Racing videogame players’ driving experience in natural context does not affect gaze strategy towards tangent point during simulated curve negotiation, but the curvature angle does

Abstract

During curve negotiation, drivers tend to look at the tangent point of the curve (TP) to control steering. There is a lack of evidence on how experiences of natural and simulated driving are related. The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of experience in natural driving on gaze behavior of racing videogame players. Additionally, it aimed to identify possible effects of curvature angle on fixation patterns. Twenty video game players composed two groups: drivers-gamers and no-drivers-gamers. Participants had their eye movements recorded while performing three laps racing on a videogame circuit, which had eleven curves. Areas of interest were defined relative to TP: 3 degrees, 10 degrees of visual angle, and Others. Dependent variables were: Number of Fixations and Total Duration of Fixations. Results showed that natural context driving experience did not change the tangent point visual strategy during curve negotiation in a racing videogame environment. All participants spent approximately half of their number of fixations and total fixation time within 10 degrees around the tangent point. Curvature angles modified fixation patterns, causing higher number of fixations and total fixation time during sharper curves.