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Useful Field of View

October 7, 2008 Uncategorized 2 Comments

“Useful field of view” is a concept that on the surface may not immediately make sense. It means how much of what you see can be acted on. If the focus of our attention becomes more narrow as we age, then our useful field of view may get smaller, too. Useful field of view, or UFOV, is related to driving skills in older persons, and some people believe that it can be trained. Dr. Karlene Ball and her colleagues at the University of Alabama have developed a computer program for training UFOV and shown that it is effective in helping older persons develop better attention skills. Some research suggests that the training can improve driving skills, too.

Now the insurance company Allstate has weighed in on the subject. According to a press release on the Posit Science website, Allstate and Posit are partnering to provide UFOV training to some of the people Allstate insures. Allstate may be giving people a break on their insurance rates, so they are taking the issue seriously.

The UFOV task is part of a software package available as part of the Miami Brain Fitness program. Interested persons can arrange for a consultation with me by calling 305-243-4082. We’ll be happy to show you the software and give you an individually-tailored set of recommendations for improving your brain fitness.

Currently there are "2 comments" on this Article:

  1. Shaw Bronner says:
    September 21, 2009 at 11:09 am

    We are interested in trying the UFOV test in a pilot study on speech and cognition. Would it possible to use the software for this purpose?
    Thanks,
    Shaw Bronner PhD, PT, OCS
    Director, ADAM Center
    Long Island University

  2. admin says:
    September 22, 2009 at 7:28 am

    Hi Shaw –

    I don’t know whether the UFOV software is still available. As I understand it, the software was sold to Posit Science. They now include it in one of their products as well as in Drive Sharp (the software that is being sold by AAA for older drivers). I’d suggest contacting Dr. Karlene Ball at the University of Alabama or Henry Mahncke at Posit Science to find out whether the software is available for researchers.

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