The Effect of Cue Utilization in Driving on Response Inhibition

Driving is a high-risk and cognitively demanding activity that requires the efficient use of cognitive resources to inhibit responses when necessary to avoid accidents. Cue utilization, via an inherent capacity for pattern recognition, is one strategy that may be applied while driving to reduce cognitive load allowing for the allocation of resources to other demanding tasks. The present study was designed to measure the contribution of cue utilization in a driving context on performance in a response inhibition task. Undergraduate students (N = 105) completed the driving edition of EXPERTise 2.0 as an online assessment of cue utilization and a measure of response inhibition, the Stop-Signal Task. The results indicated that participants with relatively higher cue utilization were more accurate at inhibiting responses, but there was no difference in their response times. These findings provide support for cue utilization as one strategy that may improve response inhibition through the acquisition and recognition of patterns, thereby decreasing cognitive load. The practical implications for drivers will be discussed.