Experiments were conducted using a personal computer to study the human factors involved in information processing during route searching. The primary objective was to investigate the effects of differences in the amount of memory retrieval load in terms of a given task. Two route-searching tasks were combined with two memory-reproducing tasks, for four types of tasks. The subjects used either a map guidance system or a voice guidance system to trace a predetermined route to the destination in a simulated driving test. In addition, the subjects were asked to perform memory-reproducing tasks using working memory. In these tasks, the subjects memorized the same number of traffic signs, but there was a difference in the memory retrieval process that the tasks demanded. The subjects were 62 students at Hokkaido University. Multiple analysis of variance was used to analyze the interaction effects and the main effects of tasks. The results indicated that the accuracy of route searching, the response time of route searching, and the accuracy of reproducing memorized traffic signs increased as the memory retrieval load decreased. This suggests that the memory retrieval process affects the performance of drivers' information processing.
Abstract