The Impact of Time Pressure on Perceptions of Difficulty in an Automation-Supported Task

As automation progressively becomes integrated into decision-making environments, understanding why users fail to engage automated systems optimally remains crucial. The present study examined whether perceptions of time pressure could impact subjective and objective difficulty and its influence on use of discretionary automation. Seventy participants completed a visual search task under untimed and timed conditions, sometimes with the option to engage an automated aid. Results indicated that the time pressure increased both subjective and objective difficulty. Furthermore, participants used automation more frequently under the timed conditions. Despite the availability of a highly accurate system, participants did not engage the automation at rates to fully overcome the effects of time pressure. These findings suggest that users may turn to automation for support when task demands begin to increase, but these engagement decisions may not be driven to maximize performance outcomes.