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Papers by A. Mehler

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the Impact of “Brain Training” on Driving Performance, Visual Behavior, and Neuropsychological Measures

As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain ... more As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain training" computer programs have gained in popularity. Though these programs have attracted substantial attention from scientists and consumers, the extent of their benefits, if any, remain unclear. Here we employ neuropsychological tests and behavioral metrics collected during periods of real-world driving (with and without manipulations of cognitive load) to evaluate the effects of training with Posit Science's DriveSharp software. We find that DriveSharp's training effects appear in in-lab measures of Useful Field of View but did not translate to changes in actual driving performance or changes in visual behavior in consistent or quantifiable ways in the sample assessed. The implications of these results and relevant limitations of the present research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Further Evaluation of the Effects of a Production Level “Voice-Command” Interface on Driver Behavior: Replication and a Consideration of the Significance of Training Method

This report assesses the extent to which key findings from our initial on-road study on driver in... more This report assesses the extent to which key findings from our initial on-road study on driver interaction with a production version, invehicle voice command system replicate, as well as considering whether two differing approaches to introducing drivers to the driver vehicle interface (DVI) impact their pattern of interaction, including driving behavior. An analysis sample of 64 participants, equally balanced by gender across the four age groupings (18-24, 25-39, 40-54, and 55+) specified in the NHTSA (2013) visual-manual guidelines for DVI assessment, was evaluated during manual radio tuning, voice-command assisted radio tuning, and voice-command assisted navigation system interaction consisting of full destination address entry and route cancelation under actual highway driving conditions. The MIT AgeLab auditory presentation / vocal response n-back cognitive demand reference task was also presented. No statistically significant main effects of self-guided vs. structured training condition were found across the tasks as a whole, although clear advantages were evident in tasks requiring memorization of complex command syntax. The basic pattern of results seen in the first study (considering self-reported workload, physiological arousal, driving performance metrics, and glance behavior) largely replicated.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the Impact of “Brain Training” on Driving Performance, Visual Behavior, and Neuropsychological Measures

As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain ... more As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain training" computer programs have gained in popularity. Though these programs have attracted substantial attention from scientists and consumers, the extent of their benefits, if any, remain unclear. Here we employ neuropsychological tests and behavioral metrics collected during periods of real-world driving (with and without manipulations of cognitive load) to evaluate the effects of training with Posit Science's DriveSharp software. We find that DriveSharp's training effects appear in in-lab measures of Useful Field of View but did not translate to changes in actual driving performance or changes in visual behavior in consistent or quantifiable ways in the sample assessed. The implications of these results and relevant limitations of the present research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Relationship Between the Driving Behavior Questionnaire and Objective Measures of Highway Driving Behavior

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the Impact of “Brain Training” on Driving Performance, Visual Behavior, and Neuropsychological Measures

As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain ... more As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain training" computer programs have gained in popularity. Though these programs have attracted substantial attention from scientists and consumers, the extent of their benefits, if any, remain unclear. Here we employ neuropsychological tests and behavioral metrics collected during periods of real-world driving (with and without manipulations of cognitive load) to evaluate the effects of training with Posit Science's DriveSharp software. We find that DriveSharp's training effects appear in in-lab measures of Useful Field of View but did not translate to changes in actual driving performance or changes in visual behavior in consistent or quantifiable ways in the sample assessed. The implications of these results and relevant limitations of the present research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Further Evaluation of the Effects of a Production Level “Voice-Command” Interface on Driver Behavior: Replication and a Consideration of the Significance of Training Method

This report assesses the extent to which key findings from our initial on-road study on driver in... more This report assesses the extent to which key findings from our initial on-road study on driver interaction with a production version, invehicle voice command system replicate, as well as considering whether two differing approaches to introducing drivers to the driver vehicle interface (DVI) impact their pattern of interaction, including driving behavior. An analysis sample of 64 participants, equally balanced by gender across the four age groupings (18-24, 25-39, 40-54, and 55+) specified in the NHTSA (2013) visual-manual guidelines for DVI assessment, was evaluated during manual radio tuning, voice-command assisted radio tuning, and voice-command assisted navigation system interaction consisting of full destination address entry and route cancelation under actual highway driving conditions. The MIT AgeLab auditory presentation / vocal response n-back cognitive demand reference task was also presented. No statistically significant main effects of self-guided vs. structured training condition were found across the tasks as a whole, although clear advantages were evident in tasks requiring memorization of complex command syntax. The basic pattern of results seen in the first study (considering self-reported workload, physiological arousal, driving performance metrics, and glance behavior) largely replicated.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the Impact of “Brain Training” on Driving Performance, Visual Behavior, and Neuropsychological Measures

As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain ... more As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of "brain training" computer programs have gained in popularity. Though these programs have attracted substantial attention from scientists and consumers, the extent of their benefits, if any, remain unclear. Here we employ neuropsychological tests and behavioral metrics collected during periods of real-world driving (with and without manipulations of cognitive load) to evaluate the effects of training with Posit Science's DriveSharp software. We find that DriveSharp's training effects appear in in-lab measures of Useful Field of View but did not translate to changes in actual driving performance or changes in visual behavior in consistent or quantifiable ways in the sample assessed. The implications of these results and relevant limitations of the present research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Relationship Between the Driving Behavior Questionnaire and Objective Measures of Highway Driving Behavior

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