Augmented Visual Feedback: Cure or Distraction?

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of augmented feedback on participants’ workload, performance, and distribution of visual attention. Background An important question in human–machine interface design is whether the operator should be provided with direct solutions. We focused on the solution space diagram (SSD), a type of augmented feedback that shows directly whether two aircraft are on conflicting trajectories. Method One group of novices (n = 13) completed conflict detection tasks with SSD, whereas a second group (n = 11) performed the same tasks without SSD. Eye-tracking was used to measure visual attention distribution. Results The mean self-reported task difficulty was substantially lower for the SSD group compared to the No-SSD group. The SSD group had a better conflict detection rate than the No-SSD group, whereas false-positive rates were equivalent. High false-positive rates for some scenarios were attributed to participants who misunderstood the SSD. Compared to the No-SSD group, the SSD group spent a large proportion of their time looking at the SSD aircraft while looking less at other areas of interest. Conclusion Augmented feedback makes the task subjectively easier but has side effects related to visual tunneling and misunderstanding. Application Caution should be exercised when human operators are expected to reproduce task solutions that are provided by augmented visual feedback.