{"title":"\"Eyes on the Network\" - Task Complexity and Expertise Shape Visual Strategies and Mental Workload in Rail Traffic Control.","authors":"Vishwajeet Ransing, Satyajit Upasani, Konstantinos Triantis, Bart Roets, Divya Srinivasan","doi":"10.1177/00187208261494303","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>ObjectiveEvaluate the sensitivity of eye-tracking metrics to variations in mental workload in rail traffic control, and how they may be modulated by operator experience.BackgroundRail traffic control is a safety-critical domain characterized by high cognitive demands. While subjective workload measures are widely used, objective, real-time indicators, particularly eye-tracking metrics, remain underexplored.MethodEighteen professional rail traffic controllers (9 novice, 9 experienced) performed a simulation-based experiment involving four different scenarios with varying traffic density and task complexity, while wearing a head-mounted eye tracker. Measures of gaze behavior and visual strategies (fixations in different areas of interest (AOI)) were computed, and compared to subjective workload measures, to assess the effects of task difficulty and experience.ResultsSome measures like pupil dilation showed substantial changes (by ∼100%), while others like stationary gaze entropy showed more modest changes (∼40%), with increased task demand. Measures such as fixation rate revealed significant interaction effects with experience, indicating distinct visual strategies of novices vs. experts. Compared to experts, novices relied more on global overview displays under higher workload, and reduced planning-related information use, as revealed by AOI analysis. Subjective workload measures corroborated with increases in perceived demand.ConclusionThis study advances mental workload assessment in rail traffic control by demonstrating that eye-tracking metrics are sensitive to workload variations, and also reveal underlying cognitive strategies unique to expertise.ApplicationThese findings support the development of real-time workload monitoring systems and inform training interventions focused on information integration and cognitive strategies in rail traffic control operations.</p>","PeriodicalId":56333,"journal":{"name":"Human Factors","volume":" ","pages":"187208261494303"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2026-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Human Factors","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208261494303","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
ObjectiveEvaluate the sensitivity of eye-tracking metrics to variations in mental workload in rail traffic control, and how they may be modulated by operator experience.BackgroundRail traffic control is a safety-critical domain characterized by high cognitive demands. While subjective workload measures are widely used, objective, real-time indicators, particularly eye-tracking metrics, remain underexplored.MethodEighteen professional rail traffic controllers (9 novice, 9 experienced) performed a simulation-based experiment involving four different scenarios with varying traffic density and task complexity, while wearing a head-mounted eye tracker. Measures of gaze behavior and visual strategies (fixations in different areas of interest (AOI)) were computed, and compared to subjective workload measures, to assess the effects of task difficulty and experience.ResultsSome measures like pupil dilation showed substantial changes (by ∼100%), while others like stationary gaze entropy showed more modest changes (∼40%), with increased task demand. Measures such as fixation rate revealed significant interaction effects with experience, indicating distinct visual strategies of novices vs. experts. Compared to experts, novices relied more on global overview displays under higher workload, and reduced planning-related information use, as revealed by AOI analysis. Subjective workload measures corroborated with increases in perceived demand.ConclusionThis study advances mental workload assessment in rail traffic control by demonstrating that eye-tracking metrics are sensitive to workload variations, and also reveal underlying cognitive strategies unique to expertise.ApplicationThese findings support the development of real-time workload monitoring systems and inform training interventions focused on information integration and cognitive strategies in rail traffic control operations.
期刊介绍：
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society publishes peer-reviewed scientific studies in human factors/ergonomics that present theoretical and practical advances concerning the relationship between people and technologies, tools, environments, and systems. Papers published in Human Factors leverage fundamental knowledge of human capabilities and limitations – and the basic understanding of cognitive, physical, behavioral, physiological, social, developmental, affective, and motivational aspects of human performance – to yield design principles; enhance training, selection, and communication; and ultimately improve human-system interfaces and sociotechnical systems that lead to safer and more effective outcomes.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
