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Dual-task interference while receiving information on a head mounted display and manual tracking with and without
Matthew D Ward1, William S Helton2
1University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Applied Ergonomics
|February 15, 2022
Summary
Dual-task interference occurs when using head-mounted displays (HMDs) during manual control tasks. Auditory warnings did not consistently improve performance, and reaction times worsened when task events coincided with HMD information.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Cognitive Psychology
- Ergonomics
Background:
- Head-mounted displays (HMDs) present challenges for users performing manual control tasks due to dual-task interference.
- Auditory warnings are a potential method to mitigate HMD-related multitasking deficits, but their effectiveness is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the dual-task interference between word memory tasks presented on HMDs and manual tracking.
- Examine the impact of auditory warnings on performance during these dual-task scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Participants completed tracking, word memory, and combined tasks, with and without auditory warnings.
- Dual-task conditions included pairing word presentations with tracking task changes to assess perceptual interference.
Main Results:
- Significant dual-task costs were observed in both tracking accuracy and word recall.
- Reaction times to critical events were slower when concurrent with HMD word presentations.
- The effect of auditory warnings on tracking performance was complex and not uniformly beneficial.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive dual-task interference persists with transparent HMDs during manual control tasks.
- HMD use in time-critical operations should be limited; further research is needed on auditory warnings' utility and potential task disruption.
