Hi Pierro,

thanks for your suggestion! I wouldn't term that "mental models" (because for me that's a concept linked to more "cognitive" areas like problem solving), but in fact we are investigating time-to-collision judgments and street crossing decisions when the approaching vehicle is accelerating. The literature shows that in visual TTC judgments, humans use "first-order estimates" - that is, they respond as if the vehicle was traveling at constant speed. We are interested in whether the acoustic information about the accelerating state can help participants in factoring in the acceleration. That is something you could term "adopting another mental model"...

Daniel

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for the clarification. I think you will find that acoustic information helps people judge acceleration. What is the goal of your project? My work is anchored in the public health goal of helping drivers prevent collisions. My use of "mental models" pertains to how drivers understand the dynamic interactions between their vehicle, the road, and other road users. So, for example, the accuracy of judging TTC of vehicles approaching at a crossroads or oncoming at an intersection is important, but in terms of collision prevention, so is the driver's expectation. A mental model that included an understanding of traffic conflicts can help drivers remain vigilant and prepared to respond. Drivers involved in intersection crashes will claim that they "looked but did not see" the approaching vehicle. This claim is so frequent that it is a category on police reports. Research has determined that expectations influence a driver's perception in these cases. My research goal is to find better ways of influencing drivers to develop mental models that will help them be more vigilant to traffic conflicts. I hope your research contributes to that goal.

Nice Dear Daniel Oberfeld