P300 amplitude reflects individual differences of navigation performance in a driving task

Even though individual differences in navigation performance has been found in driving studies at behavioral level, few studies have explored the cognitive mechanisms of this individual difference at neural level with the technique of ERP (Event-related Potential). This study recruited two groups of navigators with good and poor navigation performance in a driving task and measured their P300 amplitude while two types of triggers were presented to subjects (intersections and street signs). Poor navigators showed larger P300 amplitude than good navigators on the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere, the temporal, the parietal and the occipital sites when intersection triggers were presented, and on the occipital site when street sign triggers were presented, reflecting different levels of mental resource needed to process the spatial information between these two groups.Relevance to industryThe results of this study help researchers or engineers design better adaptive navigation systems for different drivers, especially for those drivers need more assistances in navigation.

► A new study focused on ERP analysis in a real-world driving and navigation task. ► P300 amplitude reflects individual difference in navigation performance in driving. ► Poor navigators in driving showed larger amplitude. ► Larger amplitude on group averaged channels. ► Larger amplitude on left and right hemisphere, the temporal, parietal, and occipital regions.