bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Human Machine Interface Design Factors on Situation Awareness and Task Performance
Authors: Bowden James R. , Rusnock Christina F.
Published: October 2015

In centralized process control facilities, system performance likely hinges on effective interface design, because these interfaces are typically the only connection operators have with the systems they are managing. Decisions regarding interface design can be influenced by a variety of factors from user centered design principles to regulatory guidelines. While such guidance adds value to interface design, it does not reveal the underlying attributes that result in increased operator situation awareness and task performance. Current research focuses on design heuristics–neglecting empirical evaluations of interface design type attributes. The purpose of this research effort was to explore the effects on situation awareness and task performance for two display design attributes: information presentation (numeric versus graphic) and information arrangement (functionally grouped versus spatially mapped). Findings show negligible differences amongst these attributes for a conventional multi-process monitoring task. However, data trends toward graphic depictions arranged in a functionally grouped manner cannot be discounted as potentially being beneficial toward situation awareness and task performance.
Observers’ Judgments of the Effects of Glare on their Visual Acuity
Authors: Sewall Ashley A. Stafford , Borzendowski Stephanie A. Whetsel , Tyrrell Richard A. , Stephens Benjamin R. , Rosopa Patrick J. , Fekety Drea K.
Published: October 2015

The design of headlamps must balance two conflicting goals: providing sufficient forward illumination to assure adequate visibility while not being a glare source for other road users. By projecting illumination downward onto the nearer roadway, low beam headlamps emphasize the latter goal at the expense of the former. Yet, the illumination provided by low beams is insufficient to assure safety. When drivers use high beam headlamps their ability to see and respond to hazards improves substantially. While it is common for drivers to report that they have been “blinded” by oncoming headlights, it is unclear whether observers can accurately judge when they are visually disabled by glare.

This experiment sought to use lab-based psychophysical methods to quantify the accuracy with which observers can judge when a glare source reduces their visual acuity. Seventeen observers estimated their disability glare threshold - the luminance of a glare source that would be just sufficient to impair their ability to discern the orientation of a Landolt C (high and low contrast and of varying sizes). These estimated disability glare thresholds were compared to the participant’s actual disability glare thresholds.

Across all stimuli, participants consistently underestimated their ability to recognize the Landolt C stimuli through the veiling luminance of the glare source. On average, estimates of glare threshold were 88% lower than actual glare threshold intensities. Additionally, participants’ judgments were significantly affected by the size of the stimulus but not stimulus contrast.

These results confirm that observers can exaggerate the debilitating effects of glare. This work may be useful in understanding why typical drivers may under use their high beam headlamps. A driver that overestimates the extent to which light from their own headlamps visually disables other road users may choose not to use these higher intensity headlamps, despite the significant visibility benefits provided by high beam headlamps. As long as drivers have the ability to decide when the use of high beams is appropriate, it seems worthwhile to understand the factors that influence their usage of high beams and, simultaneously, to explore ways to encourage appropriate reliance on high beams.
Tele-Operating USAR Robots
Authors: Armstrong Miriam E. , Jones Keith S. , Schmidlin Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2015

Successful tele-operation in Urban Search and Rescue depends on operators’ perceptual judgment accuracy (e.g., judging whether a robot can pass through an opening) and driving performance (e.g., driving the robot through an opening without collision). Previous research (Jones, Johnson, & Schmidlin, 2011; Schmidlin, 2014) tested operators’ perceptual judgments when tele-operating through apertures of varying widths. The current study is an exploratory reanalysis of the driving performance data collected in Jones et al. (2011) and Schmidlin (2014). Driving performance was defined as the proportion of times an operator passed through an aperture without colliding with the aperture. As aperture size increased, the proportion of apertures passed increased in a predictable quadratic pattern. Proportion passed scores were significantly higher at the end of the experiments, after approximately 1 hr of practice, than at the beginning of the experiments. We could not determine whether 1 hr of practice was sufficient for operators to reach maximum driving performance.
The Moneyball Problem
Authors: Gray Rob
Published: October 2015

Athletes in most sports now have access to an abundance of information about the situational tendencies of their opponent(s) but it is currently unclear how effectively this information can be used or how to best present it. Three different methods for presenting situational information about a baseball pitcher were compared for college baseball players hitting in a batting simulator: Build-Up (shown cumulative pitch distributions), Full (shown complete distributions) and Control (shown no distributions). Initially, both the Build-Up and Full groups had significantly higher batting averages than the control group, however, the Full group had significantly lower batting performance when the pitcher was changed. Providing situational probability information gives a significant advantage to a batter, however, there is a trade-off (between short-term effectiveness and negative transfer) which depends on how the information is presented.
The Team Workload Questionnaire (TWLQ)
Authors: Sellers James , Helton William S. , Näswall Katarina , Funke Gregory J. , Knott Benjamin A.
Published: October 2015

In the present paper we tested the utility of Team Workload Questionnaire (TWLQ) in a simulated uninhabited vehicle team (dyad) task. Despite extensive workload studies, little research has been conducted on the workload experienced by teams. The TWLQ measures three factors of team workload: Task Workload, Team Workload, and Task-Team Balancing. In the present study we found Task-Team Balancing significantly declined with increasing team experience and appears correlated with team cohesion. The TWLQ may be a useful subjective measure that can be used to assess the workload demand in team tasks. It provides researchers with a tool to advance the understating of team workload and gives practitioners the means to assess the workload demands of team tasks.
A Comparison between a Touchpad-Controlled High Forward Head-down Display (HF HDD) and a Touchscreen-Controlled Head-down Display (HDD) for In-Vehicle Secondary Tasks
Authors: Glaser Yi G. , Glaser Daniel S.
Published: October 2015

This study compared a touchpad-controlled High Forward Head-down Display (HF-HDD) and a conventional touchscreen Head-down Display (HDD) In-vehicle infotainment system (IVIS). These two systems differ from each other on two design factors. First, the HF-HDD has a shorter visual scanning distance between the forward road scene and the display. Second, the HF-HDD is remotely controlled by a touchpad in locations where the input device is more manually accessible. It has been argued, however, that such an indirect display-control system is less intuitive than the touchscreen HDD that is a direct display-control system. Seventeen users under the age of 35 performed secondary tasks using the HF-HDD with the touchpad and the touchscreen HDD while driving. The results showed that the HF-HDD with a touchpad was associated with more positive driver feedback and better secondary task performance than the touchscreen HDD, although, no difference was found in driving performance.
Determining the Effectiveness of Visualization Techniques for Representing Intrusion Detection System Log Files
Authors: Liggett Kristen K. , Thomas Gina F.
Published: October 2015

After several knowledge elicitation activities with intrusion detection system analysts, two different techniques were used to generate visualizations that best portrayed the most important information relevant to a cyber security task. These two visualization techniques (parallel coordinates and scatter plots) were then compared for their effectiveness in portraying potential attack patterns to novices. Both visualization types were varied by levels of distortion and complexity to determine their robustness. A total of 44 volunteers participated in the study. Results showed that participants experienced quicker response times for all distortion and complexity levels when viewing the scatter plots. Accuracy results were mixed. Lessons learned and future research ideas are discussed.
A Wandering Mind Cannot Resolve Conflicts in Displayed Information
Authors: Choi HeeSun , Nam Chang S. , Feng Jing
Published: October 2015

Human minds often wander around while performing a task. When the mind wanders, attention drifts away from task-relevant perceptual information, leading to deteriorated performance on the task at hand. The current study aims to examine how mind-wandering is associated with different aspects of attentional functions that are critical for perceptual processing of displayed information. Participants completed the Attention Network Task that assessed efficiencies of alerting, orienting, and executive functions of attention. During this task, participants reported their state of mind (focusing on the task or mind- wandering). The results showed that mind-wandering was particularly associated with impairments on executive function, which suggests that an ability to resolve conflicts in displayed information can be impaired when a mind wanders. Our findings suggest that, in work environment where mind-wandering is more likely to occur, tasks requiring conflict resolution in displayed information may be significantly impacted. Mechanisms of mind-wandering and implications in practical settings were discussed.
Simulator Sickness and the Oculus Rift
Authors: Serge Stephen R. , Moss Jason D.
Published: October 2015

The use of a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) head-mounted display (HMD) and its effects on simulator sickness (SS) was investigated in this preliminary study. Participants performed a navigation task and an observational task. Both of the tasks allowed participants to freely view the 360 degree dynamic three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality environment (VRE). We hypothesized that SS would increase over time participating in the VRE and that SS would be greater in the observational task as compared to the navigation task. SS ratings did increase over time; however, SS did not differ between the observational and navigation task. These findings suggested that SS is still a relevant factor to consider with COTS 3D HMD use.
Effects of Level of Control on Simulator Sickness Using a Virtual Reality Head Mounted Device
Authors: Merta Michael , Kelling Nicholas
Published: October 2015

Virtual Reality (VR) devices have remained primarily within the medical and military field for occupational training with varying success while personal VR usage for entertainment has been relatively stagnant. This trend is expected to change with VR head mounted devices (HMD) being targeted by several tech businesses such as Facebook and Samsung. The current study focuses on three different types of control levels: high, medium, and low. Each of these is categorized based on the amount of interactivity allowed within the VR application. Participants (n=12) took part in a within-subjects experiment where they used three programs and reported feelings of simulation induced motion sickness, or simulation sickness, for each one. Results identified significant differences between the programs. Factors related to VR accommodation are discussed.
The role of age and postural stability for visually induced motion sickness in a simulated driving task
Authors: Keshavarz Behrang , Novak Alison C. , Hettinger Lawrence J. , Stoffregen Thomas A. , Campos Jennifer L.
Published: October 2015

Background:

Visually-induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a common sensation using driving simulators, typically characterized by pallor, cold sweat, fatigue, dizziness, and/or nausea. Postural instability resulting from visual motion inputs has been discussed as a potential cause of VIMS. Interestingly, older adults are not only known to have reduced postural stability compared to younger adults, they have also been shown to be more susceptible to VIMS. The present study aimed to evaluate whether VIMS can be reduced through passive restraint, whether age affects VIMS, and how these factors interact.

Methods:

Twenty-one younger and 16 older adults participated in two simulated driving sessions for up to 25 minutes each using a console video game. The participant’s upper body was either restrained or unrestrained. In the restrained condition, participants’ torso and head were fixed to the backrest of the seat using elastic straps. In the unrestrained condition, the backrest of the seat was removed and participants could move freely during driving. The order of sessions was counterbalanced. VIMS was measured using the Fast Motion Sickness Scale and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. Postural sway was measured for 60 s with eyes closed before and after driving using a force plate.

Results:

During the unrestrained condition, 44% of older and 57% of younger adults reported sickness. For these participants, passive restraint resulted in a significant reduction in VIMS ( p = .002), particularly in older adults. In general, older adults did not report more VIMS than younger adults. With respect to postural control, older participants showed significantly more sway than younger adults both before and after the driving task. No group differences in postural sway showed between sick and non-sick participants. However, we found moderate to high positive correlations between the severity of VIMS and the amount of postural sway, indicating that stronger VIMS was accompanied by more postural sway.

Discussion:

Our findings indicate that passive restraint can be an efficient method to reduce (but not fully eliminate) VIMS during a driving task in users who experience sickness. Specifically older adults appear to benefit from passive restraint to reduce VIMS. Positive correlations between VIMS and postural stability support the assumption that postural control is involved to some degree in the occurrence of VIMS.

Conclusion:

Our results indicate that supporting postural stability can help to reduce the occurrence of VIMS, particularly in older adults. These findings have implications for the design and use of driving simulators and other virtual environments that bear the potential to create VIMS.
Simulated Driving Environment Impacts Mind Wandering
Authors: Geden Michael , Feng Jing
Published: October 2015

Mind wandering, when attention is internally engaged on task-unrelated thoughts, is potentially hazardous for driving. Understanding the factors that influence the frequency of mind wandering during driving is important, but remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of perceptual load on the rate and cost of mind wandering during driving. Perceptual load was varied in simulated driving by controlling the amount of presentation of traffic, intersections and buildings along the drive. We found a higher frequency of mind wandering in the lower perceptual load condition when a plain drive with no traffic, intersections or buildings were presented. Impacts of mind wandering on driving were found in reaction time, with task-unrelated thought having a longer time to respond.
Semi-Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Clark Hallie , Feng Jing
Published: October 2015

Human factors elements are critical to the success of autonomous vehicle technology. These human factors elements can include understanding how drivers adopt and interact with this technology, identifying the challenges that a driver may face during the driver-vehicle interaction, and considering these challenges in the design of the driver-vehicle interface. Previous analyses suggested that take-over – when an individual regains control of the vehicle – is one driving period that could raise critical safety concerns. This on-going study aims to observe how drivers perform during the critical take-over period. In addition, this study also explores the effectiveness of two warning to take-over intervals (warning given 7.5 seconds or 4.5 seconds before take-over). Some trends in the preliminary results are emerging; particularly a possible improved performance over three sections of drives (4 take-overs in each section). Findings and future directions are discussed.
Individual Differences, Trust, and Vehicle Autonomy
Authors: Schaefer Kristin E. , Scribner David R.
Published: October 2015

Automotive technology has evolved over the last century to accommodate various levels of vehicle autonomy in order to advance safety, enhance comfort, and to mitigate human error. The result has culminated in the development of a robotic or self-driving passenger vehicle. Yet, there is still much to understand with respect to the changing human-vehicle dynamic in order to develop effective, efficient, and trusted autonomous passenger vehicles. This work presents a theoretical review on the changing dynamic of the human-vehicle system, specifically with a focus on individual differences related to trust and performance. A pilot study is reported to illustrate the importance of the human to the development and calibration of trust within the human-vehicle cooperative relationship.
Sit, Down, Stay! The Comparison of Virtual, Robotic, and Live Entities for Human-Animal and Human-Technology Interactions
Authors: Lum Heather C. , Waldfogle Grace E. , Bowser Nicholas J. , Greatbatch Richard L.
Published: October 2015

The advancement of technology has made an immense impact on our society today, explicitly using games as a teaching and training tool. In the current study, researchers examined the perceptual differences between a live, video game, and robotic pet. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three entities and asked to interact with the entity in two different scenarios; free-play and specific training commands. Researchers measured the perceived workload differences for each condition. There are individual differences in perceived mental demand, temporal demand, and performance across the three entity types. The result of this research focuses on comparing individual differences and how they can contribute to or hinder learning and interaction in a live, game based, or robotics scenario. This has important implications for the domain of pet training as well as human-animal and human-technology interactions as a whole.
If a Robot did “The Robot,” would it still be called “The Robot” or just Dancing? Perceptual and Social Factors in Human-Robot Interactions
Authors: Warta Samantha F.
Published: October 2015

One day in the future, robots will become a normal feature of everyday life and effective human-robotic partnerships will be important. The purpose of the present study was to identify the impact certain social design elements have on likability and fear in human-robot interactions through examination of human-like feminine, human-like masculine, human-like gender-neutral, and machine-like robots. The current study examined college students at a small private university. Analyses revealed that robot appearance did influence likability, with the human-like gender-neutral robot liked most by participants. Robot appearance also played a role in shaping evaluations of fear, with the human-like feminine robot feared more than the human-like gender-neutral and machine-like robots, but no more than the human-like masculine robot. The discussion centers on the importance of studying likability and fear in the context of HRI.
Effects of Robotic Social Cues on Interpersonal Attributions and Assessments of Robot Interaction Behaviors
Authors: Wiltshire Travis J. , Lobato Emilio J. C. , Garcia David R. , Fiore Stephen M. , Jentsch Florian G. , Huang Wesley H. , Axelrod Benjamin
Published: October 2015

We discuss an experiment investigating the influence of social cues expressed by a robot on human attributions of interpersonal characteristics towards a robot and assessments of its interaction behaviors. During a hallway navigation scenario, participants were exposed to varying expressions of proxemic behavior and gaze cues over repeated interactions with a robot. Analysis of participant perceptions of the robot’s personality revealed that cues indicative of socially mindful behavior expressed by the robot promote positive interpersonal attributions and perceptions of safe robot behavior. Results of the present study contribute to the scholarly discussion on robotic design for encouraging natural and effective interactions between humans and robots.
The Effects of Information Level on Human-Agent Interaction for Route Planning
Authors: Wright Julia L. , Chen Jessie Y.C. , Barnes Michael J. , Boyce Michael W.
Published: October 2015

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of level of information on human operators’ route selection decisions. Experiment 1 examined how information about resource usage/requirements affected route selection decisions for a remotely based supervisor guiding a dismounted soldier unit through an urban environment. Experiment 2 increased the level of information from Experiment 1 by adding a robotic asset to the unit and providing its resource usage/requirements. Decision time increased as the level of information increased and increased again with the addition of the robotic asset. In addition, as the level of information increased, preference for specific information sources began to vary. In the condition with the greatest level of information available, participants displayed no clear consensus as to preferred information source, with many indicating they relied upon sources that were unsuitable for successful mission completion. Future research could investigate further into the complexity of appropriate display for user interfaces involving robotic assets.
Using the ShadowBox™ Method to Detect the ‘Investigator’ and ‘Proceduralist’ Mindsets in Frontline Social Workers
Authors: Newsome Emily , Wright Corinne , Klein Gary , Flory Jan , Baker Amy
Published: October 2015

This paper describes using a modified version of the ShadowBox training method for capturing cognitive characteristics of expertise in the Child Protective Services (CPS) field. Researchers developed realistic CPS scenarios and performed a content analysis on participants’ qualitative responses to decisions, leading to the identification of the characteristics of the Investigator and Proceduralist mindsets. We then compared Investigative preferences between groups categorized based on Department Chiefs’ perceptions of expertise to compare two models of CPS expertise. Results indicated a mismatch in the two models, potentially due to the general over-emphasis of rules and procedures in CPS organizations. Future research will use the cognitive characteristics of expertise identified in this study to develop a training program for new and novice frontline social workers.
Human Factors Guidelines for Developing Collaborative Intelligence Analysis Technologies
Authors: McNeese Nathan J. , Cooke Nancy J. , Buchanan Verica
Published: October 2015

Intelligence analysis is changing in its the breadth and scope, bringing forth many new problems and challenges. Problems are increasing in volume, scope, and context. In response to changes, new technologies and the utilization of teams to conduct analysis have become imperative. Yet, though both are individually perceived as important, less consideration is given to collaborative technologies in intelligence analysis. More specifically, there is limited understanding of how to develop and design them in a meaningful and impactful way for the analysts. In this paper, through a review of the literature, our own work, and anecdotal reports from subject matter experts, we outline multiple human factors guidelines that are beneficial in studying and designing collaborative intelligence analysis technologies and tools. We conclude by highlighting multiple challenges specific to developing collaborative technologies in intelligence analysis.
Size, complexity, and organization
Authors: Monfort Samuel S. , de Visser Ewart J. , Denton Daniel , Cohen Marvin
Published: October 2015

Bayesian networks and influence diagrams are powerful methods for modeling complex relationships between variables, but the usefulness of these networks is dependent on the way that an analyst arranges the model’s structure. Model misspecification is perhaps most likely to occur when the model starts to become large or the relationships complex. The current study was designed to empirically evaluate three qualities of influence diagrams that might be potential sources of confusion for model authors and consumers. We found that the size of the network was the greatest predictor of user confusion and error, followed by the complexity of the causal chains within it, followed by the length of those causal chains. Furthermore, we found that network size exacerbates the effects of the other factors. These data suggest that analysts seeking to minimize user error within Bayesian networks should pay special attention to the size of their networks.
Operator-Centered Task Analysis
Authors: Meusel Chase , Kelly Norene , Gilbert Stephen , Dorneich Michael , Gilmore Brian , Newendorp Bruce
Published: October 2015

The practice of human factors in agriculture presents numerous challenges for the researcher. Difficulties include measuring operator behaviors in the agricultural field as well as identifying individual tasks, order of tasks, length of tasks, and operator motivation for each task. To confidently build a baseline for how operators use and appropriate their resources during the planting agricultural season, a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods were combined to create OCTA (operator-centered task analysis), a hybrid methodology to observe, document, explain, and potentially predict operator behaviors in the field. The OCTA model draws from four main methodologies: observation, interview, behavioral and interview coding, and task analysis. This work describes the development and implementation of OCTA, and how to replicate its use. While the OCTA methodology was developed in an agricultural context, it can be generalized for use with nearly any observable human-machine interaction system.
Detecting Structure in Activity Sequences
Authors: Hammack Taleri , Flach John , Houpt Joseph
Published: October 2015

Can humans discriminate whether strings of events (e.g., shooting success in basketball) were generated by a random or constrained process (e.g., hot and cold streaks)? Conventional wisdom suggests that humans are not good at this discrimination. Following from Cooper, Hammack, Lemasters, and Flach (2014), a series of Monte Carlo simulations and an empirical experiment examined the abilities of both humans and statistical tests (Wald-Wolfowitz Runs Test and 1/f) to detect specific constraints that are representative of plausible factors that might influence the performance of athletes (e.g., learning, non-stationary task constraints). Using a performance/success dependent learning constraint that was calibrated to reflect shooting percentages representative of shooting in NBA games, we found that the conventional null hypothesis tests were unable to detect this constraint as being significantly different from random. Interestingly however, the analysis of human performance showed that people were able to make this discrimination reliably better than chance. Hence, people may also be able to detect patterned/constrained processes in a real-world setting (e.g., streaks in basketball performance), thus supporting the belief in the hot hand.
Addressing Complex Decision-Making for Unmanned Aerial System Sensor Operators
Authors: Kaste Katherine P. , Fok Audrey W. , Pagan Jennifer
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this presentation is to outline a current Office of Naval Research (ONR) Basic Research Challenge (BRC) effort investigating the information complexity Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) Sensor Operators (SOs) must endure in order to effectively make decisions. UASs are increasingly becoming critical systems within the Department of Defense as their capabilities have been deemed highly successful. However, certain aspects of UASs cause their operations to be highly complex for the human in the loop. Not only do they lack the physical sensations from the aircraft that manned operators receive, but they must translate mass amounts of disparate data into actionable information. Furthermore, current operations require a team of individuals to operate a UAS, however as technology develops there is an emerging requirement for one operator to control multiple systems, or adopt a one-to-many approach. This poster will present the support and theories behind the effort to address these issues and will discuss future application.
Using Self-Determination Theory to Examine Differences in Motvation and Engagement in Video Gamers
Authors: Dewar Alexis R. , Kapalo Katelynn A. , Rupp Michael A. , Szalma James L.
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this study is to extend the work on video gamers by better understanding some of the motivational underpinnings of video gameplay. To do this, we have incorporated nontraditional measures of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, into a study of hardcore and casual video gamer behavior. Additionally, we incorporated an exploratory variable, meaningfulness, which could theoretically be involved in video game engagement. Two hundred and forty-eight undergraduate students at a large university completed an inventory of video game usage and behavior, as well as several surveys related to motivation. Overall, while there were significant correlations between these measures of motivation, hardcore and casual gamers did not differ in terms of motivation to play. Interestingly, there was a significant difference between female and male gamers in terms of their need for autonomy, but not on any other measures. The results of this research will be discussed in greater detail.
Individual Differences in Multitasking Performance
Authors: Salomon Kathryn A. , Ferraro F. Richard , Petros Thomas , Bernhardt Kyle , Rhyner Katlin
Published: October 2015

The present study examined whether personality characteristics and general intelligence predict multitasking performance. The Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II was used to assess multitasking performance. Personality factors included the Big Five, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The results indicated scores on general intelligence predict performance on the tracking task of the Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II, where higher scores of general intelligence predicted improved tracking performance. Additionally, conscientiousness and neuroticism were found to predict worsened performance on the resource management task of the Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II. Furthermore, agreeableness was found to predict perceived workload on the mental demand subscale of the Workload Rating Scale.
Generational Differences in Adoption and Use of Information and Communications Technology
Authors: Lee Chaiwoo , Coughlin Joseph F.
Published: October 2015

The increase in adoption and use of information and communications technology (ICT) by older adults calls for a more detailed understanding of their perceptions, experiences and decisions. Based on responses from a large-scale survey, this study investigates older adults’ adoption and use of two ICT examples – mobile phones and PCs. Detailed open-ended responses from a national sample are quantitatively coded and analyzed with frequency analysis. The results of this study suggest that older adults’ decisions on adoption and use of ICT are affected by multiple factors, including assessment of value, relevance with past experiences, compatibility with lifestyle, and affordability. Furthermore, findings from a comparative analysis suggest that perceived importance and effects of various adoption factors are different between generations, as well as between technology types and between stages of adoption – purchase, initial use and continued use. A summary of research and design implications is presented along with a discussion of the results.
User Compliance Rates of a Wrist-Worn Eating Activity Monitor
Authors: Wilson Michael L. , Kinsella Amelia J. , Muth Eric R.
Published: October 2015

New tools have been developed to automate the study of human eating behavior. This research examined three aspects of a participant’s usage habits of a new energy intake monitoring tool, the Bite Counter. Research questions pertaining to immediate and long term compliance of the device and adherence to the alarm were examined based on data collected from 30 female participants. Participants adapted to using the device quite easily. 80% were compliant immediately from the start of use, increasing to 90% of participants within the first two weeks of the study. However, 23% of participants never attained or failed to maintain compliance standards with the Bite Counter. Finally, compliant participants stopped eating when the Bite Counter alarm sounded approximately 69% of the time. These findings show that the Bite Counter is easily adopted and functionally easy to operate for novice users.
The Effect of Vigil Length on Stress and Cognitive Fatigue
Authors: Michaelis Jessica R. , Rupp Michael A. , Montalvo Fernando , McConnell Daniel S. , Smither Janan A.
Published: October 2015

Finding effective ways to mitigate the effects of cognitive fatigue is important especially for high risk occupations. Previous work may have been affected by ceiling effects as it did not attempt to induce stress and fatigue prior to treatment. Therefore, establishing a method to induce stress and cognitive fatigue quickly and effectively in laboratory settings would be useful. Vigilance tasks are a validated method to induce perceived stress and task performance errors, but can be lengthy. We compared an abbreviated vigilance task at two vigil lengths (15-minute & 30-minute) against a 15-minute quiet break as a control, while measuring per-ceived stress, mood, anxiety, and objective performance on a cognitive task before and after each condition. Our results showed the vigilance tasks can induce stress and cognitive fatigue and show promise as a pre-study measure to reduce ceiling effects in stress and fatigue restoration studies.
Fidelity Requirements for Effective Live-Virtual-Constructive Training of Navy F/A-18 Pilots
Authors: Sherwood Sarah , Neville Kelly , Sonnenfeld Nathan , Mooney John “Bam Bam” , Walwanis Melissa , Bolton Amy
Published: October 2015

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) training program seeks to safely integrate virtual tracks (display symbols that represent aircraft flown by pilots in simulators) and constructive tracks (symbols that represent computer-generated aircraft) into live F/A-18 E/F/G radar and cockpit sensor system displays to reduce resource demands and support new capability requirements in air combat training. In a preceding effort, the researchers identified a number of aircrew concerns about the design of LVC training technology and its potential effects on air combat training quality and realism. Based on these findings, the researchers conducted an exploratory survey to better establish and gauge LVC fidelity requirements. Thirty air combat training professionals completed the survey. The survey results, presented herein, will be used to guide LVC engineering decision-making and design trade-offs.
Characteristics Impacting Teamwork and Performance for Space Operations
Authors: Gonzalez Kathy , Mosier Kathleen L. , Lam Jessica , Fischer Ute
Published: October 2015

Efficient teamwork and communication between and within teams in space flight is essential to successful task performance and avoidance of disastrous errors. Additionally, when crews go on missions beyond Low Earth Orbit, communication between remote team members becomes asynchronous due to transmission delays, which makes it even more difficult to communicate and collaborate effectively. Exploring the individual and group factors that affect how teams work together is essential to predict successful performance on missions. As part of a larger study, we investigated whether conflict management style and leadership style were significantly related to group performance, group cohesion and efficacy in a remote team collaborative task. Shared leadership style as well as accommodating and competing conflict handling modes were significantly related to performance and ratings of cohesion and efficacy. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Space Flight Task Contexts for Long Distance and Duration Exploration Missions
Authors: Iwig Chelsea , Oglesby James , Shimono Misa , Stowers Kimberly , Leyva Kevin , Salas Eduardo
Published: October 2015

An effort is currently underway to determine methods for measuring safety and performance of human- automation systems to improve their functioning for future long duration space flights. However, an important step in system evaluation is understanding the contexts in which they operate. The identification of contexts will help in targeting what variables may be related to the overall system’s effectiveness. A review of NASA documents and literature has resulted in the identification of four categories of task contexts that are believed to be important for future Long Distance and Duration Exploration Missions (LDDEM) to Mars and beyond. These four categories include (1) spacecraft navigation, (2) robotic/habitat operations, (3) systems monitoring, and (4) mission planning and scheduling. Within each of these four task categories there exist varying task demands and environmental conditions that impact the user’s interaction with the automation and, subsequently, the types of measurement that are appropriate for analyzing performance and safety within the human-automation system.
Crew Resource Management (CRM)
Authors: Jimenez Camilo , Kasper Karissa , Rivera Javier , Talone Andrew B. , Jentsch Florian
Published: October 2015

Crew Resource Management (CRM) was implemented into the aviation training curriculum over three decades ago in an effort to optimize flight deck management, safety, and improve flightcrew team performance. Since the mid-1990s, other industries have shown considerable interest in adapting and implementing CRM training to train their personnel in non-technical skills. This paper reviews the implementation of CRM in healthcare, the military, and the maritime industry. A comparison of different training methods and training assessment techniques, as well as gaps in the assessment of CRM training effectiveness are discussed. Lastly, a discussion of CRM training techniques and evaluation methods developed in other industries are presented for the consideration of the aviation community.
Synthetic Teammate Communication and Coordination With Humans
Authors: Demir Mustafa , McNeese Nathan J. , Cooke Nancy J. , Ball Jerry T. , Myers Christopher , Frieman Mary
Published: October 2015

A synthetic teammate based on ACT-R cognitive architecture has been developed to function as an Air Vehicle Operator in the context of a three-agent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ground control team taking part in studies in a Synthetic Task Environment (STE). In order for the synthetic teammate to function as team player with human teammates, it needs to skillfully handle the subtleties of team communication and coordination. Data from early synthetic teammate interactions with two human teammates are presented here to illustrate team communication and coordination challenges for the synthetic teammate. In turn, the synthetic teammate limitations have highlighted the intricacies involved in effective teamwork. Communication, though a terrifically challenging problem in itself, is only a foundation for coordinated teamwork or interacting as a team player.
Aboveground Swimming Pool Ladder Safety
Authors: Mathias Anne C. , Brickman Dennis B.
Published: October 2015

Child drownings continue to be problematic in aboveground and portable pools. Attempts to address the hazard posed by child access to aboveground pools through on-product warnings and instruction manuals have not been effective in stemming the incidence of drowning. Utilizing the safety hierarchy to implement other higher-level risk reduction methods (such as making pool ladders child-resistant) has the potential to greatly reduce this risk. Preliminary research studied child subjects to determine their ability to access a pool using various aboveground pool ladder designs, each of which contained varying levels of child resistance and active versus passive safety devices. This effort has significant implications for the incorporation of child resistance principles into the design of consumer products intended for children under supervision.
Clothing & HF/E
Authors: Lee Michael , Carswell C. Melody , Miller-Spillman Kimberly , Sublette Michelle
Published: October 2015

Wearable technologies provide many opportunities for HF/E and have applications in a variety of contexts, particularly in consumer products. These devices must be safe and easy to use as they become increasingly complex in functionality. However, because these products are worn, they must meet the needs of clothing. HF/E has researched the safety and comfort needs of clothing, but these needs do not address the entire clothing experience. This is surprising as clothing serves as an ideal test-bed for a number of emerging issues in product design (e.g., research in designers’ expertise). Furthermore, hedonomic (Hancock, 2005) and eudaimonic (Szalma, 2014) design principles can provide an understanding of how to design pleasurable clothing experiences and the motivation behind people’s clothing decisions. In this paper, we will review what HF/E has contributed to clothing design, describe the clothing experience through a hedonomic and eudaimonic lens, present relevant non-HF/E clothing research, and suggest future research directions.
Toward Developing a Framework for Standardizing the Functional Assessment and Performance Evaluation of Assistive Robotic Manipulators (ARMs)
Authors: Velez Jonathan , Ka Hyun , Ding Dan
Published: October 2015

The research and development of assistive robotic manipulators (ARMs) aims to enhance the upper-extremity daily functioning of individuals with disability. Resources continue to be invested, yet the field still lacks a standard framework to serve as a tool for the functional assessment and performance evaluation of ARMs. A review of the literature lends several suggestions from research in occupational therapy, rehabilitation robotics, and human-robot interaction. Performance assessments are often used during rehabilitation intervention by occupational therapists to evaluate a client’s functional performance. Similarly, such assessments should be developed to make predictions regarding how ARM performance in a clinical setting may generalize to task execution throughout daily living. However, ergonomics and environmental differences have largely been ignored in past research. Additional insights from the literature provide suggestions for a common set of coding definitions, and a framework to organize the ad hoc performance measures observed across ARM studies.
The Relationship between Subjective and Objective Usability Metrics for Home Healthcare Devices
Authors: Gao Meiyuzi , Kortum Philip
Published: October 2015

Home healthcare devices have gained attention recently as more and more care is being delivered in the patients’ home rather than in a hospital setting. This trend is accelerating as healthcare systems work to restrain costs and provide patients with the tangible benefits of receiving care in their own home. Because the user population of these devices is moving away from trained professionals, the usability of home healthcare devices takes on greater importance. Poor usability of these devices could result in negative consequences, ranging from incorrect diagnoses to patient injury or death. In this study, the usability of four common home healthcare devices (a manual blood pressure monitor, a temporal artery thermometer, a pulse oximeter, and a spirometer) was evaluated by 74 participants. The objective metrics of effectiveness (success), efficiency (time on task) and the subjective metric of satisfaction were collected for each device, and correlated with the users’ subjective assessment of the usability of each device, as measured with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Results show that there is a positive correlation between effectiveness and SUS scores, no correlation between efficiency and SUS, and a positive correlation between satisfaction and SUS.
Investigating Guiding Attributes in Visual Search for Medication Vials
Authors: Gisick Logan M. , Palmer Evan M.
Published: October 2015

Medical professionals must select from a vast array of medication vials to dispense the correct medication to a patient. The vials are often small and highly similar, potentially increasing the chance of committing a medical error. Over 400,000 people die every year due to medical errors according to recent studies; a third of which are thought to be medication related. We studied the visual characteristics of medication vial labels to identify properties leading to the fastest and most accurate search. In a visual search task, participants located a target vial among an array of similar looking vials whose labels varied along a set of specific attributes (color density, text size, and text orientation). Response time and accuracy data indicate that participants were faster and more accurate at finding vials with high color density and vertical text orientation, with the exception that when the text was large, there was no significant difference between these factors. Our research indicates that guiding attributes previously identified in basic visual search studies do in fact predict performance in search for medication vials.
Social norms and cognitive performance
Authors: Claypoole Victoria L. , Szalma James L.
Published: October 2015

Vigilance, or the ability to sustain attention over prolonged periods of time, is an important component of tasks in a wide variety of settings. A large body of research has demonstrated that performance on these tasks declines with time on watch, a pattern referred to as the vigilance decrement. One factor that has been mostly neglected in prior research is the effect of the presence of a supervisory person during a vigilance task. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effect of the presence of a supervisory figure on the performance, perceived workload, and stress associated with vigilance. It was hypothesized that the presence of a supervisory figure would increase overall performance and also attenuate the vigilance decrement. However, it was also expected to increase the perceived workload and stress associated with the task.