Can seeing alcohol-related images affect driving performance? Jagger Thompson, a senior majoring in psychology and cognitive science, set out to answer this question using a driving video game.
The project was part of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). UROP gives students the resources and support to complete a research project during their undergraduate career under the guidance of a faculty mentor. As a bonus, research experience looks great on a curriculum vitae or grad school application.
When Thompson approached Associate Professor Rebecca Gilbertson about conducting a study, she had something in mind. Thompson’s project became interdisciplinary, relying on both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Communication.
“Dr. Gilbertson mentioned the driving simulator and knew Dr. Downs, so I met with him,” Thompson says. “Downs was interested in my research, and from there everything just fell into place.”
The Communication Research Lab, which Professor Edward Downs directs, hosts an array of technological equipment, particularly gaming systems. Thompson was able to use a PlayStation 3 (PS3)—a home game console released in 2006—to host the video game that would serve as his makeshift closed-course driving simulator.
The PS3 was utilized alongside a projector and multiple recording methods to collect data. If all goes as planned, the data should be able to answer Thompson’s research question: “Does attentional bias to alcohol-related scenes change driving performance in people who drink more or less?”
A gap in the literature
Past studies have shown that using a driving simulator under the influence of alcohol affects driving performance. However, a driving simulator had not previously been used to systematically assess driving performance in the presence of alcohol versus neutral cues. “Jagger Thompson’s research question was completely novel, something that has not been previously investigated,” Gilbertson says.
Where past studies on attentional bias and alcohol had mainly shown participants bottles of beer or wine glasses, Thompson opted for bars or liquor storefronts instead. He chose this method because he noticed a significant gap in the literature—not many studies used something someone might ordinarily see while driving. The aim is to determine whether someone’s potential subconscious association with places that serve or sell alcohol would affect the way they drive, rather than seeing the image of alcohol directly.
“Designing the study was definitely a lot more work than I thought it would be,” Thompson says. However, because his study was a part of Gilbertson’s Directed Research in Psychology course (PSY 3994), he had a lot of help from other students in the Neurocognitive and Emotion Lab (NCLAB).
“It has involved more students in the lab than ever before. It’s also very technical and collaborative,” Gilbertson says.
The study involves several technological elements. Participants are screened for eligibility and demographics. They complete a behavioral task and drive around a premade course. They read aloud the signs or images presented on a projector, all while wearing eye-tracking glasses to record what their gaze is fixed on and for how long.
The PS3 screen and the images shown on the projector are also recorded, and participants drive for around 15 minutes while a research assistant monitors their driving speed. After driving, they complete a second demographic study. The data is then logged and analyzed to determine how each participant’s driving was affected.
It will take a while to understand the results. “There are some correlations on self reported measures … but it’s hard to say without [having analyzed] the eye tracking data,” Thompson says. “The survey data looks good, so we are hopeful.”
As far as his future plans, Thompson—who will also complete minors in statistics and philosophy—says he’s uncertain where his academic career may take him. “I am still feeling out my options, but I really like neuroscience and physiological responses in regards to human behavior. I am just trying not to restrict myself to a particular position or field.”
Students presenting research
In the fall semester, there were 15 students in Gilbertson’s Directed Research in Psychology course. Some students, including Thompson, will go on to present their research at the National Council of Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh from April 8-10, and the Midwestern Psychological Association’s annual conference in Chicago from April 10-12.
