Physiological Measurements of Situation Awareness: A Systematic Review

Objective: The goal of this systematic literature review is to investigate the relationship between indirect physiological measurements and direct measures of situation awareness (SA).

Background: Across different environments and tasks, assessments of SA are often performed using techniques designed specifically to directly measure SA, such as SAGAT, SPAM, and/or SART. However, research suggests that indirect physiological sensing methods may also be capable of predicting SA. Currently, it is unclear which particular physiological approaches are sensitive to changes in SA.

Method: Seven databases were searched using the PRISMA reporting guidelines. Eligibility criteria included human-subject experiments that used at least one direct SA assessment technique, as well as at least one physiological measurement. Information extracted from each article was the physiological metric(s), the direct SA measurement(s), the correlation between these two metrics, and the experimental task(s). All studies underwent a quality assessment.

Results: Twenty-five articles were included in this review. Eye tracking techniques were the most commonly used physiological measures, and correlations between conscious aspects of eye movement measures and direct SA scores were observed. Evidence for cardiovascular predictors of SA were mixed. EEG studies were too few to form strong conclusions, but were consistently positive.

Conclusion: Further investigation is needed to methodically collect more relevant data and comprehensively model the relationships between a wider range of physiological measurements and direct assessments of SA.

Application: This review will guide researchers and practitioners in methods to indirectly assess SA with sensors and highlight opportunities for future research on wearables and SA.