The effects of motivation and noise on situation awareness: A study based on SAGAT and EEG

The current research results have differences in the correlation between situation awareness (SA) and physiological data, and there is a lack of systematic research on the influence of motivation and noise on SA. This study investigated the correlation between SA and electroencephalogram (EEG) signals under the effects of motivation and noise.

The independent variables were motivation (two levels: positive and negative) and noise (three levels: no noise, natural noise, and speech noise). And the dependent variable were the levels of SA in perception, comprehension and projection. Participants were required to observe traffic videos of three types of noise under two types of motivation and complete the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) questionnaire after each video. We recorded the participants' EEG signals and calculated the average relative power of the delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands of each brain region.

The results showed that the levels of perception and projection under negative motivation were higher than those under positive motivation. The level of perception was negatively correlated with the delta band power in the central lobe and theta power in the occipital lobe. The level of projection was negatively correlated with the delta band power in the frontal, central, parietal, and occipital lobes, positively correlated with the theta band power, and negatively correlated with the delta band power in the temporal lobe. Therefore, negative motivation can improve the individual's perception and projection levels. The delta and theta band power may reliably measure SA.

This study can help improve team member's SA by establishing motivational rules and better develop physiological measures of SA.