.pdf
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780874141511
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  Public Policy Center
  227 South Quadrangle
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242-1192
• Authors:
  • Harbluk, Joanne L
  • Lalande, Simone
• Conference:
  • Driving Assessment 2005: 3rd International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training, and Vehicle Design
  • Location: Rockport Maine, United States
  • Date: 2005-6-27 to 2005-6-30
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 7p
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training, and Vehicle Design, Rockport, Maine, June 27-30, 2005

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Detection and identification; Distraction; Drivers; Driving; Electronic mail; Highway safety; Human beings; Performance; Speech; Speech synthesis; Traffic safety; Voice communication
• Uncontrolled Terms: Messages; Visual
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01010664
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780874141511
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 3 2005 2:12PM