bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Hedonomic Evaluation of the Effect of Repeated System-Exposure on Pleasurable Human-System Experience
Authors: Murphy Lauren L. , Smith Kip , Hancock Peter A.
Published: January 2012

We report on two studies of the mere exposure effect on the occurrence of flow. Findings reveal that: (a) pleasurable human-system experience increased linearly with repeated exposure to the technology of interest; (b) an habituation effect of flow was mediated by day; (c) performance was positively correlated to flow. Suggestions for future research directions for Hedonomics include mitigating the habituation of flow effect by incorporating an adaptive hedonomic design to reduce the effect of boredom that comes with familiar stimuli an approach that enables the user to create a balance between typicality and novelty in order to allow for changing cultural norms and personal change over time.
Automatic Collection of Process Data to Support Air Force Dynamic Targeting Instructors
Authors: Ockerman J. J. , Case F. T. , Koterba N. T. , Huguenin B. A. , Garcia O. A.
Published: January 2012

The Air and space Operations Center (AOC), also deployed as Joint (JAOC) or Combined (CAOC), is the United States Air Force's (USAF's) weapon system for planning and executing theater-wide air and space forces. Like any USAF weapon system, trainers and warfighters need to assess AOC performance on a continual basis. Currently, no automated methods or tools exist to assess this performance. To address this need, a prototype assessment capability, the CAOC Performance Assessment System (CPAS) was developed. Working with and observing subject matter experts allowed engineers to identify the information required to support dynamic targeting training and assessment. Using rapid-prototyping spiral development, a “non-intrusive” data capture (collection and archiving) capability and an informative user display were developed and demonstrated. Specifically, CPAS collects AOC process data, correlates AOC data sources, and displays events and decisions that occur within the dynamic targeting cell of the AOC to support post-mission assessment of AOC process performance. It has been in use by the Air Force for over two years.
Development of a Patient Monitor for Critical Care
Authors: Drews Frank A. , Lorimer Patrick D.
Published: January 2012

Unexpected incidents are common in intensive care medicine. One of the means to detect, diagnose and treat these events is physiological displays, which show the vital signs of a patient. Current monitors in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) provide numerical and waveform data. The present project focused on determining the problems and needs of ICU nurses for patient monitoring and on developing a display that addresses some of the problems. Semi-structured interviews with 26 ICU nurses identified usability problems of current patient monitors. Most nurses mentioned that current monitors make it difficult to access trends of vital signs and do not allow marking of events or interventions on the trend display. The results of the interviews resulted in a redesign of the patient display that is currently being evaluated. The results of the evaluation study will also be presented.
Environmental Noise and P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)
Authors: Nam Chang S. , Johnson Steve , Li Yueqing
Published: January 2012

The primary purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the overall effect of simulated environmental noise on the P300 Speller in order to obtain usability and performance data. P300 Speller is a P300-based brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows people with motor disabilities to type characters just by thinking. Two environmental noise simulations (quiet [20–40 dB], and noisy [70–120 dB]) were examined to simulate the effects of real-world noise. Results of the study indicated that although there were differences in accuracy rate and information transfer rate (ITR) between the noise and quiet conditions, the environmental noise factor was not statistically significant. On the other hand, the P300 amplitude was significantly higher in the noisy condition than in the quiet condition. Unlike the common knowledge that BCI applications are generally preferred to be performed in quiet conditions, higher noise levels seem to increase user concentration. The outcomes of this research should have a broad impact on future user interface design of BCI applications.
Predicting the Impact of Heterogeneity on Unmanned-Vehicle Team Performance
Authors: Nehme Carl E. , Kilgore Ryan M. , Cummings M. L.
Published: January 2012

Several recent studies have addressed the possible impact of using highly autonomous platforms to invert today's multiple-operators-per-single-unmanned-vehicle control paradigm. These studies, however, have generally focused on homogeneous vehicle teams and have not addressed the potential effects of vehicle, capability, or mission type heterogeneity on operator control capacity. Important implications of heterogeneous unmanned teams include increases in the diversity of potential team configurations, as well as the diversity of possible attention allocation strategies that may be utilized by operators in managing a given vehicle team. This paper presents preliminary findings from a modeling and simulation effort exploring the impact of heterogeneity on the supervisory control of unmanned vehicle teams. Results from a discrete event simulation study suggest that performance costs of team heterogeneity are highly dependent on resultant changes in operator utilization. Heterogeneous teams that result in lower overall operator utilization may lead to improved performance under certain operator control strategies.
A Situated Cognitive Model of the Routine Evolution of Skills
Authors: Moon J. Michelle , Fu Wai-Tat
Published: January 2012

This paper presents a cognitive model for the routine evolution of skills in a photocopying task. In the classic study by Agre and Shrager (1990), it was found that although speedup in performance conformed to the power law of practice, microgenetic activities of the subject showed multiple stages of qualitative changes as the subject repeated the same task. The evolution of skills was shown to be more appropriately characterized by a “situated”, dialectic relationship between the subject and the environment than by a set of general mental mechanisms as in traditional theories of skill acquisition. This paper attempts to bridge the gap between these two perspectives of skill acquisition by showing how the dialectic relationship can be characterized by a traditional information processing model by making a few additional assumptions of the relationship between the human and the environment. A model based on the ACT-R architecture was constructed, which provided good fits, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to the data collected by Agre and Shrager. The model demonstrated how multiple mechanisms could be implemented in a cognitive architecture to explain both qualitative and quantitative changes at both the macro and micro levels of analysis. Implications to human factors research are discussed.
The Relationship between Computer Self-Efficacy and Human-Automation Integrated Performance
Authors: Phillips Rachel R. , Madhavan Poornima
Published: January 2012

Computer self-efficacy (CSE) has been identified as a major determinant of computer-related ability and usage in organizational contexts. However, there has been little research on the impact of CSE on the use of high level automation. In order to examine this relationship, participants completed a visual search task with the assistance of an automated diagnostic aid which varied in reliability from moderately reliable (70%) to highly reliable (90%). After completion of the task, a median split was performed on participants' CSE scores to divide participants into high-CSE and low-CSE groups. We examined the relationship between CSE and trust and utilization of the aid. High-CSE participants trusted the system more and generated significantly more hits than low-CSE participants, particularly on trials in which the aid was highly reliable. This study provides insight into the potential significance of personality factors in shaping human-automation interaction and has implications for designers of automated aids.
Field of View Requirements for Deployable Training Systems: Effect of Field of View on Roll Control
Authors: Winterbottorn Marc , Patterson Robert , Gaska Jim , Amann Ryan , Prost Justin
Published: January 2012

Maintaining training proficiency during long combat deployments has become an important issue in recent years, and therefore the requirement for deployable training devices has also increased in importance. These training systems must not only deliver high fidelity, but must meet stringent requirements for reduced size for transportability and ease of set-up and operation. We describe an experiment examining the effect of reduced field of view on the control of a roll disturbance. Results indicated that, for control of roll angle, there was little change in performance for fields of view greater than 40 degrees. This finding provides evidence that field of view may be reduced in deployable systems without adversely affecting training effectiveness, at least for some essential capabilities.
Analysis of Terms Comprising Potential Names for a Recall Notification Campaign
Authors: Cowley Jennifer A. , Wogalter Michael S.
Published: January 2012

Recall notices are vital in promulgating warnings about defective products to consumers. The present study examined potential names/titles of recall notifications that might be used in campaigns requesting the return of defective items such as foods, drugs, medical devices, etc. Sixty-one potential names were evaluated showing that some combinations of particular words forming potential names produced higher ratings, such as the terms Recall and Urgent. The term Recall is viewed as appropriate for campaigns involving many kinds of products, however, participants indicated that a different term should be used when the defective product is a surgically implanted medical device. Further analyses indicated that inclusion of FDA in the name produces higher ratings of appropriateness than a generic company name. Also, evaluations of individual words comprising the names showed similar patterns when combined with other words. Implications of these results are discussed.
Two New Tires Should be Mounted on the Rear
Authors: Smith Jeffrey J. , Cowley Jennifer A. , Wogalter Michael S.
Published: January 2012

When the rear wheels of a vehicle lose grip on the road, a driver's ability to control the vehicle is dramatically reduced, a phenomenon called oversteer. Oversteer is an event that occurs in many rollovers and single vehicle loss-of-control accidents. Therefore, when replacing two tires, the two new tires (the tires with better tread) should always be mounted on the rear wheels. There are virtually no exceptions to this rule and it is clearly demonstrated in tests conducted by one major tire manufacturer (Michelin, 2008). The present studies examined whether people are aware of this rule by asking them where two new replacement tires should be installed on a vehicle. Results showed that approximately 75% of consumers did not know to install two new replacement tires in the two rear wheel positions. Warning systems are discussed with focus on making recommendations for improving safety communications to tire installer and consumers.
The Effects of Cellular Phone Use on Novice and Experienced Driver Performance: An On-Road Study
Authors: Smahel Thomas , Smiley Alison , Donderi Don
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cell phone use on novice as compared to experienced drivers to determine if a cell phone prohibition might be an appropriate graduated licensing restriction. Nineteen novices and twenty experienced drivers participated. The test route consisted of two laps around a 20-minute circuit and included a mixture of residential and urban roadways with speeds of 50 km/h or less. Participants drove an instrumented vehicle, made two outgoing calls, and received two calls during the course of the trip. For reasons of safety, participants were accompanied both by a researcher, and by a driving instructor with access to a second brake. With respect to the effects of experience on driving, no measures produced significant results. With respect to the effects of cell phone use on driving performance, two of six measures showed a trend, and one a significant difference between the call and no call condition; participants reduced their speed by a small, but significant amount, (1.27 km/h) during calls. The act of talking on the phone increases mental workload and information processing demands. The finding of effects on driver performance related to being on a call, and the lack of effects relating to experience differences, suggests that cell phone prohibition is appropriate for all drivers, not only novice drivers.
Cognitive Task Analysis of Electric Power System Control Center Operations
Authors: Rantanen Esa M. , Winkle Jonathan A. , Overbye Thomas J.
Published: January 2012

A cognitive task analysis of reliability coordinators in an electric power system control center was performed in conjunction with evaluation of three novel display solutions for line overload detection and correction. Eight experienced regional operations center operators participated in the study. The operators were shown two different geographic data view displays and a tabular, text-based tool, and interviewed as they solved three different transmission line overload problems using the different displays and tools. The operators were asked to think aloud as they performed the tasks. Their comments were recorded and transcribed, and used as a basis for the cognitive task analysis. The results indicated that although the operators liked the system data visualization approaches, they also placed high value on tabular presentation of text-based and numerical data. Visualization solutions should therefore be used to supplement existing displays and tools. This study also serves as an example of a participatory design approach to development of novel visualization solutions for complex task environments.
Proposed Techniques for Extending Ecological Interface Design to Tactile Displays: Using Tactile Cues to Enhance UAV Interface Design
Authors: Arrabito G. Robert , Ho Geoffrey , Au Heidi , Keillor Jocelyn M. , Rutley Mark , Lambert Annie , Hou Ming
Published: January 2012

There is little guidance for designers on how to map information requirements to tactile displays. In this paper, we propose new directions for carrying out the mapping of tactile displays based on semantic mapping techniques used in auditory and visual displays. We discuss these techniques in relation to the design of a multimodal ground control station (GCS) for unmanned aerial vehicles to improve the visually-dominated GCS interface. We hope that this approach will encourage the design of better, safer, and more intuitive UAV GCS interfaces to reduce the frequency of mishaps related to human error.
Hearing Levels Affect Higher Order Cognitive Performance
Authors: Baldwin Carryl L.
Published: January 2012

Twenty-one young (M=21.3) and 19 older (M=73.1) adults completed an aurally administered test of working memory capacity presented at 5 above threshold levels (65, 60, 55, 50, and 45 dB). The test required verification of sentences and recall of sentence final words at the end of each set. Audiometric assessment as well as sentence verification ensured that all auditory stimuli were above hearing levels in both age groups. Both young and older listeners demonstrated reduced working memory capacity scores as stimuli were presented at lower dB levels. The impact of decreases in dB level was greater for older relative to younger adults. But since older adults have elevated hearing thresholds within the range investigated here, the capacity differences observed between the two groups may be negligible. Implications of the results for theories of cognitive aging and for cognitive testing among older adults with subclinical hearing loss are discussed.
Pre-Conscious Assessment of Trust: A Case Study of Financial and Health Care Web Sites
Authors: Albert William , Gribbons William , Almadas Jindrich
Published: January 2012

The goal of this study was to determine the reliability of pre-conscious trust assessments of web sites. Participants in Experiment 1 (n=72) viewed 50 screenshots of popular financial and health care home pages in a random order in two separate trials. Each screenshot was presented for 50ms, followed by a mask for 150ms, followed by an assessment of trust on 9-point semantic differential scale from distrust to trust. Results from a series of Pearson Product Moment Correlations showed that approximately one-half of the participants were consistent in their trust assessments for the same web sites across trials. The correlation between trust assessments on the first and second trials, averaged across all participants was statistically significant (p<.001). Results from Experiment 2 (n=11), utilizing a different method for participant participation, showed a similar pattern of results. These findings suggest that pre-conscious mind plays a more significant role in assessing trust than previously believed.
The Notebook Computing Experience among University Students
Authors: Jacobs Karen , Hall Victoria , Brownson Erin , Ansong Elizabeth , Markowitz Jackie , McKinnon Matt , Steinberg Sofia , Ing Alexander , Wuest Ellen , Johnson Peter , Dennerlein Jack
Published: January 2012

There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that university students are self-reporting experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort with computer use similar to levels reported by adult workers. This study investigated how university students use notebook computers. Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Each condition included participants completing baseline and poststudy a health and comfort survey and ergonomics quiz. Computer usage software was installed on participants' notebook computer and all received participatory ergonomics training and external notebook accessories, e.g. keyboard and mouse. Participants in experimental conditions received an external notebook riser, an ergonomic computer workstation chair or an external desktop display. Each participant was loaned a personal digital assistant (PDA), which contained a 45-question survey. The PDA randomly “beeped” 7 times in a 24-hour day for the participants to complete a survey. The use of the repeated measure survey was part of the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) method. Over the duration of the study (3 months) participants met with researchers and completed a weekly visual analog comfort scale where they rated their workstation comfort. Notebook accessories, e.g., external mouse, external keyboard, notebook riser; an ergonomic chair; and participatory ergonomics training appear to contribute to a trend of decreased self-reported notebook computer-related musculoskeletal discomfort in specific areas of the body of participants. Based on the study's results, a university-wide notebook computing education plan was initiated.
P300 Amplitude and Latency Reflect Individual Difference of Navigation Performance in a Driving Task
Authors: Ou Bo , Wu Changxu , Zhao Guozhen
Published: January 2012

Even though individual difference of navigation performance was found in driving studies at behavioral level, few studies explored the cognitive mechanism of this individual difference at neurological level with ERP (Event-related Potential) technique. To address this important question in research, this study recruited two groups of navigators with good and poor navigation performance in a driving task and measured their P300 amplitude when two types of triggers were presented to subjects (intersection and street sign). It was found that poor navigators showed larger amplitude than good navigators on the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere, the temporal and the parietal and the occipital sites when intersections triggers were presented, and on the occipital site when street sign triggers were presented, reflecting different levels of mental resource needed to process in the spatial information between these two groups. Future research and application of the current finding in intelligent transportation system was also discussed.
Complexity, Communication and Design
Authors: Browning Larry , Morris G. H.
Published: January 2012

This paper draws on complexity theory, especially the communication and social psychological version of it, to offer eight principles of how complexity theory can influence organizational design.
Identifying Mind-wandering behind the Wheel
Authors: He Jibo , Becic Ensar , Lee Yi-Ching , McCarley Jason S.
Published: January 2012

Driver distraction is a significant source of traffic-related crashes. External distraction has been the basis of much research and legislation. However, the influence of internal distraction, or mind-wandering (Smallwood, Fishman, & Schooler, 2007), on driver performance has not been as closely studied. The current study used self-report method of mental states in a simulated driving task to investigate the influence of mind-wandering on driving behavior and performance. Participants performed a car-following task in a low-traffic simulated driving environment, and were asked to press a button mounted on the steering wheel any time they found themselves “zoning out”. For analysis, driving performance data and oculomotor scanning data were binned into one-second intervals and submitted to cluster analysis. Results indicated a cluster mapping onto a time window from roughly 16 seconds prior to a button-press report of mind-wandering until roughly 3 seconds after the report, implying that mind-wandering episodes were detected about 16 seconds after they began. Comparison of performance within and without the mind-wandering intervals indicated that mind-wandering caused horizontal narrowing of drivers' visual scanning, consistent with the influence of other forms of internal distraction e.g., (Recarte & Nunes, 2000).
Functional Anthropometry and Ranges of Motion of Older Mexican American Adults
Authors: Pennathur Arunkumar , Contreras Luis Rene , Ikpe Odi , Bader Julia
Published: January 2012

Among all older adult groups in the US, older Mexican American adults report the most functional limitation in activities of daily living. Upper extremity functional reaches and range of motion measures in older Mexican American adults may help explain their functional limitations and task performance in activities of daily living. However, there is little information on functional reaches and ranges of motion of older Mexican American adults, and how age and gender may influence their reach capability. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are to determine the effects of age and gender of older Mexican American adults on functional reaches and range of motion measures. Stature and 20 functional reaches and ranges of motion were measured in 250 (125 females and 125 males) older Mexican American adults recruited randomly from 3500 older Mexican American adults in a retired senior volunteers program. Regression analyses indicate that age and gender have significant cross-sectional effects on several important functional reaches and ranges of motion in older Mexican American adults. Insights on product design and living space considerations for older adults based on age-related functional performance changes are discussed.
Is Visuospatial Attention Controlled by a Unitary Process Or Separate Processes?
Authors: Squire Peter , Greenwood Pamela , Parasuraman Raja
Published: January 2012

Visuospatial attention facilitates search. Search facilitation is not instantaneous, but develops over time. Furthermore, the time necessary for the first occurrence of search facilitation varies with different processes. One line of research concerned with the orienting of visuospatial attention indicates that an involuntary process facilitates search faster when compared to a voluntary process. Another line of research concerned with the distribution of visuospatial attention has shown that a constricted focus facilitates search faster than an enlarged focus. The differences in search facilitation between these processes, however, have not been directly compared in the same study. Thus, it is unclear whether visuospatial attention is governed by a unitary process or separate processes. The results of this experiment support the separate process view, specifically an involuntary and voluntary process that is independent of the component process of the distribution of visuospatial attention.
Modeling Human-Robot Interaction with Petri-Nets
Authors: Yagoda Rosemarie , Coovert Michael D.
Published: January 2012

Robots are an ever present part of the workplace. Effective interaction strategies and interfaces are needed to ensure optimal human-robot interaction. Building upon job and cognitive work analysis as traditional methodologies, Petri nets are introduced as a modeling tool for humanrobot interaction. Basic components of the nets are described and utilizing data from search-and-rescue UAV operations, operator nets are constructed. Analysis of the networks yielded several significant findings. Petri nets provide several advantages beyond traditional methodologies and are seen as a useful tool for modeling human-robot interactions.
Context-Sensitive Information Presentation: Integrating Adaptive and Adaptable Approaches to Display Design
Authors: Hameed Shameem , Sarter Nadine
Published: January 2012

University of MichiganOperators in many complex event-driven domains face the challenge of data overload. Two major contributors to this problem are over-reliance in display design on one sensory channel (vision in most domains) and the fact that the presentation of data and information does not vary to account for changing task contexts and operator states. These problems call for the introduction of context-sensitive multimodal displays. There is a substantial and growing body of research on multisensory information processing and presentation. However, little guidance is available for the design of flexible displays that take context into consideration. Two important research questions are: 1) who should be in control of the adaptation of information presentation – the user or the system, or perhaps both? - and b) what factors should drive display adaptation? This article will review two approaches to context-sensitive display design: adaptive and adaptable. The benefits and disadvantages of each approach will be discussed, and a recently developed hybrid adaptive-adaptable multimodal interface will be described. To our knowledge, this is the first display design that combines both approaches to context-sensitivity and employs a wide range of drivers, ranging from environmental conditions to operator states and performance.
Effects of Posture and Movement on Vibration Transmissibility Affecting Human Reach Performance under Vehicle Vibration
Authors: Kim Heon-Jeong , Martin Bernard J.
Published: January 2012

Vibration transmissibility to the human body is a function of both vehicle vibration characteristics and postures associated with the performance of movements. The majority of earlier studies investigating upper body vibration transmissibility considered only a static posture excluding dynamic limb movements (Amirouche, 1987; Wei and Griffin, 1998; Rosen and Arcan, 2003; Yoshimura et al, 2005; Liang and Chiang, 2006). A few recent studies reported the effect of vehicle vibration on arm reaching movements through the description of fingertip deviation from a desired trajectory (Rider and Chaffin, 2003, 2004). The present work investigates the variation of vibration transmissibility to upper extremities as a function of dynamic posture changes along the intended reach trajectory. Dynamic reach movements in the direction of targets distributed in the right hemisphere of a vehicle operator are analyzed as a function of vibration characteristics and movement directions. Thirteen subject performed right hand reach movements in various directions to final/end target location as well as intermediate target locations selected along the trajectory of movement performed to the end target. The established database of upper body segments transmissibility is used to develop an active biodynamic human model.
Advanced Situated Tutors: Design, Philosophy, and a Review of Existing Systems
Authors: Schatz Sae , Bowers Clint , Nicholson Denise
Published: January 2012

“Situated tutors” combine intelligent, adaptive instructional technology with a simulated environment that allows trainees to explore the context, knowledge, applications, and social interactions inherent in the real-world equivalent. However, the situated tutor construct is, as yet, only superficially described. Thus, this paper seeks to add to the academic conceptualization of situated tutors by clearly defining these systems and their features. We go on to define “advanced situated tutors” as the most robust class of situated tutors, and then give examples of such systems.
Investigating the Attributes in Serious Games that Contribute to Learning
Authors: Pavlas Davin , Bedwell Wendy , Wooten Samuel R. , Heyne Kyle , Salas Eduardo
Published: January 2012

Though serious games have been the topic of much discussion within the scientific community, the theoretical underpinnings of this technology remains largely nascent. Although much of the knowledge base of the simulation and digital learning community applies to serious games, the play-based nature of these tools necessitates additional examination. Games have defining component attributes, and variation of these attributes may affect learning resulting from game play. Thus, understanding of the attributes involved in games and how they map to various learning outcomes will improve the community's ability to effectively design and employ these tools. This article describes research designed to address this need through experimental manipulations of the privately developed InnerCell game. This effort is conducted in the context of game attributes and learning outcomes, and recommendations for attribute-outcome pairs are offered based on preliminary findings of this research.
Reinventing the Wheel: Control Task Analysis for Collaboration
Authors: Ashoori Maryam , Burns Catherine
Published: January 2012

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is a relatively new human factors perspective for analyzing complex sociotechnical systems. However, it does not yet have specific tools and techniques that allow it to address teamwork explicitly enough to provide good guidance on how to support teams and collaboration. In this paper, Decision Wheels are introduced as an extension to the Decision Ladders for representing collaboration in teamwork environments. This extension would be a significant contribution to both CWA methodology and human factors methods for team situations. It would enable human factors practitioners to understand the cognitive work of teams better, and to design better collaborative systems for teamwork environments.
Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Simulations and Games in Human Factors Research
Authors: Pfaff Mark S. , Allender Laurel , Gray Wayne D. , McNeese Michael D. , Mendonça David J. , Wright Melanie C.
Published: January 2012

Much has been already been said about what simulations and games can provide that other research methodologies do not. But the complexity and richness of the results they afford in human factors research is matched by the complexity and cost of their conception, design, implementation, and validation. Though this may seem a daunting challenge to those considering such platforms for their own research, this panel aims to air the promises and pitfalls of simulations and games by sharing historical exemplars, lessons learned, and current issues in their use for human factors research. The panelists represent decades of experience in military, medical, and civilian research domains and have worked through abundant successes and failures in this area. Key issues of discussion will include cases which stand out as exemplary instances of using simulations and games in human factors research, particularly those that produced results that would have been unattainable by other methods, the challenges and constraints of participant pools (e.g. naïve subjects, access to domain experts, and suitable compromises), development of viable and engaging simulations (e.g., the problem of software written by grad students, for grad students), collection of accurate and meaningful data, and the generalizability of such game and simulation platforms as well as the adaptability of off-the-shelf solutions.
Politeness Effects in Directive Compliance: Effects with Power and Social Distance
Authors: Miller Christopher A. , Ott Tammy , Wu Peggy , Vakili Vanessa
Published: January 2012

We present a theory of perceived politeness and its sociological functions derived from the work of Brown and Levinson (1987) and then extend that theory toward a cognitive model of politeness and its effects on human decision making. We then report the results of an experiment in which participants' directive compliance behaviors and attitudes are examined under conditions varying the amount of politeness or rudeness used and the power or familiarity relationship between the participant and the directive giver. Results show significant impacts of politeness on a variety of directive compliance behaviors, and show accuracy for predicting the relationship of Social Distance on perceived politeness and directive compliance. Predictions about the role of Power relationships were generally not as effective.
Using Location History to Identify Patterns in Mobile Users' Visits to Establishments
Authors: Hurwitz Joshua B. , Wheatley David J. , Zhang Keshu , Lee Young Seok
Published: January 2012

The goal of this study was to assess the performance of two algorithms for using mobile GPS data to identify patterns in users' visits to stores, restaurants and other establishments. Over a 1-month period, subjects carried GPS data loggers when traveling in their local area, and made daily reports of their visits to establishments in a voicemail or email diary. The results showed lower accuracy in using GPS data to estimate durations of visits to larger buildings. However, when establishment categories were ranked by visit frequency and duration, the GPS-derived rankings matched those derived from the diary data at a level that was significantly greater than chance.
Interventions for Overhead Drilling: A Demonstration
Authors: Rempel David , Barr Alan , Janowitz Ira
Published: January 2012

Construction workers suffer from high rates of musculoskeletal injuries to the shoulders and arms. One of the most physically demanding tasks is drilling holes overhead into concrete or metal ceilings. The job involves standing on a ladder, holding a four kg drill overhead with one hand, and pushing it upward with 245 N of force for one to two minutes while drilling the hole. This demonstration presents the culmination of a five year research project to develop and field test different devices to reduce the fatigue and musculoskeletal risk factors associated with this task. Over the study period seven devices were developed and evaluated for usability by over 100 commercial construction workers. This demonstration will present the device most preferred by the workers and also discuss the findings on productivity, arm force, shoulder posture and head posture. The authors have no commercial interests in the device.
Tele-Ergonomics: A Novel Approach to Computer Workstation Ergonomic Assessment and Modification
Authors: Baker Nancy A. , Jacobs Karen
Published: January 2012

U.S. healthcare reform demands that ergonomically trained health professionals reassess how they deliver their services. One innovative strategy to deliver ergonomic assessment and modification is tele-ergonomics. This practice-oriented paper will describe the process of developing the Telerehabilitation Computer Ergonomics System ( tele-CES). The tele-CES will be a valid and reliable systematic program using existing previously validated ergonomic instruments. This program will allow ergonomically trained health professionals to: 1) remotely assess the computer workstation, which will eliminate several barriers to access experienced by computer operators; and 2) based on the assessment, generate explicit participant-specific workstation modification recommendations. These recommendations will be easily implemented; reduce pain, discomfort, and fatigue; and eliminate barriers to productivity. The tele-CES will be developed as a collaboration between ergonomically trained health professionals in multiple locations in the US, telerehabilitation experts, and consumers. This system will reduce the personal cost of obtaining expert ergonomic assessments and interventions and provide an evidence-based and systematic program of completing ergonomic assessments remotely.
Medication Container Look A-Likes: Does Color Matter?
Authors: Teteris Elise , Caird Jeff K.
Published: January 2012

With the heightened interest on medication mix-ups in the media, improvements to patient health and safety are a natural focus for research in medical human factors. Specifically, this project sought to answer the question ‘Does Color Matter?’ with respect to medication containers/labels and their contribution to look-a-like medication mix-ups. Participants were asked to rate the perceptual similarity of pairs of medication ampoules and vials. Ratings were analyzed using Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS). A three dimensional solution provided the best fit of the results. Participants rated medication ampoules as highly similar if they shared the same glass color (dimension 1), label color (dimension 2), and label pattern (dimension 3). Ratings of medication vials were similar if they had similar glass color (dimension 1), label pattern (dimension 2) and label color (dimension 3). The results of this study show that color is an important feature used by nurses when judging medications on their similarity. Discussion centers on the practical implications of the results on medication look a-like confusions.
Improving actual handover behavior with a simulation-based training intervention
Authors: Weinger Matthew B. , Slagle Jason M. , Kuntz Audrey , Banerjee Arna , Schildcrout Jonathan S. , Mercaldo Nathaniel D. , France Dan , Speroff Theodore , Bills Jim , Wallston Ken
Published: January 2012

A simulation-based training intervention to improve patient handovers between anesthesia providers (APs) and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nurses (RNs) in adult (VUH) and pediatric (VCH) PACUs, was developed, implemented, and evaluated. The intervention included didactic webinars, an electronic handover report tool, a 2-hour simulation-based training session and a 1-hr “refresher” course several months later. Training focused on interpersonal skills and overcoming obstacles to effective handovers. Trained nurses observed and evaluated 981 actual PACU handovers over 12 months using a standardized rating tool. A different blinded observer scored pre- and post-training simulated handovers. A culture survey was administered before and after the intervention. After training, handover quality improved significantly with more than 70% of handovers rated as “effective” in both PACUs (P<0.001). The training status of the handover giver (AP) was the critical determinant of handover effectiveness. Following full implementation, new (untrained) clinicians performed effective handovers suggesting culture change and/or implicit training.
Deriving Cursor Control Device Expectations for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle
Authors: Dorneich Michael C. , Lancaster Jeff A. , Hamblin Christopher J. , Olofinboba Olu , Demers Robert E.
Published: January 2012

A unique challenge for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle is the need for a novel cursor control device (CCD) that allows the crew to interact with display formats while seated and restrained. Display formats will contain “controllable elements” that will be used for input by astronauts, and will most likely not be laid out in a rectilinear grid. A four-way “caged” castle switch on the CCD was designed to travel only to controllable elements toward decreasing erroneous cursor movements. The ability of the four-way castle to intuitively navigate the cursor from a user perspective is a vital consideration. A cursor expectations study was conducted to understand dominant user expectations for CCD movements when controllable elements are not arranged on a rectilinear grid. Algorithms were developed that governed cursor movement in such a way as to match the dominant user expectations, to support the development of user mental models for cursor behavior, and to guide designers when laying out display formats.
Hand Positions and Forces during Truck Ingress
Authors: Reed Matthew P. , Ebert-Hamilton Sheila M. , Hoffman Suzanne G.
Published: January 2012

Many truck drivers are injured each year due to falls while getting into and out of their vehicles. Design guidelines for steps and handholds are not based on biomechanical data and do not reflect a systems approach to design. As part of a broader effort to improve ingress/egress safety, a laboratory study was conducted to quantify driver postures and motions for a wide range of step and handhold configurations. Data from thirty men and women with a wide range of body size were analyzed to determine the location of the right hand and the force exerted on the aft handhold during the initial phase of ingress. Drivers grasped the external handhold at between 90 and 110 percent of stature above the ground. Peak hand forces averaged 25 percent of body weight, although heavier drivers did not exert significantly more force. Handhold position affected hand force only when the lower step was relatively far from the handhold.
Hand Placement and Risk Assessment by the LMM Model
Authors: Haddad Omid , Mirka Gary A.
Published: January 2012

Previous studies have shown a variety of hand placement locations employed by workers performing manual lifting tasks in industry. In this study, participants used four different hand placement locations to lift a box of variable weight and starting height. As they performed these lifts, the motions of their torso were captured using the lumbar motion monitor and these trunk kinematics were then input into the LMM low back injury risk assessment model. The results showed significant effects of all three independent variables with asymmetric hand placement locations generating the highest level of risk: 20% in the symmetric, 5kg condition as compared to a high of nearly 40% under the asymmetric, 10kg condition. These results indicate that hand placement is a relevant variable to consider when designing manual materials handling tasks.
Validation of Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation and 3D SSP Model to Predict Risk of Work-Related Low Back Pain
Authors: Boda Sruthi Vasudev , Bhoyar Parag , Garg Arun
Published: January 2012

This study is based upon data collected for a large scale, multi-site prospective cohort study of work-related low back pain (WLBP). The aim of this study was to validate the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE) and the 3D Static Strength Prediction Model (3D SSPM) to predict the risk of WLBP. Complete baseline and follow up data on job physical exposure and WLBP status were available on 258 workers free of WLBP at baseline. Relationships between job physical factors and incident cases of WLBP were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model. There was evidence of association between load moment and the Lifting Index calculated from the RNLE and incidence of WLBP, and no evidence of association with estimated compressive force on L5/S1 disc and percent capable population. It is concluded that the RNLE is predictive of future risk of WLBP.
An Investigation of the Usability of Image-based CAPTCHAs
Authors: Madathil Kapil Chalil , Alapatt Githin F. , Greenstein Joel S.
Published: January 2012

Objective: This research investigates the usability of image-based CAPTCHAs using performance, eye-gaze and subjective measures. Background: Several forms of image-based CAPTCHAs have recently been developed. Few studies have been conducted to examine their usability. Method: Twenty participants received training using four different CAPTCHAs: Asirra, ESP-PIX, SQ-PIX and IMAGINATION. The participants were then asked to complete the CAPTCHA challenge using five CAPTCHAs of each type. The participants were subsequently asked to complete the computer system usability questionnaire (CSUQ) and the NASA Task Load Index test. Upon completing all the tasks, the participants completed a final post-test subjective questionnaire ranking the CAPTCHAs based on preference. Results: Statistically significant differences among the CAPTCHAs were found for all dependent variables other than task completion time. Conclusion: Participants preferred Asirra and ESP-PIX to the other two CAPTCHAs.
The Elements of a Hand Held Device for Nurse Access to Home Healthcare Monitors
Authors: Telner Jason A. , Beane John , Kiff Liana , Brackett Cameron , Lillegard Greg
Published: January 2012

Home-based patient monitors have limited access for field nurses when they are away from their desktop computers and central monitoring station software. The major consequences of this are delayed responses to patient problems, possibly leading to less effective treatment. Further, nurses' laptops lack mobility and versatility, which often makes it difficult for them to quickly access patient information during a variety of tasks. Using nurse demographic information, requirements gathering, and observations from 15 nurses, a design concept for both a longer-term nurse hand held device with a touch screen interface, as well as a simple cellular telephone application that can receive SMS messages on patient problems from the central monitoring station were proposed. It was anticipated that after successful user testing with nurses on the simpler cellular telephone application, that a more capable application could be developed for their cellular telephones with the ability to send and receive information from the central monitoring station.
Como vaAssessing X-ray Security Screening Detection following Training with and without Threat-item Overlap
Authors: Sellers Brittany , Rivera Javier , Fiore Stephen M. , Schuster David , Jentsch Florian
Published: January 2012

This study examined threat identification within a perceptual discrimination training paradigm for an x-ray baggage screening task. It explored how manipulations of item overlap (critical contour overlap, non-critical contour overlap, and no overlap) altered detection of actual threat items. The results suggest that threat detection by participants in the overlap groups was superior, but that this may have been due to changes to a more liberal response criterion. Further, participants trained without overlap were superior at determining that no threat was present. The data suggest that this shift in criterion may be due to a varying degree of understanding of what constitutes the critical components of a threat item. The discussion centers on how to develop training interventions which addresses this criterion shift while maintaining higher levels of detection.