Abstract
Controlling and monitoring unmanned vehicles is a cognitively demanding task, particularly when searching environments for potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Due to the diversity of methods used to construct IEDs, unreliable information about the potential for harm may be provided to operators. Also, warfighters may search environments that are sparsely or heavily populated. Few researchers have manipulated information reliability and task criticality jointly, though these constructs often co-vary in real task situations such as IED search. Sixteen undergraduate students navigated an unmanned ground vehicle around a demarcated course and made object investigation decisions. Participants searched the environment under conditions of low and high criticality and encountered objects accompanied by low or high reliability warnings. Results showed that criticality and reliability individually and jointly impacted reaction time and navigation errors. The reported findings generally support our hypotheses and suggest additional work is necessary to replicate such effects with active duty personnel.