遮挡范式下碰撞时间估计的特性研究

The estimation of Time to Collision (TTC) related to avoiding collisions or making interceptions is an important cognitive ability for individuals. A number of studies have been carried out on this topic and related theories are developed. One of the most famous theories is the τ Theory. Based on the τ Theory, researches have found that visual information and physical information of moving objects would influent the TTC estimation. Are there any other factors that can affect people’s TTC estimation? A mixed design was used to examine the TTC estimation by different types of participants (professional drivers / people can not drive), with different moving objects (car/tricycle), under different speed (slow/fast) and direction (left to right / right to left) in Occlusion Paradigm. There were 21 professional drivers and 20 individuals who cannot drive participated in the experiment which was displayed on a computer. Participants were asked to click the button when he/she believed that the moving object had just contacted the red line. E-prime was used to establish the whole experimental environment and the RT was recorded at the same time. The results revealed that: (1) there is significant different TTC estimation between car and tricycle; (2) the professional drivers have more accurate TTC estimation than people do not drive. We can come to conclusion that conceptual information and driving skill could affect TTC estimation.