Introduction
The Semiotic Dimensionality Model (SDM) emphasizes the role of context in channeling behaviors, specifically suggesting that lack of contextual information (uncertainty) triggers affectively-based regulative processes, rather than cognitive ones, which influence decision-making and behavioral control. This study extends the SDM paradigm from interpersonal dynamics to individual daily tasks, such as driving contexts. We designed an experimental paradigm to detect how affective processing may compromise decision-making and behavioral control, potentially affecting road safety.


Purpose
This study aims to investigate the role of contextual information in affecting behaviors, examining whether exposure to a lack of contextual cues compromises decision-making and behavioral processes, tested in terms of driving performance.


Method
Sixty-six licensed drivers (≥2 years experience) were randomly assigned to three groups: experimental group (primed by low contextual information), control group 1 (primed by high contextual information), and control group 2 (no priming). Participants completed baseline physiological measurements (HRV) and PANAS questionnaire, followed by a 10-minute practice drive. After prime exposure, they drove for 10 minutes in a high-variability scenario. Post-task measures included HRV, NASA-TLX, and demographic questionnaires. Driving quality was measured through an index based on telemetry data.


Results
Preliminary results, consistent with SDM predictions, suggest that drivers exposed to low contextual information showed poorer driving quality compared to both control groups. Analysis revealed meaningful differences in driving performance indices, supporting the hypothesis that the lack of contextual information (i.e., uncertainty) activates affective, rather than cognitive, information processing, affecting behavioral control.


Conclusions
Beyond the experimental setting, these findings highlight the broader social implications of environmental information (or its lack) in everyday behaviors. The results point to the critical role of contextual cues in guiding adaptive behavior, with relevance for policies and interventions aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency, and well-being in complex daily tasks.