Compensatory tracking task

Task that assesses eye–hand coordination

Compensatory tracking task
PEBL compensatory tracking task
Purpose	eye hand coordination assessment

A compensatory tracking task is a task that assesses eye–hand coordination, in which a user is operating a display that has an indicator and a zero point using a joystick, computer mouse, trackball, or other controlling device. The user must try to keep the indicator within the zero point while the indicator is being acted upon by outside forces.^[1]

Early versions of compensatory tracking tasks included a display made of a cathode ray oscilloscope with a rack and pinion connected to a knob that controlled the indicator. The zero point would be displayed on the cathode ray tube. The participant would turn the knob in order to keep the indicator within the zero point.

Time, and distance from the zero point are measured to determine the participant's ability to control the indicator. The early versions of this test were used to help develop better controls.^[1]^[2] Control modulators such as springs, generators, and electromagnets were used to increase difficulty of the task.

More recently, compensatory tracking tasks has been used to gauge alertness. This is done using a computer monitor and a simulation controlled by a mouse or trackball. Participants use the mouse to keep the indicator within a target which acts as the zero point. Time within the zero point and distance from the zero point are once again measured.^{[citation needed]} Notable versions of the compensatory tracking task are COMPTRACK,^[3] and the PEBL compensatory tracking task.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b Cruzen, Marianne; Senders, John W. (1 February 1952). "Tracking Performance on Combined Compensatory and Pursuit Tasks". Archived from the original on June 1, 2022.
^ Howland, Daniel; Noble, Merrill E. (1953). "The effect of physical constants of a control on tracking performance". Journal of Experimental Psychology. 46 (5): 353–360. doi:10.1037/h0059064. PMID 13109139. ProQuest 614244295.
^ Makeig, S.; Jolley, K. (9 July 1995). "COMPTRACK: A Compensatory Tracking Task for Monitoring Alertness". Archived from the original on June 1, 2022.

Huang, Ruey-Song; Jung, Tzyy-Ping; Delorme, Arnaud; Makeig, Scott (15 February 2008). "Tonic and phasic electroencephalographic dynamics during continuous compensatory tracking". NeuroImage. 39 (4): 1896–1909. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.297.3106. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.10.036. PMID 18083601. S2CID 8113168.
Wolpert, D. M.; Miall, R. C.; Winter, J. L.; Stein, J. F. (1 December 1992). "Evidence for an Error Deadzone in Compensatory Tracking". Journal of Motor Behavior. 24 (4): 299–308. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.712.9050. doi:10.1080/00222895.1992.9941626. PMID 14769559.
Benson, Alan J.; Huddleston, Jo H. F.; Rolfe, John M. (1 October 1965). "A Psychophysiological Study of Compensatory Tracking on a Digital Display". Human Factors. 7 (5): 457–472. doi:10.1177/001872086500700505. PMID 5882207. S2CID 28374174.
van der El, Kasper; Pool, Daan M.; Mulder, Max (2019). "Measuring and modeling driver steering behavior: From compensatory tracking to curve driving". Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. 61: 337–346. doi:10.1016/j.trf.2017.09.011. S2CID 149379527.
Chernikoff, Rube; Birmingham, Henry P.; Taylor, Franklin V. (1955). "A comparison of pursuit and compensatory tracking under conditions of aiding and no aiding". Journal of Experimental Psychology. 49 (1): 55–59. doi:10.1037/h0047938. PMID 13233465.
Vinje, Edward W.; Pitkin, Edward T. (1972). "Human Operator Dynamics for Aural Compensatory Tracking". IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. SMC-2 (4): 504–512. Bibcode:1972NASSP.281..339V. doi:10.1109/TSMC.1972.4309160.
Jaeger, Robert J.; Agarwal, Gyan C.; Gottlieb, Gerald L. (1 August 1980). "Predictor Operator in Pursuit and Compensatory Tracking". Human Factors. 22 (4): 497–506. doi:10.1177/001872088002200410. PMID 7429514. S2CID 5110034.
Benignus, V (1987). "Effect of low level carbon monoxide on compensatory tracking and event monitoring". Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 9 (3): 227–234. doi:10.1016/0892-0362(87)90007-9. PMID 3627086.
Noble, Merrill; Sanders, Andries F. (1 February 1980). "Searching for Traffic Signals while Engaged in Compensatory Tracking". Human Factors. 22 (1): 89–102. doi:10.1177/001872088002200110. PMID 7364449. S2CID 45819006.