Vigilance Research Beyond the Laboratory: Methodological Considerations and Practical Insights

Objective The purpose of this article is to illustrate methodological considerations associated with conducting vigilance research in nontraditional settings outside the laboratory and to provide practical guidance that can transform methodological challenges into opportunities for additional discovery and insight. Background Vigilance research has a long history dating back to World War II. Most experiments have been conducted in the laboratory, using simple static displays and artificial tasks. Method Illustrative examples in which vigilance research was conducted in the context of operator simulators for human-automation systems and industrial inspection are described. Results Methodological considerations that may present challenges when conducting vigilance research in nontraditional settings include recruiting participants, building trust and rapport, balancing the realism of vigilance stimuli with the need for sufficient data, adapting data collection tools for participants who may have little or no post-secondary school education, and designing realistic countermeasures appropriate for field settings. Conclusion Overcoming the methodological challenges associated with experiments in nontraditional settings provides rich observations and insights that advance the study of vigilance and support the design of countermeasures that can mitigate the vigilance decrement. Application Practical guidance and considerations during study planning and implementation are provided to facilitate conducting future vigilance research in simulators and in the field.