The aim of this study is to explore the differing predictions which may be derived from motivational and feedback hypotheses concerning fatigue-related decrements. The study explores these hypotheses by examining the effects of three types of interventions on drivers' lateral control: motivational, when subjects were presented with instruction that driving skill was being measured; enhanced feedback, when the simulated road surface changed colour if the car deviated from a central lane; and reduced feedback, when the simulated environment was presented as being the same colour as the road surface. Driving performance was measured under conditions of task-induced fatigue and on a control drive. The findings of the study showed that the control drive produced greater subjective fatigue than the fatigue drive itself, principally categorised as heightened boredom or apathy. The findings have implications for in-vehicle countermeasures to fatigue. (A)
Abstract