The sustained attention to response task (SART) does not promote mindlessness during vigilance performance

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Factors Engineering
• Performance Monitoring

Background:

• Vigilance tasks traditionally require responses to signals and withholding responses to neutral events.
• The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) has opposite response requirements, hypothesized to induce mindlessness.
• This study investigated whether SART promotes mindlessness in vigilance performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity of the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) for inducing mindlessness in vigilance.
• To compare SART with the Traditional Vigilance Format (TVF) on diagnostic accuracy, mental workload, and oculomotor activity.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed vigilance tasks in either SART or TVF conditions within a simulated air traffic control scenario.
• Evaluated diagnostic accuracy using Positive Predictive Power (PPP) and Negative Predictive Power (NPP).
• Assessed mental workload via the Multiple Resource Questionnaire and oculomotor activity using Nearest Neighbor Index and fixation dwell times.

Main Results:

• High Negative Predictive Power (NPP) was observed in both SART and TVF conditions.
• Positive Predictive Power (PPP) was lower in SART, potentially due to motor control issues rather than mindlessness.
• Both tasks induced similar high levels of mental workload and comparable visual scanning patterns.

Conclusions:

• The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) is not an effective method for inducing mindlessness.
• Findings challenge the reliance on SART to support models where mindlessness is the primary cause of vigilance failures.