The Role of Visual and Auditory Communication in the Performance of a Joint Team Task

This study examines visual, auditory, and the combination of both (bimodal) coupling modes in the performance of a two-person perceptual-motor task, in which one person provides the perceptual inputs and the other the motor inputs.

Parking a plane or landing a helicopter on a mountain top requires one person to provide motor inputs while another person provides perceptual inputs. Perceptual inputs are communicated either visually, auditorily, or through both cues.

One participant drove a remote-controlled car around an obstacle and through a target, while another participant provided auditory, visual, or bimodal cues for steering and acceleration. Difficulty was manipulated using target size. Performance (trial time, path variability), cue rate, and spatial ability were measured.

Visual coupling outperformed auditory coupling. Bimodal performance was best in the most difficult task condition but also high in the easiest condition. Cue rate predicted performance in all coupling modes. Drivers with lower spatial ability required a faster auditory cue rate, whereas drivers with higher ability performed best with a lower rate.

Visual cues result in better performance when only one coupling mode is available. As predicted by multiple resource theory, when both cues are available, performance depends more on auditory cueing. In particular, drivers must be able to transform auditory cues into spatial actions.

Spotters should be trained to provide an appropriate cue rate to match the spatial ability of the driver or pilot. Auditory cues can enhance visual communication when the interpersonal task is visual with spatial outputs.