bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Wireless Tactile Communication System for Conveying U.S. Army Hand-Arm Signals
Authors: Brill J. Christopher , Terrence Peter I. , Stafford Shawn , Gilson Richard D.
Published: January 2012

Combat conditions place fearsome extremes on soldier senses, rendering many traditional visual and auditory informational pathways unusable for soldier communications. To circumvent these limitations, vibrotactile displays may offer environmental advantages (covert use in murky and noisy conditions) as well as human information processing advantages (an unimpeded sensory channel and potential resource pool). The demonstrated system uses wireless electronic communications to present exemplar Army arm and hand signals in a tactual form. Vibrotactors on an elasticized belt deliver vibrotactile patterns to the wearer's torso, with inputs originating from a hardened PDA running a custom software package. Benefits and limitations are discussed, as well as other potential applications and integrations with other information input sources.
The Effect of Repetition Rate on the Formation of Microtears in Tendon in an In Vivo Cyclical Loading Animal Model
Authors: Nakama Leena , King Karen , Abrahamsson Swen , Rempel David
Published: January 2012

Previously (17), we reported the formation of microtears in an in vivo loaded FDP rabbit tendon with a repetition rate of 60 repetitions per minute and a peak force of 15% of maximum (Po). Pathophysiological changes were observed. The tear area as a percent of tendon area, tear density (tears/mm2) and mean tear size (μm2) were higher in tendons from the loaded limb compared to the unloaded limb. The purpose of the present study was to compare those results to results obtained with a lower repetition rate of 10 (per minute) while maintaining the same peak force and work (equal force-time integral) (n=8). Due to regional properties of the tendon, a strain gradient between the inner and outer sides of the FDP tendon exists. Therefore, microtears were quantified in four regions, two regions each along the inner and outer sides of the tendon. The tear area as a percent of total tendon area and the mean tear size were significantly greater in the loaded limb compared to the unloaded limb (p < 0.03). However, the effects were less than those observed at 60 repetitions/min. The high repetition rate loading pattern resulted in an increase in tear measures in all four regions, while the lower rate produced changes only in the outer regions of the tendon. This finding may establish where the initial sites of damage occur in tendons that insert into bone in a similar arrangement as the FDP. The results also suggest that repetition rate is associated with tendon damage in a dose-response pattern.
Driving Simulator Experiments: Power for Repeated Measures vs. Completely Randomized Design
Authors: Donmez Birsen , Boyle Linda Ng , Lee John D.
Published: January 2012

Driving simulator studies are usually designed to collect repeated measures on each participant. This design has different implications for the power of within and between-subject effects that needs to be recognized by researchers. The power for between-subject variables decreases when additional measures are collected on the within-subject variables. However, the power for the main and interaction effects of the within-subjects variables increases as more observations are collected on one participant. If the main interest of the experiment is a between-subject effect, such as age, then a completely randomized design can provide the same power with fewer participants. Through a case study, this paper demonstrates how the power changes between a repeated measures design and a completely randomized design.
Don't Let Me Down: The Role of Operator Expectations in Human-Automation Interaction
Authors: Mayer Andrew K. , Sanchez Julian , Fisk Arthur D. , Rogers Wendy A.
Published: January 2012

This study investigated how user expectations of automation performance influenced reliance and how expectations interacted with types of automation failures. Participants were assigned to a low, high, or neutral expectations group and interacted with an automated collision avoidance system that either committed errors of false detection (false alarms) or incorrect rejection (misses). Participants with high expectations had higher initial reliance than participants in the low and neutral expectations conditions. Overall, the high expectations group exhibited over-reliance behavior choosing to rely at a higher level than participants in the neutral and low conditions. Participants in the neutral condition began to appropriately adjust their behavior according to the type of automation error, however, participants in the low and high conditions did not. These findings have implications for how expectations are managed in future human-automation research.
The Occlusion Procedure for Assessing in-Vehicle Telematics: Tests of Current Vehicle Systems
Authors: Harbluk J.L. , Burns P.C. , Go E. , Morton A.H.
Published: January 2012

Appropriate protocols are necessary for assessing the distraction potential of in-vehicle tasks and devices. The AAM (Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers) has proposed the “Statement of Principles, Criteria and Verification Procedures on Driver Interactions with Advanced In-Vehicle Information and Communication Systems” (AAM, 2003). The purpose of the present study was to assess the utility of one specific method, the Occlusion Method (as outlined by Principle 2.1 of the AAM Guidelines) by applying it to four navigation systems available in current production vehicles. This method was used to assess the distraction potential for 16 participants as they completed navigation-related tasks involving visual display and manual controls. The results provide evidence that the Total Shutter Open Time (TSOT) measure from the Occlusion Task is a promising method for discriminating between different task types and complexity levels of these tasks as well as between different telematics systems.
Assessment of Age Differences in Mental Workload while Driving using Verbal versus Visual-Spatial Subsidiary Tasks
Authors: Schlorholtz Ben , Schieber Frank
Published: January 2012

Age differences in mental workload demands imposed by driving were investigated using a dual-task paradigm. Two subsidiary tasks, thought to tax separate attentional resource pools (verbal versus visual-spatial), were compared. Dual-task cost ratios [RTdual-task/RTsingle-task] using each subsidiary task were collected from young (mean age = 20.6) and older (mean age = 72.4) drivers at midblock locations (low driving task load) and while approaching intersections (high driving task load). Consistent with expectations, age differences were exacerbated on the visual-spatial subsidiary task. However, the expected workload increase at intersections (relative to midblock locations) was not observed. Instead, a more complex 3-way interaction of roadway location with subsidiary task and task order was obtained. This pattern of results has important implications with regard to the following two issues: 1) the use of discrete versus continuous subsidiary task probes during real world driving, and 2) the sensitivity and specificity of subsidiary task approaches in the assessment of age-related cognitive deficits and their potential impact upon driving performance.
Haptic and Auditory Cues for Lane Departure Warnings
Authors: Stanley Laura M.
Published: January 2012

Lane departures including run-off-road and head-on collisions accounted for 55 percent of all roadway fatalities in the United States in 2003. Static rumble strips on shoulder and centerline have shown promise in reducing lane departures. Recently, more advanced technology has been developed in the form of in-vehicle advanced lane departure warning systems. In this simulator study, fifteen participants received alerting cues in three sensory modalities; haptic (seat vibration), auditory (“rumble strip” sound), and combined auditory and haptic sensory warnings. The haptic modality had significantly faster reaction times than both the auditory and combination modalities. The auditory modality had significantly more maximum steering response than the haptic and combination condition. Drivers perceived the haptic modality to be the least annoying with least interference, while the combination modality was the most preferred in benefit of driving, most likely to purchase, level of trust, level of appropriateness, level of urgency, and overall preference.
Predictive Displays for Survey Vessels
Authors: Sullivan Briana , Ware Colin , Plumlee Matthew
Published: January 2012

Inexperienced helmsmen often oversteer because of the lag that occurs between changing the rudder angle and a change in the vessel's heading. Predictive displays are a common way of mitigating the effect of lag on human control. Accordingly we developed a predictive display to show the position and heading of a vessel a short time in the future. With this display, the helmsman's task becomes that of keeping the predictor on the planned path. In effect, the predictor is steered, not the vessel. Our predictive model was statistical and based on data gathered from a 40 foot survey vessel carrying out a variety of maneuvers while the position, heading, speed through the water and rudder angle were continuously recorded. The advantage of such a predictor is that it can, in principle, be generated automatically, without any need for a model of hull shape or vessel dynamics. We evaluated the predictor by having both experienced and inexperienced helmsmen steer a pre-defined figure-of-eight course. The results showed substantial reduction in cross track error for inexperienced participants to the point that their performance was indistinguishable from those that were more experienced.
Impacting System Design with Human Performance Modeling and Experiment: Another Success Story
Authors: Mitchell Diane K. , Chen Jessie Y. C.
Published: January 2012

In this study, task-network models using the Improved Performance Research Integration Tool were built to predict the mental workload and performance of the crew of a conceptual mounted combat vehicle. The modeling project analyzed which crewmember, if any, should be allocated the functions of controlling robotic assets in addition to standard mission functions similar to present tank crew missions. In order to further investigate issues derived from the modeling project and to verify its analytical results, a simulation experiment was conducted to examine the mental workload and performance of the combined position of robotics operator and gunner. The results of this experiment were consistent with the predictions generated by the modeling analysis. The modeling and experimental data have successfully contributed to modifications in the design concept for the modeled platform as well as its crewmember function allocations.
How Network Enabled Capability Changes the Emergent Properties of Military Command and Control
Authors: Walker Guy H. , Stanton Neville A. , Jenkins Dan , Salmon Paul , Young Mark S. , Beond Ajay , Sherif Omar , Rafferty Laura , Ladva Darshna
Published: January 2012

EAST (Event Analysis for Systemic Teamwork) is an integrated methods approach that can be used to describe systems level ‘emergent properties’ that arise from complex socio-technical systems. This paper reports on the application of the method to a military command and control scenario. The focus is on the technical and structural determinates of the emergent property of Systemic Situation Awareness (SSA) in cases where Networked Enabled Capability (NEC) is largely absent (e.g. the military domain) compared to examples in which it is present (e.g. the civilian domain).
What Kinds of Usability-Problem Description are Useful to Developers?
Authors: Hornbæk Kasper , Frøkjær Erik
Published: January 2012

Descriptions of problems found in usability evaluations aim to help developers improve an interactive system. However, little is know about what makes a problem description useful to developers. The present paper describes how four developers assessed the utility of 619 usability problems and relates their assessments to characteristics of how problems were described. Developers find problem descriptions that are clear, propose solutions, and elaborate on why something is a problem of significantly higher utility than problems without such information. Problems coded as persistent for expert users are assessed of higher utility than descriptions of novice users' problems. Reference to observable user actions made no difference to developers' assessment of utility. While developers did not see problems produced with an empirical and an inspection method as differing in utility, methods differed in how problems were described. We conclude by discussing recommendations for how to report the results of usability evaluations.
Full-Cycle Adaptive Instructorless Training
Authors: Chapman Roger , Ryder Joan , Szczepkowski Michael , Benton Donald
Published: January 2012

For simulators to provide effective mission training, there must be capabilities for scenario selection, briefing, debriefing, and performance evaluation; typically provided by instructors. This paper describes an approach for automated scenario selection, guided brief and AAR, and automated performance measurement. Underlying these intelligent functions is a tight coupling of training objectives, performance measures, and scenario events derived through extensive cognitive task analysis. Training objectives drive scenario selection and instantiation with events that provide opportunities to demonstrate related competencies; automated performance measures then monitor and evaluate user actions in response to these events; and are in turn stored and aggregated for use in a guided after-action review (AAR). A cognitive agent conducts the AAR in much the same way as a real instructor would, tailoring it to the user's performance, selecting the most important performance measures to discuss, highlighting aspects of importance to the mission, and summarizing the user's performance. Since each performance measure is related to a training objective, the user's training profile can be updated for each training objective after the scenario, and subsequent scenarios can be selected to focus on training objectives that have not been achieved, beginning the cycle anew.
Surgical Skill Performance Under Combat Conditions in a Virtual Environment
Authors: Schmidt Elizabeth A. , Scerbo Mark W. , Bliss James P. , Hanner-Bailey Hope S. , Garcia Hector M. , Weireter Leonard J.
Published: January 2012

A group of medical students were taught to perform a tube thoracostomy on a mannequin simulator in a traditional medical school setting and demonstrate competency in that environment. Immediately afterward and again four months later, they performed the procedure in a CAVE virtual environment running a combat simulation under day and nighttime lighting conditions. The results showed that accuracy suffered in the simulation. Participants also needed more time to perform the procedures under the nighttime conditions. Further, performance did not change over the retention interval. The results suggest that although the surgical skills acquired by students in a traditional medical school setting are robust, they may still be compromised under hazardous conditions. More important, these findings show that virtual environments can provide a safe and effective venue for military medical personnel to train for dangerous duty.
Identification of Aging Effects on the Control of Upright Stance Using a Local Maximum Wavelet Transform Method
Authors: Zhang HongBo , Nussbaum Maury A.
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate aging effects on the mechanisms of postural control during upright stance, and specifically the use of proprioceptive feedback on this control. Thirty-two healthy individuals participated, equally divided among younger (19–22 years) and older groups (54–68 years) and genders. Experimental trials involved several sessions of quiet stance on a firm surface with eyes closed. Center of pressure (COP) data were obtained from a force platform and processed using a new local maximum wavelet transform method. The critical time interval (CTI) derived from this method was proposed to describe the activation period of proprioceptive function, which is mainly influenced by the proprioceptive feedback loop. A reduced CTI was assumed to indicate poorer control based on proprioceptive input. Results showed that younger participants' CTI significantly increased from the first experimental session to consecutive experimental sessions in both the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposteriorer (AP) directions. However, older participates' CTI did not exhibit significant differences between the first and the consequent experimental sessions in either direction. This result suggests that the adaptability of proprioceptive function was impaired with age. Younger adults' CTIs were significantly larger than those of older adults in both ML and AP directions, indicating that among older adults stance control based on proprioceptive function was significantly impaired due to aging.
Job-Aiding and Training Tool Evaluation
Authors: Nemeth Kristie , Quill Laurie , Fudge Robert , Adams Justin
Published: January 2012

This study evaluated an Air Force research tool aimed at transforming the aircraft on-the-job flightline learning environment by supporting a variety of learning preferences through a Job-Aiding and Training Tool (JATT.) A comparative evaluation was conducted between the traditional presentation of maintenance task information (PDF) and a training enhanced information presentation (JATT). The study found that use of the training enhanced presentation significantly improved total completion time by 16%, decreased errors by 49%, while decreasing the number of trainer assists by 73%. JATT users liked the system 22% more, rated the helpfulness of the interface 30% higher, found the interface 66% less frustrating and felt 35% more confident than did PDF users during their performance of the maintenance activity.
Oops, Wrong Number: Exploring Age and Cellular Telephone Dialing Performance
Authors: Mendat Christina C. , Mayhorn Christopher B.
Published: January 2012

One challenge that faces older adults today is the pervasive trend in miniaturized technology. This trend has permeated the cellular phone industry and resulted in technology that has not only become smaller in terms of size, but slimmer resulting in flat-smooth keypads. The current study examined differences in dialing performance between keypads with raised-rubber keys and flat-smooth keys as a function of age. The results revealed that both younger and older adults performed significantly better in terms of dialing accuracy and dialing time with the raised-rubber keypad. Furthermore, older adults improved significantly more with the raised-rubber keypad than did younger adults. Findings, also, revealed that older adults committed more errors than younger adults. These findings demonstrate how the trend of miniaturization and smooth keypads may potentially alienate the largest growing population in the U.S. (i.e., older adults) with respect to usability.
Interruption Recovery Tools for Team Collaboration
Authors: John Mark , Smallman Harvey S. , Manes Daniel I.
Published: January 2012

Interruptions and situation awareness recovery are important issues in many task domains. Here, we explore the extent to which cognitive design principles for situation awareness recovery that were developed in the air warfare domain can be applied to team mission execution. We developed a tool, called team-CHEX, for presenting and managing messages and for helping users recover situation awareness following interruptions. We report two experiments that compared team-CHEX with two commonly employed mission execution recovery tools – chat and shared whiteboards. The results of the first experiment were used to refine specific interface features of team-CHEX. The final tool was superior to common chat designs and equal to, and in some respects superior to, common whiteboard designs. The revised and extended interruption recovery principles should be useful for the design of both monitoring tasks, such as air warfare, and team collaboration tasks, such as mission execution.
The Effects of Multitasking on Cerebral Hemodynamics and Task Performance
Authors: Cosenzo Keryl A.
Published: January 2012

The research objective was to evaluate cerebral blood flow velocity's (BFV) sensitivity to performance changes in a multitasking setting and to examine resulting constraints on multitasking. The research used a Transcranial Doppler Sonography (TCD) unit and multitask environment simulation. The tasks represented the diverse nature of the future military environment and included visual tracking, auditory monitoring, and more complex cognitive tasks requiring mental manipulations and memory. Participants completed four tasks simultaneously but with varying priority. BFV and multitask performance were measured. Results showed that BFV changed during training and paralleled a performance change. BFV was not sensitive to changes in task load during multitasking. We did show behavioral consequences to multitasking, specifically when transitioning between tasks. The data suggest that BFV may not be the most direct neurophysiological method for measuring complex cognitive performance; however, the use of this type of portable and relatively low-cost methodology should be pursued further.
Two Methods for Control Task Analysis
Authors: Lamoureux Tab , Sartori Jessica
Published: January 2012

Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA; Vicente, 1999) is a five-step process by which to understand complex and dynamic work systems. We have been employing the first two steps of CWA, Work Domain Analysis (WDA) and Control Task Analysis (CTA) to investigate the development and maintenance of system/environment awareness, typically called ‘picture compilation’. There is little procedural guidance on how to carry out the CTA, and even less discussion of alternative interpretations of the analysis process. This paper describes two different methods of performing CTA that we have successfully employed in the course of our work. The relative strengths and weaknesses of each method are discussed and put into the context of procedural reliability and validity.
A Comparison of Work Domain and Task Analysis for Identifying Information Requirements: A Case Study of Rural Intersection Decision Support Systems
Authors: Laberge Jason , Ward Nicholas , Rakauskas Michael , Creaser Janet
Published: January 2012

Minnesota drivers are over-represented in accidents at rural intersections and many crashes are attributable to drivers accepting unsafe gaps. In this context, intersection decision support (IDS) systems are promising technologies for supporting driver decision-making. A significant activity during IDS development is to determine the information requirements to display to drivers. To be effective, an IDS system must present information that helps drivers successfully negotiate intersections. This paper compares two methods for identifying information requirements: work domain analysis (WDA) and hierarchical task analysis (HTA). Results showed that 58% of the requirements were identified by WDA, 7% by HTA, and 35% by both methods. An analysis of driver errors at intersections during the HTA activity identified that drivers can perceive gaps at intersections in different ways. This important nuance was not captured in the WDA. Therefore, both WDA and HTA are effective methods for identifying information requirements. Discussion focuses on the importance of both WDA and HTA in IDS system development.
Presenting Spatial Information on a Mobile Device: Differences in Workload and Performance
Authors: Nixon Jim , Sharples Sarah , Jackson Mike
Published: January 2012

An experiment was conducted to study differences in workload and performance of participants when navigating a route. Participants used a mobile device to navigate a route in a building. Different types of representation were used: a paper floor plan and three representations presented on a personal digital assistant (PDA). In the PDA based conditions, an overview of the floor plan was presented in a picture viewer. Since the plan was much larger than the PDA screen, participants moved different parts of the plan into view using a stylus. Floor plans were also presented as a sequence of plan fragments on the PDA which were advanced by the user according to location. Results show significantly shorter route completion times for participants using the paper plan compared with the PDA support. Significant differences in workload, effort and mental demand were also found between the types of representation. The paper plan condition elicited the lowest levels of workload and the shortest route completion times. Implications for the design of location-based navigation support are discussed.
Decision Making in Engineering Design Tasks: Do Designers Benefit from Representations of Uncertainty?
Authors: Akhavi F. , Hayes C. C.
Published: January 2012

Engineering design tasks require designers to compare, weigh and choose between many complex alternatives throughout the design processes. The uncertainty in design decisions and the high cost of poor choices has long made decision methods incorporating representations of uncertainty appealing from a theoretical standpoint. Yet, such methods have not been widely adopted in practical settings. This paper describes a study exploring reasons why this is so. The study found that in task of rank ordering a set of design alternatives from best to worst, a decision making method which incorporated a representation of uncertainty produced no better performance than a deterministic one. However, when compared to the informal methods typically followed by designers for rank ordering alternatives, both methods resulted in more consistent rankings for expert designers, but required more time. We will discuss the practical implications these findings may have for use of these methods in practice.
Differential Base Rate Training Influences Detection of Novel Targets in a Complex Visual Inspection Task
Authors: Madhavan Poornima , Gonzalez Cleotilde , Lacson Frank C.
Published: January 2012

We studied the effects that multiple levels of signal probability (known as base rate) have on the transfer of learning in an airline luggage screening task. Participants (n = 33) were presented with three base rates during the acquisition (training) phase: 100%, 50%, or 20%; at transfer, all participants detected novel targets at a base rate of 20%. Performance was measured by hit rates, false alarm rates, sensitivities, and detection times. Results revealed that participants receiving higher base rates during training obtained higher hit rates at transfer compared to participants encountering lower base rates. However, increasing the training base rate also increased the incidence of false alarms, leading to a low overall level of sensitivity during transfer. Relatively higher base rates had mixed effects on response times. These results have implications for improving training modules for individuals in complex visual inspection tasks.
Evaluating a Model of Team Collaboration via Analysis of Team Communications
Authors: Hutchins Susan G. , Bordetsky Alex , Kendall Tony , Garrity Maura
Published: January 2012

A model of team collaboration was developed that emphasizes the macro-cognitive processes entailed in collaboration and includes major processes that underlie this type of communication: (1) individual knowledge building, (2) developing knowledge inter-operability, (3) team shared understanding, and (4) developing team consensus. This paper describes research conducted to empirically validate this model. Team communications that transpired during two complex problem solving situations were coded using cognitive process definitions included in the model. Data was analyzed for three teams that conducted a Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) and four teams that engaged in air-warfare scenarios. MIO scenarios involve a boarding team that boards a suspect ship to search for contraband cargo (e.g. explosives, machinery) and possible terrorist suspects. Air-warfare scenarios involve identifying air contacts in the combat information center of an Aegis ship. The way the teams' behavior on the two scenarios maps to the model of team collaboration is discussed.
Supporting Asynchronous Dialogs in the Communication of Army Operations Orders
Authors: Smith Philip J. , Spencer Amy L.
Published: January 2012

An empirical study was completed to study the use of an asynchronous multimedia communication tool to support dialogs during a joint forces military exercise. Ten captains, majors and colonels from Canada, France, Germany, Israel and the US who participated in the joint forces exercise had the option of using this multimedia communication tool whenever they felt it would help them to communicate information to commanders in other units. Two of the messages consisted of one-way communications. The remaining 13 were asynchronous dialogs. In these messages, the officers:

• Made extensive use of pointing, drawing and embedded written notes • Used these asynchronous dialogs to detect and repair misconceptions that arose from live face-to-face briefings (6/13 dialogs) • Used these asynchronous dialogs to share expertise while developing a plan (13/13 dialogs). On Likert scales (1=strongly disagree; 7=strongly agree), the ratings for usefulness and usability were 6.2 and 6.4, respectively.
Movement Kinematics and their Relationship with Performance in Target Acquisition Task Using a Mouse
Authors: Cheong Yuen-Keen , Shehab Randa L. , Ling Chen
Published: January 2012

Movement kinematics has been shown useful for characterizing the process of aiming movement in target acquisition tasks. There are multiple kinematic measures reported in the literature, but their relationship to eventual performance is not well documented. To determine the relationship between various kinematic measures and movement performance, data were collected from participants aged 21 to 90 years with a wide range of psychomotor ability. When computed across age groups, time to peak velocity (TPV), time to peak acceleration (TPA), and time from peak velocity until the end of movement (TPVEND) were found to correlate with movement performance. However, the relationships diminished when the correlations were computed within age groups (except for TPVEND). More interestingly, despite the extensive report, certain kinematic measures such as peak velocity were found to be uncorrelated with performance. Thus, when performance is the focus, improvement should be made to reduce TPV, TPA, and TPVEND.
Exposure to Ubiquitous Mobile Instructional Technology in a High School Setting: An Observational Study
Authors: Sommerich Carolyn M. , Korkmaz Sahika Vatan
Published: January 2012

This paper describes results of a study of high school juniors and seniors who participated in their school's 24/7 access tablet PC (TPC) program during the program's third year. Primary areas of interest for this study were students' experiences with and attitudes about the TPCs, physical discomfort associated with TPC use, and temporal and task-driven patterns of TPC use. Data were collected via questionnaire. Results showed students' attitudes were generally quite positive towards the TPCs. However, they did not tend to think TPCs had improved their grades, few disagreed that TPCs were a distraction in class, and visual and musculoskeletal discomfort was prevalent. Recognizing the organizational capacity of the TPC was associated with several positive attitudes towards the TPC, including aiding interactions with teachers and feeling more comfortable in class. This type of assessment provides a useful complement to more common assessments of impact of digital technology on academic performance.
The Difficulty of Remotely Negotiating Corners
Authors: Pastel Robert , Champlin Jacob , Harper Matthew , Paul Nathan , Helton William , Schedlbauer Martin , Heines Jesse
Published: January 2012

Remote navigation, popular in computer games and prevalent in areas such as clinical medicine and teleoperations of robots and drones, uses human-computer interfaces for control. Usability studies of remote navigation interfaces require good metrics for evaluating interfaces, assessing users' capabilities, and determining the difficulty of the navigational task. We studied the time proficient users took to navigate virtual hovercrafts through virtual hallways with corners of various widths and discovered that the time to negotiate corners is inversely proportional to corner width. We derive and evaluate two models for the index of difficulty for negotiating corners. Both models fit the data well, with r2 greater than 0.85 for the mean time to negotiate corners verses corner width.
Effects of a Flat Panel Monitor Arm on Comfort, Posture and Preference in an Architectural Practice
Authors: Boothroyd K.M. , Hedge A.
Published: January 2012

The effects of installing a flat panel monitor arm (FPMA) at an architecture firm were investigated. Twenty eight participants were equally divided into test and control groups. Three surveys were conducted: pre-installation and one-month and 3-month post-installation. The web-based survey assessed musculoskeletal discomfort for eleven upper body regions, demographics, workstation utilization and workstation satisfaction. On-site measurements of workstation dimensions were taken and posture was observed using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessments (RULA) method for each survey. Participants reported that the FPMA allowed them to optimally position their screen and a majority said it made it easier to share information with colleagues. Total upper extremity musculoskeletal discomfort and computer vision syndrome symptoms were significantly reduced for the test group. However, no significant differences were found for specific body regions or for RULA scores.
Ten-Print Fingerprint Capture: Effect of Instructional Modes on User Performance
Authors: Theofanos Mary , Stanton Brian , Orandi Shahram , Micheals Ross , Zhang Nien-Fan
Published: January 2012

Despite the increased deployment of biometric technologies in United States government applications, not enough attention is being paid to the human factors that such technologies involve. The use of biometric applications will be unfamiliar to many users, who may neither understand nor be comfortable with the technology. Currently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers are critical in communicating and training users in the acquisition of fingerprints. Since user behavior can affect both the throughput of the system as well as the quality of the captured images, guidelines for developing interactions with biometric applications that increase throughput and image quality would be valuable. This study examines the effect of instructional modes on user performance. Posters were not as effective in providing instructions to users as video or verbal instructions.
Role of Haptic Feedback and Cognitive Load in Surgical Skill Acquisition
Authors: Zhou M. , Jones D.B. , Schwaitzberg S.D. , Cao C.G.L.
Published: January 2012

Teaching novice surgeons to attend to subtle and often misleading haptic cues in minimally invasive surgery can be challenging. Haptic cues may even be distracting during initial skill acquisition stage. A controlled experiment with thirty surgical residents and attendings was conducted to test the hypothesis that haptic feedback is more useful to the expert than novice surgeon because of the difference in spare cognitive capacity resulting from experience. In general, surgeons cannot perform a cognitively demanding task and laparoscopic surgery at the same time. Haptic feedback not only enhances performance, but counters the effect of cognitive loading, especially in accuracy of task performance. Performance is faster with more experience. With more spare cognitive capacity available, experienced surgeons can better take advantage of haptic feedback to aid their performance.
Error Producing Conditions in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Drews F. A. , Musters A. , Markham B. , Samore M. H.
Published: January 2012

Up to 98,000 patients die annually in U.S. hospitals due to human error. One of the areas where error occurs frequently is the Intensive Care Unit. Despite the impact of error, there is very little work that attempts to identify the human factors contributors to error in the ICU. The current study used the framework of error producing conditions to identify factors that are contributing to error. By modifying the method of assessing error producing conditions we were able to identify the extent to which individual conditions contribute to the prevalence of error. Also, we were able to identify the contribution certain devices have in the prevalence of error. Most importantly, the most critical devices for patient care were also identified as the ones that were rated the highest in their prevalence of error producing conditions and potential for hazard. Thus, developing medical devices that are reducing the device related potential for patient harm has to be a main goal for future patient safety work. This is a challenge sound human factors engineering should answer.
Towards a Functional Model of Quality Improvement Collaboratives
Authors: Patterson Emily S. , Schweikhart Sharon , Anders Shilo , Brungs Suzanne , Render Marta L.
Published: January 2012

Quality improvement collaboratives (QIC) are widely used for seeking improvements in healthcare quality and safety. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of QICs is variable. In order to support research that identifies critical elements in running a successful collaborative, we fill a conceptual gap by moving towards a functional model of QICs. Specifically, we define how QICs are distinct from traditional quality improvement teams, conceptualize how primary and secondary functions are accomplished in a means-ends framework, and illustrate how the functions are dynamically accomplished in a series of meetings by nested teams within a collaborative. Finally, we discuss distinctions among QICs.
External Support for Collaborative Medication Planning by Patients and Providers
Authors: Morrow Daniel , Raquel Liza , Schriver Angela , Redenbo Seth , Rozovski David
Published: January 2012

Older adults' medication nonadherence is an important patient safety issue. Adherence depends on plans that instantiate treatment guidelines in the context of patients' daily lives, but the ability to create successful plans is often undercut by poor collaboration between providers and patients. We investigated whether external aids can support the provider/patient collaboration needed to create effective plans for taking multiple medications. We tested whether an external aid that was designed to reduce cognitive load associated with collaborative problem solving (“medtable”) was more effective than an unstructured aid (blank paper) in a simulated patient/provider collaboration task. Findings suggested that pairs of older adults worked together more efficiently to create accurate schedules when using the medtable.
Implementation of Electronic Systems for Prescribing and Delivering Medication in Hospitals: Issues in Real Practice
Authors: Gallimore Jennie J. , Wong Peter K.
Published: January 2012

Electronic systems are being purchased by hospitals to improve procuring, prescribing, dispensing, administering medications and patient monitoring processes. The purpose of this paper is to describe issues related to implementation of computer technologies to support the pharmaceutical process in a real hospital setting. Examining the issues can help to improve processes and systems and provides an indication where hospital resources may need to be directed to solve problems of immediate concern. Future research needs for improving electronic systems are presented.
Evaluating Systematic Error Predictions in a Routine Procedural Task
Authors: Tsai Jennifer , Byrne Michael D.
Published: January 2012

Systematic errors in routine procedural tasks present an important problem for psychologists who study interactions between humans and technological systems. This paper details an experiment designed to examine systematic error patterns and evaluate error predictions made by a notable psychological theory and industry-standard usability tools when performing multiple routine procedural tasks on a single highly visual interface. Participants completed three dynamic, computer-based routine procedural tasks involving execution of multiple steps. Differences were found in error frequencies at particular steps between the three tasks, a result that is consistent with predictions derived from Altmann and Trafton's (2002) activation-based model of memory for goals, but contrary to those of usability guidelines. Error patterns were reminiscent of several familiar types of systematic error.
The Importance of Context in the Design of Collaborative Media
Authors: Xu Yichen , Resnick Marc L.
Published: January 2012

Collaborative media are the most rapidly expanding form of communication in the business and user domains. Channels such as blogs, social networks, and file sharing sites present exciting opportunities for satisfying consumers' needs for information, entertainment, and commerce. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of interface design and context of use on performance and preference with the most common collaborative media channel, the web log. Design manipulations modified the amount of information presented on each page in two orthogonal ways to vary the amount of navigation required to access desired content. Contextual manipulations modified the subject domain of the content, the specificity of the tasks that users were assigned, and the time pressure placed on the user to browse the content. The effects of these manipulations were assessed by measuring the time users spent navigating the site and several measures of performance in an immediate recall test. All of the manipulations affected user performance in a variety of ways. Insights for the design of collaborative media are provided.
Aggregation of Consumer Ratings of Online Products: Applying Social Choice Theory to Investigate the Cordorcet Efficiency of Mean Rule
Authors: Zheng Xianjun Sam
Published: January 2012

Mean rule has been popularly used to aggregate consumer ratings of online products. This study applied social choice theory to evaluate the Condorcet efficiency of the mean rule, and to investigate the effect of sample size (number of voters) on the agreement or disagreement between the mean and majority rules. The American National Election Survey data (1968) were used, where three candidates competed for the presidency, and the numerical thermometer scores were provided for each candidate. Random sampling data with varied sample sizes were drew from the survey, and then were aggregated according to the majority rule, the mean rule, and other social choice rules. The results show that the sample winner of the mean rule agrees with the sample majority winner very well; as sample size increases, the sample mean rule even converges faster to the correct population majority winner and ordering than does the sample majority rule. The implications for using aggregation rules for online product rating were also discussed.
A Comparison of Computer Workstation Adjustments Made by Users Following Web-Based Instructions and Those of an Ergonomics Professional
Authors: Splittstoesser Riley E. , Korkmaz Sahika V. , Sommerich Carolyn S. , Lavender Steven A.
Published: January 2012

Computer use and posture has been linked to musculoskeletal disorders. Web-based tools offer a way for users in large organizations to perform an initial assessment and routine adjustment of their workstations, allowing the ergonomist to focus on more detailed cases. Twelve male and eight female subjects used a web-based tool to adjust two standard workstations. The tool presented information using text, animation and color coding to accommodate as many learning styles as possible. Afterwards, an ergonomist, blinded to the adjustments made previously, adjusted each workstation for the subject. Subject adjustments agreed with the ergonomist's for chair height, seat pan depth, armrest height, monitor depth and keyboard tray height with moderate correlation values and mean errors of less than 1.35 cm. The results indicate computer users are able to adjust their own workstations following this type of web-based instruction.
Arm Movements and Slip Severity
Authors: Cham Rakié , Sandrian Peter N
Published: January 2012

Slip-initiated falls often cause occupational injuries and deaths, especially in older workers. Previous slips and falls research has to a large extent focused on lower extremity reactions, yet arm responses are often part of postural reactions to such perturbations. It is unclear if arm responses play a role in balance recovery, are modulated by the severity of the postural perturbation and/or are a reflex-type response, e.g. reaching for external body support. In this study, the relationship between slip severity and shoulder biomechanics was examined. Subjects (17 younger and 12 older adults) were exposed to two conditions: (1) baseline dry (subjects knew the floor was dry), and (2) unexpected slip (a diluted glycerol solution was spread on the floor to slip the leading/left foot). Bilateral sagittal plane kinematics and kinetics were derived. Slip severity was quantified using a measure of slip hazardousness based on the peak slip velocity (PSV) measured at the heel of the slipping foot. Specifically, if PSV ≥ 1 m/s, then the slip was classified as hazardous. Although arm responses were bilateral, only the biomechanics of the shoulder ipsilateral to the slipping foot, specifically moment generation rate, were affected by slip hazardousness. Specifically, a hazardous slip was associated with an extensor moment at the shoulder ipsilateral to the slipping foot, whereas a non-hazardous slip was associated with a flexor moment. Shoulder responses were triggered later than the hip and knee response based on moment onset data. Finally, overall, older adults appeared to generate a greater extensor moment at the shoulder compared to the response seen in the younger group of participants. In conclusion, evidence presented in this study implies that (1) arm responses play a role in balance recovery but also may be protective in nature when experiencing a severe slip, (2) a legs-to-arms response sequence appears to drive the reaction to a slip, and (3) older adults may use their arms as a protective strategy to a greater extent than their younger counterparts.
Organizational Predictors of a Successful Implementation of an Ergonomic Training Program
Authors: Korunka Christian , Dudak Elisabeth , Molnar Martina , Hoonakker Peter
Published: January 2012

Job, organizational and individual predictors of a successful implementation of an ergonomic training program are evaluated in a single case study. 116 employees in a large production company underwent a comprehensive ergonomic training. Transfer of the training into practice was measured by the number of ergonomic improvements which were realized in the company. Job, organizational and individual variables explained 35% of the variance of the training transfer. Psycho-social resistance attitudes and missing management support were found to be the most important inhibitors of implementation success.
Redesigning a Small Car Segment Vehicle Interior: A Case Study Focusing on Driver Information
Authors: Serafin Colleen , Paskaramoorthy Rebecca
Published: January 2012

In the automotive industry, a significant amount of resources are invested in demonstration vehicles that showcase innovative, emerging technologies. The process undertaken to build a demonstration vehicle is quite extensive, bringing together many disciplines within an organization as well as partners and suppliers from other industries. In this paper, the current process is described in detail, using a case study as an example. The areas of the demonstration vehicle that are most affected by human factors, namely the driver information areas (e.g., the center stack systems and instrument cluster), are the focus of this paper.