Swimming with a head-mounted display: dual-task costs.

Head-up displays (HUDs) have the potential to change work in operation environments by providing hands-free information to wearers. However, these benefits may be accompanied by trade-offs, primarily by increasing cognitive load due to dividing attention. Previous studies have attempted to understand the trade-offs of HUD usage; however, all of which were focused on land-based tasks. A gap in understanding exists when examining HUD use in aquatic environments as immersion introduces unique environmental and physiological factors that could affect multitasking. In this study, we investigated multitasking performance associated with swimming with a HUD. Eighteen participants completed three tasks: swimming only, a HUD-administered word recall task, and a dual-task combining both tasks. Results revealed significant dual-task interference in both tasks, though possibly less pronounced than in land-based tasks. These findings enhance not only help characterise dual-task performance, but also offer valuable insights for HUD design for aquatic settings.

HUDs have become an increasingly popular tool to present information to users in complex working environments. However, past research examining HUD task performance has been restricted to land-based contexts. The current study examines HUD use while swimming and provides characterisation of multitasking performance within aquatic environments.

The frequency of positive and negative interactions influences relationship equity and trust in automation.

The purpose of this study was to 1) examine whether frequency of positive and negative interactions (manipulated via reliability) with a computer agent had an impact on an individual's trust resilience after a major error occurs and 2) empirically test the notion of relationship equity, which encompasses the total accumulation of positive and negative interactions and experiences between two actors, on user trust on a separate transfer task. Participants were randomized into one of four groups, differing in agent positivity and frequency of interaction, and completed both a pattern recognition task and transfer task with the aid of the same computer agent. Subjective trust ratings, performance data, compliance, and agreement were collected and analyzed. Results demonstrated that frequency of positive and negative interactions did have an impact on user trust and trust resilience after a major error. Additionally, it was shown that relationship equity has an impact on user trust and trust resilience. This is the first empirical demonstration of relationship equity's impact on user trust in an automated teammate.

The effects of dual-task interference on visual search and verbal memory.

The operational costs of multitasking are more pressing given the increase in wearable technologies (head-up displays; HUDs) that facilitate multitasking. Often multitasking comes with performance costs, where the addition of more tasks impairs the performance of the tasks. The current study explored the extent to which multitasking interference can be characterised in simulated environments, as opposed to risky and harsh environments in real operational contexts. Forty-eight participants completed several trials where they performed a visual search task while navigating a simulated environment. There were three conditions: a standalone memory task, a standalone search task, and both tasks simultaneously. Results revealed significant dual-task interference when comparing the dual-task to each of the single-tasks. Results were corroborated by subjective workload and stress metrics. The results could prove useful for designing systems for individuals who routinely multitask in operational environments. Specifically, by furthering the understanding of their performance capabilities and trade-offs due to multitasking.Practitioner summary: Due to the demands of multitasking in operational environments, quantifying the degree of information lost on each task individually will aid in the understanding of the deficits of multitasking performance. This study shows that deficits in multi-tasking (via a HUD) can be understood in simulated environments to a similar degree as real-world tasks.

Evaluating the dual-task decrement within a simulated environment: Word recall and visual search.

Simulated environments have become better able to replicate the real world and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as testing new technology without any of the costs or risks associated with working in the real world. Because of this, it is now possible to gain a better understanding of cognitive demands when working in operational environments, where individuals are often required to multitask. Multitasking often results in performance decrements, where adding more tasks can cause a decrease in performance in each of the individual tasks. However, little research investigated multitasking performance in simulated environments. In the current study we examined how multitasking affects performance in simulated environments. Forty-eight participants performed a dual visual search and word memory task where participants were navigated through a simulated environment while being presented with words. Performance was then compared to single-task performance (visual search and word memory alone). Results showed that participants experienced significant dual-task interference when comparing the dual-tasks to the single-tasks and subjective measures confirmed these findings. These results could provide useful insight for the design of technology in operational environments, but also serve as an evaluation of MRT in simulated environments.