Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Billboards attract attention by using images that evoke an emotional reaction. Three experiments were conducted to determine if driving performance was impaired by emotional billboard content. Participants were tested in a driving simulator, and drove on simulated roadways with customized billboards placed at regular intervals. Four categories of images were chosen from the International Affective Picture System: positive/high arousal, positive/low arousal, negative/high arousal, and negative/low arousal. Also included were control signs (blank images in the pilot/Experiment 1, and scrambled images in Experiment 2). Data were collected on average speeds, steering performance, and reaction time to hazards, with image recall and recognition being tested afterwards. Analyses revealed faster speeds around positive images, more variable steering around positive and low arousal images, longer reaction times around negative images, and better memory for positive/low arousal and negative/high arousal images. These findings have implications for theoretical and applied research on attention, emotions, and driving.
Author: Heather E.K. Rodd
Language: English
Topic: Traffic and Road Safety
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2783820837