In this research, latency and eye movement measures were used to examine the effects of aging, clutter, and luminance on visual search for traffic signs embedded in digitized images of driving scenes. 14 older and 14 younger observers classified daytime and nighttime traffic scenes as containing low or high amounts of clutter. Next, an independent sample of 14 younger and 14 older subjects searched for traffic signs contained in these scenes. Errors occurred more often among the elderly. Search efficiency declined with increased clutter and with aging. However, relative to the young, older adults did not suffer disproportionately as a result of increased clutter. The methods developed could be used to assess sign conspicuity and acquisition during driving.
Abstract