In human vision, the useful field of view is the visual area over which information can be extracted at a brief glance without eye or head movements. Generally UFOV size decreases with age, most likely due to decreases in visual processing speed, reduced attentional resources, and less ability to ignore distracting information. UFOV performance is correlated with a number of important real-world functions including risk of an automobile crash. Performance can be improved by computer-based training.
History
UFOV assessment and training programs were primarily developed by Karlene Ball of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Daniel Roenker of Western Kentucky University. The first versions of the assessment and training programs were produced more than 20 years ago at Northwestern University by Robert Sekuler and Karlene Ball. These programs were originally made available through Visual Awareness Inc.
UFOV assessment
The traditional UFOV assessment is a computer-based visual test containing three subtests. 1. Processing Speed: Determines a person's threshold for discriminating stimuli presented in central vision. 2. Divided Attention: Same as Subtest 1 but with the addition of a concurrent peripheral target location task. 3. Selective Attention: Same as Subtest 2 but with the addition of distracters. The threshold scores are combined to produce an overall performance score. Performance on the UFOV assessment is correlated with a number of real-world functions including driving and walking. Here are some examples:
Several studies have shown that a reduction in UFOV is correlated with an increased risk of an automobile accident with poor performers being about twice as likely to have an automobile crash than good performers.
Drivers with poor UFOV performance take longer to cross intersections and initiate crossing later.
The UFOV assessment is one of the best visual or cognitive predictors of crash rates surpassing the visual acuity tests.
Poor UFOV performers have more collisions during obstacle navigation while walking.
People with poor UFOV performance have higher rates of injurious falls.
UFOV training
UFOV performance can be improved by computer-based training. Multiple studies have shown that improved UFOV performance generalizes to a number of real-world functions. UFOV training has been shown to:
Reduce dangerous driving maneuvers by 36% when measured 18 months following training. The same study showed faster reaction times equating to an additional 22 feet more stopping distance at 55 mph.
Reduce at-fault automobile crashes by 51% in the five year period following training.
Reduce risk of driving cessation by 40%.
Help maintain driving distance and driving in difficult situations such as in the dark, in rain, and in rush hour traffic.
Reduce risk of onset of clinically significant depressive symptoms by 38% measured at 1 year follow-up.
Improve performance on timed activities of daily living such as reading medicine instructions, counting change, looking up a phone number and finding items in a cupboard.
Increased ability to identify lexical information in older adults.
Note: UFOV is not the same as a visual field or perimetry test that examines the ability of the visual system to processes light falling on various regions of the retina. Perimetry tests check for the integrity of the visual system while UFOV tests a person's ability to pay attention to information in the visual field particularly when under situations of increased attentional demand.
