bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immersion and Battlefield Visualization: Frame of Reference Effects on Navigation Tasks and Cognitive Tunneling
Authors: Thomas Lisa C. , Wickens Christopher D.
Published: January 2012

Army officers viewed a battle scenario in one of two computer-based display conditions. The Tethered condition was a 3-D exocentric display and the Immersed condition was a 3-D egocentric display, which allowed 360° panning, coupled with a small 2-D contour map of the entire battle area embedded in the top center of the screen. Tasks included providing verbal reports of new enemy units or changes to existing units, responding to a series of diagnostic questions, and giving confidence ratings for their selected answers.

Results showed that Immersed officers were less accurate on questions that required panning as well as questions requiring a count of enemy units than Tethered condition officers. However, confidence ratings for both tasks did not differ between display conditions. These findings indicate that Immersed officers were “cognitively tunneled” into the initial forward field of view, relying too heavily on information in this view and not adequately panning the environment.
Exploring the Impact of Advanced Alarms, Displays, and Computerized Procedures on Teams
Authors: Roth Emilie M. , O'Hara John M.
Published: January 2012

New support technologies embody hypotheses about what constitutes effective support, and how technological change is expected to shape cognition and collaboration. Introduction of these technologies into a field of practice provides an opportunity to test and revise our understanding. An illustrative case is presented that examined the impact of introducing advanced human-system interfaces (HSIs), including a computer-based procedure system, an advanced alarm system, and a graphic display system, into a conventional power plant control room. Crews were observed using the HSIs to handle simulated plant disturbances in a full-scope simulator. The HSIs generally provided positive support and reduced workload as intended. However, unanticipated impacts were also identified. Of particular note was the effect on team structure and communication. The computerized systems altered the distribution of information across crew members and communication patterns, affecting the situation awareness of individual crew members and the crew as a whole. While in a traditional control room, the open environment, and explicit communication requirements foster shared situation awareness, maintaining shared situation awareness in the computerized environment required active work on the part of crew members. The results point to requirements for effectivecollaboration and help define future research direction.
Trust as a Construct for Evaluation of Automated Aids: Past and Future Theory and Research
Authors: Masalonis Anthony J. , Parasuraman Raja
Published: January 2012

As complex automated aids proliferate in transportation and manufacturing domains, examining human users' trust in such systems gains importance. We review some of the growing literature on trust in automated systems, and outline a program for future studies and theoretical developments. Trust is an intervening variable between automation reliability and use, among other factors. Consistent reliable machine performance can increase trust, and discrete errors can decrease trust. Trust tends to resist change over time. The association between trust and subsequent usage is positive but not clear-cut, and may be mediated by risk and self-confidence. The place of trust in the overall picture of human-automation system performance must be established. The suggested research program accomplishes this by investigating training issues and individual differences, employing new measures, and examining dynamics of trust and usage in automation possessing different reliability in different situations, automation with multiple modes, and adaptive automation.
Understanding how Train Dispatchers Manage and Control Trains: A Cognitive Task Analysis of a Distributed Team Planning Task
Authors: Roth Emilie M. , Malsch Nicolas , Multer Jordan , Coplen Michael
Published: January 2012

A Cognitive Task Analysis was conducted to examine how experienced train dispatchers manage track use. The results reveal the cognitive complexities faced by dispatchers and the cognitive and collaborative strategies developed in response to those demands, including strategies to support anticipation and planning, and proactive strategies to exploit windows of opportunity to satisfy the multiple demands on track use. In many cases these strategies depend on communication and cooperation among individuals distributed across time and space (i.e., multiple dispatchers, engineers, maintenance of way personnel). The ability to “listen in” on communications directed at others that have a bearing on achievement of your own goals and to recognize when information in your possession is of relevance to others, are important contributors to safe and efficient track use. The results reinforce findings from other domains (e.g., space shuttle mission control, air traffic control) regarding the role of a shared communication channel in supporting anticipation and contingency planning. Implication for the introduction of advanced “data-link” communication technologies, as well as for dispatcher training are discussed.
Examining the Effects of Ecological Models of Situation Displays on Human Cognitive Effort
Authors: Ntuen Celestine A.
Published: January 2012

This paper reports on an observational study of cognitive efforts associated with ecological-based situation displays. The major performance measure is an 8-item subjective questionnaire. Participants in the study indicated on a 100-point scale, from zero (poor) to 100 (absolutely useful), their agreement with statements addressing information factors contributing to cognitive effort measurement. Two types of situation displays were compared: scenario and ecotopic displays, respectively. A scenario-based display portrays complete information about a problem context. An ecotopic display presents only local information and adapts to the user's mental model in a problem context. Results revealed that an ecotopic display provides better information filtering and mental model mapping than a scenario-based display (96.53% agreement versus 75.10%). Further, there was no statistically significant difference between ecotopic and scenario-based displays in terms of the user's perception of information integration tasks (tvalue = 1.185 versus ta = 0.05 = 1.645). Other measures such as decision time, decision accuracy, workload index, and false alarms were observed but not reported in this paper.
A Synthetic Task Environment for Team Cognition Research
Authors: Cooke Nancy J. , Rivera Krisela , Shope Steven M. , Caukwell Sara
Published: January 2012

A STE (Synthetic Task Environment) provides the context for a suite of synthetic tasks in which skills pertinent to the corresponding real-world task can be exercised in a controlled setting, thus bridging the gap between lab and field studies. The UAV (Uninhabited Air Vehicle)-STE described in this paper was designed to provide a flexible research platform, yet realistic task environment, for team performance research and the measurement of team cognition. The abstraction of task features from the real UAV task environment occurred with these objectives serving as a filter. In the resulting UAV-STE, three team members work together to control and navigate the UAV and to take photographs of designated targets. Whereas, there are similarities between the synthetic and real UAV task environments, the differences reflect the objectives in that the UAV-STE exaggerates team cognition, provides task and measurement flexibility, and allows for relatively rapid skill acquisition by inexperienced participants.
Misuse and Disuse of Automated AIDS
Authors: Dzindolet Mary T. , Pierce Linda G. , Beck Hall P. , Dawe Lloyd A.
Published: January 2012

A general model of automation use, which proposes that cognitive, social, and motivational processes may lead to productivity loss of human-computer teams is briefly described and data from four experiments testing aspects of the model are presented. Automation use is determined, in part, by the perceived utility of the aid, which is the outcome of a comparison process between the human operator's ability and the reliability of the aid. Perceived utility, however, is affected by a bias towards automation and by self-serving biases.
Automation Use and Automation Bias
Authors: Mosier Kathleen L. , Skitka Linda J.
Published: January 2012

The availability of automation and automated decision aids feeds into a general human tendency to travel the road of least cognitive effort. A series of studies on “automation bias,” the tendency to use automation as a heuristic replacement for vigilant information seeking and processing, has identified several factors associated with this bias. We have examined expert vs. novice (student) performance, and found that automation error rates are comparable across populations, and are not significantly different between 1- and 2-person crews. Professional pilots were sensitive to the importance of correctness for critical flight tasks, and made fewer errors on events involving altitude and heading errors than frequency discrepancies. Training for automation bias reduced commission errors for students, suggesting the importance of early intervention and training on this issue. In other studies, participants in a non-automated condition out-performed those using an automated aid during equivalent failure events; and participants tended to exhibit an “action bias” when any source of information recommended action, whether or not it was appropriate. The intent of this presentation is to provide an overview and summary of the findings of this research program, and to place it within the context of work that has been done in areas such as human-centered design, and training for automation use.
Cognition and Computer Systems Design: Interface Metaphors, Theories and Expert Programmers' Abstraction Ability
Authors: Quealy James
Published: January 2012

The symposium will illustrate ways in which cognitive approaches may usefully be applied to computer systems and interface design. Three papers using different theoretical frameworks from the cognitive repertoire will be presented. A common thread is the interaction between computer interfaces and the dynamic cognitive process of learning. The learning involved is represented in different ways: in the development of users' mental models (Kooman and Hurts); in the change from novice to expert (Ryan and Al-Qaimari); or more directly as implicit and explicit learning theories (Quealy and Langan-Fox) with resultant expectations of student learning. The symposium will demonstrate and discuss the difficulties and constraints in designing such studies and the applicability of such approaches to practice in systems and interface design.
Predictive Keyboard Design Study: Effects of Word Populations, Number of Displayed Letters, and Number of Transitional Probability Tables
Authors: Lewis James R. , Allard David J. , Hudson Harold D.
Published: January 2012

Predictive keyboards are software keyboards that, to conserve screen real estate, display a subset of the full set of alphabetic keys at any one time, predicting the letters to display on the basis of tables of letters' transitional probabilities. Using different types of test texts (names, words, random strings), we evaluated the influence of various manipulations on the efficiency of letter selection with a predictive keyboard. The results of this study indicated that, across tested text types (names, words, random strings), (1) there was little benefit gained from adding a fourth transitional table modeling the likelihood of a letter's use as a function of a space and two preceding letters, (2) there was a potential benefit from increasing the number of displayed letters from six to eight, and (3) for a personal communicator device, an adaptive strategy would probably be less effective than using multiple sets of letter probability tables.
Effects of a Vertical Split-Keyboard on Posture, Comfort and Performance
Authors: Muss Timothy M. , Hedge Alan
Published: January 2012

Twelve, female, touch typists were tested with a traditional keyboard (TK) and a vertical split-keyboard (VK). The use of articulating forearm supports and the VK was also tested. Wrist posture was measured simultaneously for both hands during typing trials. Typing performance was assessed by measuring speed and accuracy. Self-assessed fatigue, discomfort, and preferences were assessed by questionnaires. Results showed that the VK significantly improved the proportion of typing movements performed in a neutral zone of wrist motion (71% for flexion/extension; 78% for radial/ulnar movements) compared with the TK (44% and 25% respectively). Typing performance was slightly slower for the VK and accuracy was only marginally affected.
Effects of Concurrent Cognitive Task Loading on Warning Compliance Behavior
Authors: Wogalter Michael S. , Usher Mary O.
Published: January 2012

This research examined whether increased cognitive task loading decreases warning compliance behavior. Participants performed a task in which they installed an external disk drive to a computer. Inside the accompanying owner's manual were a set of specific procedures that were to be followed during the installation to avoid damaging the equipment (i.e., to turn off the computer, to touch the computer's rear metal connector to discharge static electricity, and to eject a transport disk from the disk drive). Concurrent with this task, participants in the low and high task load conditions had to speak the answers to a series of single-digit or double-digit addition problems that were presented by a tape player. A control condition lacked the addition task. The results showed reduced compliance to the discharge static electricity instruction in the high load condition compared to the no load condition. The low load condition produced intermediate compliance, but was not significantly different from the other two conditions with one exception: the high load condition produced significantly lower compliance for the discharge static electricity instruction than the low load condition. These results suggest that warning effectiveness can be reduced when the mental resources necessary to carry out compliance are being absorbed by other concurrently performed tasks. Implications for further research on task loading and warning compliance are described.
Effects of Environmental Control on Stress, Performance and Group Effectiveness
Authors: Robertson Michelle M. , O'Neill Michael
Published: January 2012

The present study investigated the influence of control over the physical environment on individual performance, group effectiveness, and worker health. A new office workstation was design for knowledge workers with the intent of providing a highly adjustable, flexible physical work environment. It was hypothesized that the adjustable, flexible features of the new workstation would increase availability of control and workers' knowledge of control over their workstations. It was predicted that availability of control and knowledge of control would improve individual and group effectiveness, enhance group collaboration, and decrease stress and physical health problems. Results of the study indicated that when compared to standard systems furniture offices, the new highly adjustable workstation was found to increase the availability of control and that workers' knowledge of control both played a significant role in increasing individual performance and group effectiveness. Availability of control and knowledge of control were also found to improve group collaboration and decrease psychological stress. The design of the highly adjustable workstation enables users a degree of physical control beyond that of standard workstations, thereby increasing performance, collaboration, and psychological health.
Measuring Universal Design: Case of the Bathroom
Authors: Mullick Abir
Published: January 2012

Universal design is a very new area of design research. Because it has its roots in the design for disability or design for the aged, there is a belief that universal design is same thing, a new buzzword for an old idea. In reality, universal design is very different from both of them. Never before has a research clarified the differences between accessible and universal design. This pioneering research in the field of universal design uses empirical methods to evaluate bathroom designs and draw distinctions between universal and accessible environments. Measuring Universal Design is part of a research and development project, The Universal Bathroom. Its results provide information about the properties that make environments accessible or universal.
New Research on Office Seating Issues
Authors: Hedge Alan
Published: January 2012

The four papers at this symposium describe leading-edge ergonomic research on the design of office chairs. Results from new studies on the dynamics of back motion and active sitting, the concept of spineprints, and their relevance to ergonomic seating design will de described. Work on the postural benefits of chair armrests, and their influence on wrist posture during keyboard use will be presented. The implications of these studies for rethinking the requirements for an ergonomic chair will be discussed.
Chairs with Armrests: Ergonomic Design Issues
Authors: Lueder Rani , Allie Paul
Published: January 2012

The nature of job tasks in the office work environment has changed significantly since armrests were added to office chairs. This literature review examines applicable research in an effort to understand the importance of adjustable armrests and to distinguish some of the issues surrounding proper design features. Evidence suggests that adjustable armrest can relieve muscle activity and promote better seated posture in workers who use computer input devices as a regular part of their job.
Effects of Chair Arm Design on Wrist Posture
Authors: Barrero Marisol , Hedge Alan , Muss Timothy M.
Published: January 2012

The effects of four different chair armrest designs on typing wrist posture were tested. Twenty-four subjects, men and women grouped at the 95th, 50th, and 5th percentiles for height, typed while sitting on each of four chairs with different armrests. The chair armrest designs investigated differed by the type, number and range of adjustments available. Each subject typed while instrumented with wrist electrogoniometers that measured wrist extension/flexion and radial/ulnar deviation. All conditions and tasks were counterbalanced. Results showed no main effects of chair armrest design on either wrist extension or ulnar deviation. Significant interactions involving chair armrest design were found for ulnar deviation but not for wrist extension. Correlations between anthropometric dimensions and wrist posture were found.
Touchpanel Assessment of Psychomotor Abilities
Authors: Cianciolo Anna T. , Ackerman Phillip L.
Published: January 2012

Innovations in touch-sensitive computer monitors as a methodology for relatively low-cost, highly-flexible test development, validation, and application of standard psychomotor tests are presented. The development and evaluation of five psychomotor test types are described including discrete response tests (Choice/Simple Reaction Time, Serial Reaction Time, and Tapping) and continuous-response tests (Maze Tracing and Mirror Tracing). Two empirical studies of the new psychomotor tests are reviewed, with a collection of perceptual speed abilities providing evidence for construct validity. In addition, the psychomotor tests are validated against a real-time simulation criterion (the Kanfer-Ackerman Air Traffic Controller Task. We discuss how these new innovations remove logistic barriers to efficient assessment of critically important abilities for predicting skilled performance.
Improving Selection for Psychomotor Skills in Dentistry
Authors: Ackerman Phillip L. , Cianciolo Anna T. , Bowen Kristy R.
Published: January 2012

A program of research using touch-sensitive monitors and computerized testing of psychomotor abilities is described, along with paper and pencil tests of perceptual speed abilities, to predict first-year grades in a professional School of Dentistry program. Touch-sensitive monitors allow for assessment of fine motor performance, hands-on spatial visualization, and dexterity aptitudes in a manner previously unavailable in off-the-shelf computer equipment. Many of the previous impediments to psychomotor testing were predicated on the use of expensive electromechanical apparatuses. The current experiment was designed to examine whether these impediments for large-scale assessment may be eliminated by the use of relatively inexpensive and flexible computerized systems. Results were supportive of the raw and incremental validity of the new touch-panel based psychomotor ability tests in predicting individual differences in dental-school grades. In this research, the computerized tests of psychomotor abilities provided an important demonstration of how this new technology may be used to improve selection batteries for predicting individual differences performance on real-world tasks.
A Dynamic Biomechanical Model of the Hand and Arm in Pistol Grip Power Hand Tool Use
Authors: Lin Jia-Hua , Radwin Robert G. , Richard Terry G.
Published: January 2012

Torque build-up during power hand tool operation constitutes a relatively short period of time, but its influence on muscle exertion is most significant due to repeated exposure to relatively high reaction forces. This study considers the dynamic nature of the human power hand tool operator as a single degree of freedom mechanical system. The hand is therefore represented as mass, spring and damping elements. These are dependent upon the posture used and the individual operator. An apparatus was used to obtain these elements by measuring the vibration frequency and amplitude change after an initial disturbance. Twenty-five subjects participated in the experiment. A repeated measures full factorial experiment tested the effects of gender, horizontal distance (30, 60, and 90 cm), and vertical distance (55, 93, 142, and 190 cm) on the three passive elements in the model for a pistol grip handle. The result shows that stiffness and mass moment of inertia changed by 20.6% and 44.5% respectively with vertical location (p<.01), and 23.6% and 41.2% respectively with horizontal location (p<.01). Mass moment of inertia and damping changed by 31.1% and 38.5% respectively with gender (p<.01). The handle displacement and hand force during torque build-up was calculated based on this model. The model was validated by having five subjects operate an actual power hand tool and by measuring tool displacement using an OptoTrak motion analysis system. The model predictions were correlated with these measurements (R=.88).
Relationship between Computer Keyboard Slope and Wrist Extension Angle
Authors: Simoneau Guy G. , Marklin Richard W.
Published: January 2012

The literature has shown that sloping the keyboard downward reduces extension angle of the wrist, which is a risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of the wrist. However, the slope angle of the keyboards tested and reported in the literature were adjusted by the individual or preset to only one angle. Therefore, it is difficult to infer from these studies' results the effect of the magnitude of keyboard slope on wrist extension angle. The goal of the study presented in this paper was to determine the effect that varying the slope angle of a keyboard has on wrist extension angle. Ten subjects typed on a keyboard whose slope was adjusted to +150, +7.50, 00, −7.50, and −150. (Positive keyboard slope indicates the keyboard was sloped upward toward the VDT, and negative keyboard slope indicates a downward sloping keyboard.) As keyboard slope angle moved downward 300 (+150to −150), wrist extension decreased approximately 140. Mean wrist extension for the left wrist decreased monotonically from 22.50 at 150 positive slope to 7.80 in the 150 negative slope condition. Likewise, the right wrist's mean extension decreased monotonically from 23.80 to 9.90 when the keyboard was sloped downward from +150 to −150 Keyboard slope angle did not impair typing performance. Based on carpal tunnel pressure studies, histologic studies of tendons, and modeling of the wrist, it appears that keyboards that can be sloped downward are beneficial with respect to etiology of WMSDs of the wrist.
Internet Technologies Demonstration Session I
Authors: Grose Eric , Woods Thomas S. , Cantor Judy , Etgen Michael , Czerwinski Mary , Payne Tanya L. , Chisholm Wendy , Iozzo Nick
Published: January 2012

This session will highlight recent technical innovations in user interface technologies for the Internet. The Internet poses many unique challenges for the user interface designer. It also enables functional capabilities that may be applied in a variety of domains. Attendees will have an opportunity to have first-hand experience with developmental technologies that offer a sampling of the latest ideas. Developers participating in the session will interact with small groups of attendees and provide a brief demonstration and discussion. Through this session, the intent is to raise HFES attendee's awareness of the direction of technological innovation for the Internet and to provide a context for the exchange of insights and ideas among all those concerned with interface design and product design in general, for the Internet.
Warning Sign Components and Hazard Perceptions
Authors: Braun Curt C. , Shaver Eric F.
Published: January 2012

Considerable research has focused on the hazard-conveying qualities of warning colors, signal words, hazard symbols, and text descriptions. Little research, however, has considered how these elements interact to affect perceived hazard. This study evaluated the effects of these warning sign components. 178 participants evaluated warning signs representing the factorial combination of two colors, three signal words, two hazard types, three levels of symbol explicitness, and two levels of text explicitness. Warning signs were presented tachistoscopically, and hazard perceptions were measured using magnitude estimations. The data revealed significant effects for hazard type, symbol explicitness, and text explicitness. These variables were also involved in significant two-way interactions. Previous findings concerning color and signal word were not supported. Findings suggest that designers should consider the explicitness of text and symbols when designing warning signs.
Measuring Visual Search Time for a Product Warning Label as a Function of Icon, Color, Column and Vertical Placement
Authors: Bzostek Julie A. , Wogalter Michael S.
Published: January 2012

The first step in producing warning compliance is getting the user to notice the warning. Although research has examined various factors of consumer product warnings, very few studies have objectively measured the noticeability of warnings. In the present study one indicant of noticeability, response time, was measured as a function of several warning label factors. Specifically the experiment employed a 5 (icon) x 3 (color) x 2 (column) x 3 (vertical placement) design, plus a control condition. Participants indicated which of two given warnings was present on a simulated product label (an over-the-counter drug label was used) and the response time was measured. Later they were asked to rank a set of labels according to having the most to least noticeable warning. The presence of an icon and color produced significantly faster response times than their absence. The ranking data showed that people preferred icons and signal words presented in red. Implications for warning label design are discussed.
A Human Factors Perspective on Helicopter Human External Loads
Authors: Shehab Randa L. , Schlegel Robert E.
Published: January 2012

Human external loads (HEL) refer to operations where humans are transported while suspended below a helicopter. HEL operations are often required to access remote work sites, to access power lines in need of maintenance and repair, for transport of offshore ship captains, and for rescue operations. This paper reports a human factors investigation of HEL operations and the devices used to secure HELs involved in work (non-rescue) activities. The goal of this investigation was to determine if HEL operations pose a significant safety hazard. Specifically, the paper describes the various devices used to secure HELs, the accident history associated with HELs, and human factors recommendations for the regulation of HEL devices and operations. Review of 616 helicopter accident reports revealed that only 1.5% of the accidents occurred during HEL operations and only 0.5% were directly attributable to the presence of an HEL.
Preparing for Your Professional Career: What Every Student Should Kno
Authors: Shapiro Ronald G. , Andre Anthony D. , Sklar Aaron E. , Alteras-Webb Sabina M. , Narkevicius Jennifer McGovern
Published: January 2012

Welcome to the sixth annual Human Factors and Ergonomics Society career panel. This year, each panelist was asked to prepare guidelines which they felt were most important for students to consider and follow as they prepare for a career in Human Factors and Ergonomics. Topics selected include: Working in Academics vs. Industry, Maximizing and Communicating Your Value Proposition, Your Career Path: Fate vs. Design, Preparing for a Career While In School and Five Simple Guidelines for Planning Your Career.
Managing a Human Factors/Ergonomics Group: Lessons Learned
Authors: Andre Anthony D. , Lund Arnold M.
Published: January 2012

As the popularity of our profession grows, more people are faced with the task of managing a group of human factors/ergonomics professionals. The successful manager in today's business climate needs a strong profit sense, technical knowledge, superior leadership skills, and a reputation for delivering as promised. But does managing a group of HF/E professionals require a special attitude or approach? What types of individuals make the best HF/E managers? How does a manager maximize the utilization of his/her HF/E group within an organization? These questions and others will be addressed in this symposium, comprised of four HF/E professionals well-versed in the art of management. They will share their management experiences, lessons learned and guidelines for effective management of HF/E professionals.
The Role of Landmark Information in Intelligent Navigation Displays
Authors: Philips Brian H.
Published: January 2012

Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) are advanced communication and navigation systems that use computer-based in-vehicle systems to provide navigation and travel-related information to drivers. To help drivers navigate effectively and get to their destinations quickly and safely, navigational information must be effectively communicated to the driver. Landmarks are important environmental and navigational cues that help drivers to get to their destinations. This paper describes a study that tested the influence of landmark information in route guidance displays on navigation performance in a simulated driving environment. Forty-eight participants drove in a high-fidelity simulator and navigated using route guidance displays with and without landmark icons. The results indicated that landmarks were beneficial as a navigation aid; they helped drivers make turning decisions more quickly, especially in reduced visibility conditions (i.e., foggy conditions). Landmarks were particularly beneficial to older drivers by improving their turning accuracy and turn signal accuracy, especially in the fog.
Future Challenges for Function Allocation
Authors: Corbridge Colin , Cook Catherine A.
Published: January 2012

The process of function allocation forms a critical part of the design process when decisions are made that impact upon overall system design and the human operators' roles. DERA Centre for Human Sciences has been conducting research into function allocation for a number of years. The aim of this work has been: to optimise the distribution of functions between humans and equipment, and also between human operators; to maximise operational effectiveness; and to reduce potentially the number of operators required. This work has resulted in the development of a new method of function allocation labelled the ‘Socio-Technical Method for Designing Work Systems' (STMDWS). However, there remain a number of challenges for further research. This paper identifies the following five key challenges: provision of a meaningful role for the operators; describing the level of automation in the system; skill requirements of operators resulting from the allocation of functions and the organizational implications thereof; using the output from the allocation process to inform other system design activities; and the consequences of using Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products as elements of future military systems.
Improving the Integration of Human Factors Inputs to System Design
Authors: Winters John J. , Perry Amie A. , White G. Dennis
Published: January 2012

A common lament of human factors practitioners is that their inputs are not solicited early enough in system design. If they are involved early on, their inputs often aren't accepted, or are not properly implemented. Systems engineers responsible for the integration of the overall system, however, state that input from these practitioners is often submitted too late or only after an extensive, but unnecessary, research effort. This panel will serve as a forum to discuss common pitfalls in the interaction between human engineers and systems engineers, and to discuss success stories of teams working together. Topics to be addressed by panelists include methods and tactics that are successful in integrating human factors issues.
Applying User Feedback during the Product Development Cycle
Authors: Adams Julie A.
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this paper is to present the application of user feedback methods during the development of the KODAK DLS System Management Software. The DLS is a large product containing not only a graphical user interface, but also many hardware components that the operator must arrange in their working environment to establish an appropriate workflow. As part of this product development, Human Factors was responsible for designing and testing the user interface, designing, and testing a customized keyboard layout, and analyzing the appropriate arrangement of the system components in the user's working environment. This paper presents the various user centered design testing methods employed and the effect each had on the product design.
Duet: A Distributed Usability Lab Supporting Displays Development for Space Station
Authors: Dischinger H. Charles , Tilghman Neal C. , Hammons Matthew , Hale Joseph P.
Published: January 2012

A usability laboratory recently established at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will support the development of interfaces to on-board Payload displays on the International Space Station. An unusual feature of this facility is its ability to conduct usability testing over the Internet. Test subjects interact with the remote application displays using the remote-view and -control package Timbuktu Pro. Both test subject and developer facility are typically remote to the lab; the only site requirements are appropriate viewing hardware and software and an Internet drop. The lab, called the Distributed Usability Evaluation Tool (DUET), utilizes off-the-shelf hardware and software. Included are Space Station-type laptops (IBM Thinkpad 760 XD), Windows 95 OS, a usability data-collection package (WinWhatWhere), and Timbuktu Pro. Data on test subject commentary and reaction are collected through videoconferencing when available, and through teleconferencing otherwise. Developers gain access to the test facility through instructions and software obtained from the lab's web site. DUET also serves as a display development support tool. The web site includes usability guidelines and templates. Moreover the staff consult on usability and standards compliance via telephone and net communication. Prototypes are evaluated using an electronic whiteboard. This tool is connected to the developer's displays via the same networking approach as is used for the test: the developer connects to the lab through Timbuktu Pro, the prototypes are displayed on the whiteboard, and comments and modifications are made collaboratively by the developer and the lab staff. Examples of support and test successes and issues will be presented.
Operator Functional State Classification Using Neural Networks with Combined Physiological and Performance Features
Authors: Wilson Glenn F. , Russell Chris
Published: January 2012

Operator functional state assessment is a critical component of adaptive aiding systems. A combination of physiological and performance variables were used with a neural network to determine operator functional state. A multiple task battery provided three levels of mental workload. The data were randomly divided into two data sets, one was used to train a neural net and the other to test the accuracy of the trained neural net. The results showed an overall correct classification of 86.8% for the test data set. For the three levels of task difficulty the correct classification was 90.5% for low, 81.7% for the medium and 88.3% for the high. These results support the use of combined physiological and performance data to obtain high levels of operator functional state classification accuracy. The optimal approach to utilizing this information during system operation will have to be developed. With current technology the development of small, wearable operator state classifiers is possible.
Assessment of Subtle Cognitive and Neuropsychological Dysfunction in the Highly Skilled
Authors: Stokes Alan F.
Published: January 2012

The present study reports an extension and validation of a test battery, SPARTANS 2.0, expressly designed to detect modest or incipient neuropsychological dysfunction in highly skilled operators, in this case aviators. Four characteristics of the battery were demonstrated. First, subtasks within the battery are relatively insensitive to practice. Second, the battery retains its ability to discriminate pilots from individuals with neuropsychological impairment, even when used with a different group of subjects than the one on which it was validated initially. Third, inclusion of a non-pilot control group demonstrated that the battery is indeed assessing neuropsychological dysfunction and not pilot expertise. Finally, principal components analysis demonstrated that the battery assesses the specific categories of cognitive skill that it was designed to measure.
The Role of Target Task Pre-Exposure in Resource Training
Authors: Boles David B.
Published: January 2012

In contrast to part training, which emphasizes the practice of task components, resource training proceeds by practicing mental processes that are transferable to whole-task performance. Although previous research supports its effectiveness in skill acquisition, it is unclear whether pre-exposure to the whole task is necessary to realize its benefits. Here previous methodology involving resource training of a bargraph recognition task (Boles, 1997) is adapted by measuring performance benefits relative to an unrelated baseline task. Statistical comparison to the previous results indicates that pre-exposure to the whole task is not a necessary precondition for effective resource training. The results bode well for the usefulness of resource training in situations where the exact target task is unknown in advance, as in early flight or sports training.
Telepresence Effects on the Relationship of Velocity to the Psychological Experience of Speed
Authors: Noel Ronald W. , Hunter Claudia M. , Casey Brian M. , Phoenix Gregory M.
Published: January 2012

This study examines potential mappings between the subjective experience of speed when mediated through visual display devices and the physical velocity of a vehicle, especially when the apparatus for experiencing speed and the actual vehicle are not in the same scale. Such mappings are important for creating psychological reality in telepresence environments, such as a driving simulator. Subjects made magnitude estimations of perceived speed by watching video clips of forward motion taken from vehicles of two different heights. A 2.625:1 ratio in “virtual” eyeheights was approximately maintained in the magnitude estimates, indicating that speed is experienced as a scaled quantity relative to virtual eyeheight. When magnitude estimates for the lower virtual eyeheight were scaled, perceived speed at that height could be predicted for any actual velocity in this experiment. Building on this knowledge, telepresence designers must account for the scale factor in predicting other behaviors such as distance for braking and turning the vehicle.
The Effects of Visual Display Type and Navigational Aid on Performance, Presence, and Workload in Virtual Reality Training of Telerover Navigation
Authors: Riley Jennifer M. , Kaber David B.
Published: January 2012

Virtual reality (VR) applications that enhance user presence have been hypothesized to be effective training tools for promoting virtual task performance and transfer of skill to reality in operation of complex systems. Research has focused on use of VR for training navigation skills, but has not described how systems should be configured to increase presence and provide for optimum learning. We present a study comparing the effect of display types, as well as navigational aids, on performance, presence, and workload in training navigation of a telerobotic vehicle through a virtual maze. The relationships among performance, presence, workload, and human factors, such as spatial ability and immersive tendencies, were also examined. The findings of this research may be used to formulate VR application design guidelines for enhancing user presence in virtual environments and, possibly, promoting training of real skills.
The Role of Ecological Validity in the Ability to Estimate Time-to-Contact
Authors: Manser Michael P.
Published: January 2012

Determining when an approaching object will reach our position in space is a skill necessary to survive in most environments and a skill which has been termed time-to-contact. Time-to-contact issues have traditionally been examined through the use of an artificial removal research scenario or through an ecologically valid occlusion research scenario. Although results suggest time-to-contact estimates were more accurate when viewing an occlusion research scenario, little evidence indicates whether the markedly better performance was due to relative increases in ecological validity or to the process of object occlusion. The present investigation compared an ecologically valid occlusion research scenario, an ecologically invalid occlusion research scenario, and an ecologically invalid removal research scenario. Results suggest little influence for varying levels of ecological validity. The theoretical and practical ramifications of the present research are discussed.
The Effect of Accommodative Demand, Motion Parallax and Age on Virtual Object Localizations
Authors: McCandless Jeffrey W. , Ellis Stephen R. , Adelstein Bernard D.
Published: January 2012

Observers adjusted the position of a physical pointer to localize a computer-generated, space-stabilized, virtual object presented monocularly in a see-through, head-mounted display. Each observer rocked side to side to produce motion parallax to determine the depicted distance of the object. The depicted distance (75 and 113 cm) of the virtual object was specified by motion parallax and accommodative demand. Six younger (18-20 years) and six older (40-70 years) observers participated in the study. Both motion parallax and accommodative demand were independent, significant factors driving the localization of virtual objects. Motion parallax was markedly more influential than accommodative demand. Object localization was not affected significantly by the observers' ages, possibly due to the small change in accommodative demand and the relative strength of motion parallax.
A Portable Device for Dynamic Visual Acuity
Authors: Kennedy Robert S. , Compton Daniel E. , Drexler Julie M. , Smith Patrick M. , Smither Janan A.
Published: January 2012

Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) thresholds are among the few visual functions found predictive of automobile accidents. DVA is sensitive to alcohol and aging. In two within-subject, repeated-measures designs, a laser DVA device was compared to the traditional device. Both tasks were administered to two groups: Group I received graded stimuli at 60, 75 & 90 degrees per second (dps); Group II at 60, 90 & 120 dps. Testing involved different target sizes, velocities, type of target, and time course changes within a session. Findings: 1) retest reliabilities of the two DVA devices were comparable and higher with the laser; 2) average correlations between the devices were r = 0.62 ( p < .01) and r = 0.65 ( p < .01) for Group I and II respectively. In spite of the known differences in implementation, the laser device can be developed to measure the same construct as the more traditional DVA device, and the laser is considerably more flexible.
Predictors of and reasons for pacifier use in first-time mothers: an observational study
Authors: Mauch Chelsea E , Scott Jane A , Magarey Anthea M , Daniels Lynne A
Published: January 2012

Background

The use of pacifiers is commonplace in Australia and has been shown to be negatively associated with breastfeeding duration. In order to influence behaviour related to the use of pacifiers it is important to understand the reasons for their use. The primary aim of this observational study was to investigate who (if anyone) advises first-time mothers to give a pacifier and the reasons for which they first give (or try to give) a pacifier to their infant. Additionally, this study investigated the predictors of pacifier use and the relationship between pacifier use and breastfeeding duration.

Methods

In total, 670 Australian first-time mothers recruited as part of the NOURISH trial completed a questionnaire regarding infant feeding and pacifier use.

Results

Pacifiers were introduced by 79% of mothers, of whom 28.7% were advised to use a pacifier by their mother/mother-in-law with a further 22.7% being advised by a midwife. The majority of mothers used a pacifier in order to soothe their infant (78.3%), to help put them to sleep (57.4%) and to keep them comforted and quiet (40.4%). Pacifiers given to infants before four weeks (adjHR 3.67; 95%CI 2.14-6.28) and used most days (adjHR 3.28; 95%CI 1.92-5.61) were significantly associated with shorter duration of breastfeeding.

Conclusions

This study identifies an opportunity for educating new mothers and their support network, particularly their infant's grandmothers, with regards to potential risks associated with the early and frequent use of a pacifier, and alternative methods for soothing their infant, in order to reduce the use of pacifiers and their potentially negative effect on breastfeeding duration.