ABSTRACT
Current workload models suggest that interface operators have independent resources available for the processing of information in each sensory modality. Recently, however, cognitive psychology has provided numerous examples that extensive crossmodal links actually influence multimodal information-processing (e.g. Driver and Spence, 1998). We take the example of driving while using a cellular telephone to illustrate the problems people face when operating multimodal interfaces. Although it is difficult to look and listen at the same time, research has demonstrated that performance can be significantly improved by simply positioning information sources appropriately. Recommendations for interface design (such as ‘talking windscreens’) that could potentially alleviate some of the problems associated with mobile phone use while driving are-discussed.
