Reaction Times to Consecutive Automation Failures: A Function of Working Memory and Sustained Attention

Objective:

This study explored whether working memory and sustained attention influence cognitive lock-up, which is a delay in the response to consecutive automation failures.

Background:

Previous research has demonstrated that the information that automation provides about failures and the time pressure that is associated with a task influence cognitive lock-up. Previous research has also demonstrated considerable variability in cognitive lock-up between participants. This is why individual differences might influence cognitive lock-up. The present study tested whether working memory—including flexibility in executive functioning—and sustained attention might be crucial in this regard.

Method:

Eighty-five participants were asked to monitor automated aircraft functions. The experimental manipulation consisted of whether or not an initial automation failure was followed by a consecutive failure. Reaction times to the failures were recorded. Participants’ working-memory and sustained-attention abilities were assessed with standardized tests.

Results:

As expected, participants’ reactions to consecutive failures were slower than their reactions to initial failures. In addition, working-memory and sustained-attention abilities enhanced the speed with which participants reacted to failures, more so with regard to consecutive than to initial failures.

Conclusion:

The findings highlight that operators with better working memory and sustained attention have small advantages when initial failures occur, but their advantages increase across consecutive failures.

Application:

The results stress the need to consider personnel selection strategies to mitigate cognitive lock-up in general and training procedures to enhance the performance of low ability operators.

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