bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sex Differences in Lexical Vigilance Performance
Authors: Neigel Alexis R. , Dever Daryn A. , Claypoole Victoria L. , Fraulini Nicholas W. , Hancock Gabriella M. , Szalma James L.
Published: September 2018

Lexical vigilance is the ability to sustain attention to lexical, semantic, and language-related stimuli, such as words or symbols, for extended periods of time. One gap in the empirical investigation of lexical vigilance is the assessment of sex differences in the performance of these tasks. In the present study, a sample of 213 observers completed a 12-minute lexical vigilance task. Observers were randomly assigned to either a standard task, which required individuals to respond to critical signals and withhold response to neutral events, or a lure task, which required individuals to respond to critical signals while withholding response to neutral events and lures (i.e., stimuli that are categorically similar in nature to critical signals). The results indicated that women and men perform the lure and standard tasks differently depending upon the condition to which they are assigned. Specifically, an inverse relationship was observed between the sexes and conditions in signal detection indices of sensitivity and response bias. We discuss the implications of these results below.
Sex Differences in the Stress and Workload of Lexical Vigilance
Authors: Neigel Alexis R. , Claypoole Victoria L. , Dever Daryn A. , Fraulini Nicholas W. , Hancock Gabriella M. , Szalma James L.
Published: September 2018

Lexical vigilance requires sustained attention to lexical, verbal, and semantic information over a prolonged period of time. The perceived stress and workload that typically accompany the performance of these tasks remains relatively unknown. Thus, in the present study 213 observers were assigned to either a standard lexical vigilance task or a ‘lure’ vigilance task, which required additional decision-making criteria. The results were analyzed for sex differences between the conditions and across multiple measures of perceived stress and workload. These analyses indicated that women and men perceive the stress and workload associated with lexical vigilance tasks differently. More specifically, women reported greater post-task distress and more temporal demand associated with the task than men. Interestingly, men reported the task being more physically demanding than women. The implications of these results are discussed further.
Calibrating Uncertainty: Commonalities in the Estimation of Numeric Variability Versus Spatial Prediction
Authors: Spahr Kimberly S. , Wickens Christopher D. , Clegg Benjamin A. , Smith C. A. P. , Williams Adam S.
Published: September 2018

To assess whether there may be a common ability related to the understanding and calibration of instance variability and mean behavior, participants performed spatial prediction and numeric estimation tasks. In the first task, participants experienced variability in a set of spatial trajectories whose endpoints they predicted along with a central mean. In the second task, they experienced variability in a set of random numbers whose mean and variability they estimated. For both tasks, estimated variability was compared with the true variability of instances to derive measures of bias (e.g., over-or under-estimation) and precision. Correlations between these estimates across the two experiments revealed mixed evidence for a common ability to estimate variability, but suggested similar performance when estimating mean behavior. Implications for individual differences and interventions are discussed.
Enhancing Worker Capability Through HFE: Evidence Management Can Understand
Authors: Banks Cristina G. , Robertson Michelle M. , Gebhardt Deborah L. , Rempel David , Mosier Kathleen L. , Larson Nancy , McGowan Blake
Published: September 2018

At the 2016 HFES Presidential Address, Bill Marras made a plea for the membership to begin thinking about demonstrating the value of HFE in terms that are persuasive to business leaders. Presentations at the 2017 HFES Annual Conference responded to that plea with discussions of case studies and business metrics linked to HFE interventions. To further this discussion, we flip the HFE business value argument from decreasing costs associated with inefficiencies and disability to increasing employee capabilities through HFE. By changing perspective, we change the focus from risk to enhanced employee wellbeing, performance and productivity. We argue that relating HFE practices and interventions to worker capability is the key to showing evidence that management can understand. Banks opens with a “logic map” that links HFE to important business outcomes. Gebhardt discusses how physical ability assessment in employee selection and work process design enhances performance effectiveness and efficiency. Rempel discusses how a systems approach to developing an effective safety culture in coordination with operations can result in uninterrupted work and higher productivity. Mosier discusses how cognitive enhancements in work and system design leads to higher performance. Larson and McGowan take a broader view and discuss from their perspectives what evidence is needed, and whether the evidence presented by panelists is sufficient to win over decision-makers. They also discuss how HFE can be positioned to play a more important role in how organizations think about work and workers as well as the importance of integrating HFE design into organizational structure and business operations to help meet company objectives.
Using Simulation Modeling Methods to Study Teams Doing Taskwork
Authors: Nyre-Yu Megan , Caldwell Barrett S.
Published: September 2018

Traditional human factors approaches to team research are inherently limited by the time and resources required to conduct laboratory and field studies. Teams can be described as systems, which can be broken down into components, behaviors, and relationships. Simulation modeling techniques have been successful in studying dynamic and emergent aspects of systems, including human groups, and are good candidates for studying team process dynamics. An example model described in this article acts as a feasibility test for incorporating aspects of teamwork and taskwork into computational models. Aspects of systems engineering are presented, and methods for operationalizing components are discussed. Key modeling topics highlighted include functionality and convergence. By integrating simulation methods into human factors subject areas, researchers may be able to study more diverse sets of people, apply a wide array of experimental treatments, and observe emergent behaviors of humans with less time and resources.
Work Domain Analysis of a Regulatory System to Support System Redesign
Authors: Carden Tony , Goode Natassia , Salmon Paul
Published: September 2018

Led outdoor activities such as rock climbing, canoeing, and hiking, involve intentional engagement with risk. Organizations that provide these activities are obliged to manage risk by eliminating or minimizing health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Regulating safety across this industry sector therefore presents special challenges. The current regulatory environment for led outdoor activity safety in Victoria, Australia consists of multiple, loosely connected instruments and agencies. This study used Work Domain Analysis to develop a model of the functional structure of the regulatory system. The model was then used in interviews with domain experts to identify problems with the structure, efficiency and effectiveness of the regulatory system. A model of the functional structure of the system was developed and system weaknesses identified. Next steps toward reform of this system and implications for other regulatory regimes are discussed.
Are Worker Perceptions of Task Ease and Performance Associated with Within-subject Motor Variation during Repetitive Work?
Authors: Metwali Mahmoud , Fethke Nathan B.
Published: September 2018

A feature of repetitive motion believed important to understanding work-related musculoskeletal disorder risk is the absence of posture variation between task cycles. Motor control studies suggest that (i) individuals with greater task performance demonstrate more consistent motion patterns (i.e., reduced posture variation) and (ii) there exists an association between actual and self-reported per- ceptions of task performance during repetitive physical activity. The objective of this analysis was to compare the within-subject between-cycle variation of postural and muscle activity metrics during a repetitive welding task between individuals with perceptions of low and high task ease and performance. Although the majority of the relationships do not appear to be statistically significant, participants with perceptions of high task ease and performance demonstrated different magnitudes of cycle-to-cycle variation across multiple postural and muscle activity metrics. We recommend a future research agenda to further investigate the effects of worker perceptions on within-subject motor variation during repetitive work.
Effect of Stair Tread Markings on Foot Placement During Stair Descent
Authors: DiDomenico Angela , Cohen Tamara L. , Joganich Timothy
Published: September 2018

Falls during stair descent are common and can result in serious injury or even death. Many falls during stair descent are attributed to interactions with imperfections or defects in the stair construction, particularly, defects in the stair treads or nosing. While prior research has examined the placement of the foot related to the stair nosing during normal ambulation, limited research has examined the force distribution underneath the foot as it makes contact with the stair tread throughout the duration of the stride. An understanding of the location of the foot relative to the nosing and the force distribution underneath the foot is essential to evaluate the effect of stair imperfections during stair descent. As part of a larger laboratory study, the aim of this research was to determine the effect of markings placed on stair treads that represent pressure sensors, on descent speed, and on foot placement relative to the stair nosing. Ten healthy individuals descended a wooden staircase with and without markings placed on two stair treads while motion data of the feet were collected. Results showed that the presence of markings on the stair treads did not alter descent speed or foot placement relative to the tread nosing. Findings suggest that the presence of pressure sensors and other similar markings on stair treads do not alter descent speed or foot placement relative to the stair nosing.
New Pistol Grip Control for an Electric Utility Aerial Bucket Reduces Risk of Forearm Muscle Fatigue
Authors: Marklin Richard W. , Slightam Jonathon E. , Nagurka Mark L. , Garces Casey D. , Krishen Lovely , Bauman Eric H.
Published: September 2018

Overhead line workers have anecdotally reported elevated levels of fatigue in forearm muscles when operating the pistol grip control that maneuvers an aerial bucket on a utility truck. Previous research with surface electromyographic (sEMG) recordings of forearm muscles corroborated these reports of muscle fatigue. A new pistol grip was designed that reduces the applied force by 50% in all directions of movement. In laboratory testing, sEMG signals were recorded from the upper extremity muscles of twenty subjects, who operated a conventional-force pistol grip and the 50% reduced-force control to move a 1/15 scale model of an aerial truck boom. The muscle that resulted in the greatest sEMG activity (extensor digitorum communis (EDC)) was the muscle that workers typically pointed to when they reported forearm muscle fatigue from using the control. The reduced-forced pistol grip decreased EDC sEMG by an average of 5.6%, compared to the conventional control, increasing the maximum endurance time by 38% according to muscle fatigue models. This study was the first to quantify muscular activity of a new aerial bucket pistol grip control and the results show promise for improving the occupational health of electric utility overhead line workers, specifically reducing muscle fatigue. Before the new design of the pistol grip can be commercialized, it must be tested in the field on actual equipment.
Affordance Perception by Users of Assistive Walking Devices
Authors: Lucaites Kathryn M. , Pagano Christopher C.
Published: September 2018

Many older adults utilize assistive walking devices for independent locomotion. However, walking devices put new constraints on one’s movement and navigation, and it is crucial that the user correctly perceive their new action capabilities. The present study investigated the effects of assistive walking devices on novice users’ perceptions of their ability to pass through a doorway. Participants used either a standard walker, a wheeled walker, a cane, or no device (control) while performing static and dynamic aperture passability judgments. Results showed that judgments of aperture passability were tailored to the participants’ widest frontal dimension, with walker users relying on the width of the walker and non-users relying on their shoulder width. While there was no difference in accuracy across walking devices, participants made more conservative judgments while in the dynamic phase, and this effect was more pronounced for the walker groups than the control group. Results of this study suggest that experience using the walking device is an important factor in ensuring new users understand their action capabilities and avoid injurious collisions and falls.
Changes in MRI Parameters of Porcine Intervertebral Discs under Compressive Loading
Authors: Zhou Jie , Walton Jeffery , Fathallah Fadi
Published: September 2018

Intervertebral disc (IVD) is a major source of Low Back Pain (LBP). The health and functions of the IVD are determined by the inherent biomechanical properties and their interaction with external loading. Recent advances in quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques have the potential in detecting loading-induced changes in the biomechanical properties of the IVD. Twenty functional spinal units (FSU) from porcine cervical spines were imaged with a 7T scanner to obtain T1ρ, T2 and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) before and after experiencing compressive loading of 263.27N for 60 minutes. Compressive loading was found to significantly decrease T1ρ and T2 but not ADC, which indicated that T1ρ and T2 had the potential to detect changes in the biomechanical properties of the IVD due to external loading. These parameters may provide more sensitivity and specificity to understand the injury mechanism of the IVD and contribute to early diagnosis of IVD degeneration.
Evaluation of Different Patient Transfer Devices in Reducing Biomechanical Exposures among Professional Caregivers
Authors: Hwang Jaejin , Kuppam Veera Aneesh , Chodraju Subhramanya Suryanarayana Raju , Chen Jie , Kim Jeong Ho
Published: September 2018

This study systematically investigated the efficacy of commercially-available patient transfer devices (a slide sheet, slide board, air-assisted device, and conventional draw sheet) in reducing biomechanical exposures during standardized lateral patient transfer tasks. A repeated-measures laboratory study with 10 experienced caregivers (9 females and 1 male) was conducted to measure the muscle activity in the upper extremity (flexor digitorum superficialis, extensor digitorum communis, biceps, triceps, and trapezius) and low back (erector spinae), and hand pull force and during standardized lateral patient transfer tasks with four different commercially-available transfer devices. The results showed that there were significant differences between the transfer devices in muscle activity (p’s < 0.01) and hand pull force (p < 0.01). The air-assisted device showed the largest reduction of muscle activities and hand pull force. The slide board also showed lower muscle activities and hand full force as compared to the slide sheet and conventional draw sheet; however, limited differences in muscle activity and hand pull force were found between the slide sheet and conventional draw sheet. These findings indicate that the air-assisted device and slide board may be effective engineering controls to reduce the biomechanical exposures and associated injury risks in the upper extremity and low back among caregivers.
Ergonomics in Veterinary Surgery-Risk Assessment With Intraoperative Motion Tracking
Authors: Asadi Hamed , Browne Samantha M. , Simons Micha C. , Breur Gert J. , Yu Denny
Published: September 2018

Musculoskeletal pain and discomfort are common occupational hazards in surgery, but limited studies have quantified these discomforts in veterinary medicine, where surgeries are performed on large and small animals. The objective of this study is to assess the upper extremities of attending and assisting surgeons soft tissue and orthopaedic small animal surgeries. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) and workload surveys were used to assess the physical workloads. Findings showed that orthopaedic surgeons experienced higher perceived workload and was observed more often in demanding posture than soft tissue surgeons. These results provide understanding of surgeons’ workload that can inform alterations of surgical work environments to reduce musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in the workplace.
Furthering Recognition of Lift, Slip, And Trip Hazards in Home Healthcare Environments: Opportunities for Virtual Simulation Training
Authors: Lavender Steven A. , Sommerich Carolyn M. , Polivka Barbara , Darragh Amy , Wills Celia , Stredney Don
Published: September 2018

Home healthcare workers are exposed to numerous safety hazards within client homes. A virtual simulation training system has been developed to train home healthcare workers to recognize and remediate these hazards where possible. This paper investigates how well study participants could identify lift, slip, and trip hazards within the client’s home in the virtual simulation training system.
Head Rotation and Muscle Activity When Conducting Document Editing Tasks with a Head-Mounted Display
Authors: Kim Eunjee , Shin Gwanseob
Published: September 2018

Potential ergonomic issues associated with the use of a head mounted display (HMD) for office productivity applications have not yet been quantitatively evaluated. A laboratory experiment was conducted to quantitatively evaluate physical stresses and the productivity of the use of HMD. Twenty healthy participants conducted a document editing task for 60 minutes once with an external display and once with a HMD. Head rotation in sagittal and transverse planes, myoelectric activity of neck and shoulder muscles, subjective discomfort ratings and productivity were collected periodically during the task. Results found significantly (p<0.05) greater head rotation movements on both planes, neck muscle activities, and discomfort ratings and decreased productivity when conducting the task with the HMD as compared when using the external display. Difficulty in reading texts due to insufficient resolution of the HMD screen, additional load and neck flexion moment from the weight of the device were responsible for the greater physical stresses associated with the use of HMD.
How Packaging Characteristics Change the Perception of Product Net Weight
Authors: Wang Zhonglun , Stone Richard T. , Mumani Ahmad , Schnieders Thomas
Published: September 2018

Packaging is an interface that conveys different messages about contained products through packaging characteristics. The weight of a product is one of these messages which has implications on consumers at the points of purchase and usage. This paper investigates the effect of packaging characteristics on the perceived weight of products. Specifically, products contained in rigid/non-rigid and single/multi-pack packages are tested. Tomato sauce and milk products are tested with five packages each with 39 subjects. The results revealed that multi-packs are perceived to have the same or heavier net-weight. Rigid packages are perceived to have either same or heavier content than non-rigid packages. Milk and tomato sauce with non-rigid multi-packs (NM) were perceived to have similar net weight with rigid single-packs (RS), while non-rigid single-packs(NS) were perceived to contain less product than non-rigid multi-packs (NM) and rigid single-packs (NM = RS>NS). Proper determinations of packaging characteristics can attain desired consumers purchasing and usage behavior.
Looking Beyond the Gesture: Vocabulary Acceptability Criteria for Gesture Elicitation Studies
Authors: Gonzalez Glebys , Madapana Naveen , Taneja Rahul , Zhang Lingsong , Rodgers Richard , Wachs Juan P.
Published: September 2018

The choice of what gestures should be part of a gesture language is a critical step in the design of gesturebased interfaces. This step is especially important when time and accuracy are key factors of the user experience, such as gestural interfaces in vehicle control and sterile control of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) in the operating room (OR). Agreement studies are commonly used to find the gesture preference of the end users. These studies hypothesize that the best available gesture lexicon is the one preferred by a majority. However, these agreement approaches cannot offer a metric to assess the qualitative aspects of gestures. In this work, we propose an experimental framework to quantify, compare and evaluate gestures. This framework is grounded in the expert knowledge of speech and language professionals (SLPs). The development consisted of three studies: 1) Creation, 2) Evaluation and 3) Validation. In the creation study, we followed an adapted version of the Delphi’s interview/discussion procedure with SLPs. The purpose was to obtain the Vocabulary Acceptability Criteria (VAC) to evaluate gestures. Next, in the evaluation study, a modified method of pairwise comparisons was used to rank and quantify the gestures based on each criteria (VAC). Lastly, in the validation study, we formulated an odd one out procedure, to prove that the VAC values of a gesture are representative and sufficiently distinctive, to select that particular gesture from a pool of gestures. We applied this framework to the gestures obtained from a gesture elicitation study conducted with nine neurosurgeons, to control an imaging software. In addition, 29 SLPs comprising of 17 experts and 12 graduate students participated in the VAC study. The best lexicons from the available pool were obtained through both agreement and VAC metrics. We used binomial tests to show that the results obtained from the validation procedure are significantly better than the baseline. These results verify our hypothesis that the VAC are representative of the gestures and the subjects should be able to select the right gesture given its VAC values.
“Could you please repeat that?” Speech design best practices for minimizing errors
Authors: Hess Alyssa S. , Zellman Jenny
Published: September 2018

Until recently, designing the interactions between systems and users has relied primarily on visual communication. However, with the dramatic increase in the use of virtual assistants, voice interaction design is now a sought after skill for human factors and user experience practitioners. In this practice-oriented paper, we aim to identify the best practices for dialog designers striving to minimize errors in communication between the user and the voice-enabled system. Furthermore, we highlight the technology behind voice systems as well as the importance of minimizing errors when our voice-controlled devices become a part of highly sensitive interactions: specifically, when accessing critical, private information.

This is a practice-oriented paper highlighting six best practices for avoiding errors when designing voice-enabled systems. Errors in voice systems have been found to require a great deal of user effort to resolve, as well as strongly influence user satisfaction with their voice system. We discuss the technical foundation for voice user interfaces (VUIs) as well as the evolving nature of these systems. The purpose of this paper is to aid and inform upcoming voice design practitioners in the best method for dialog designing.
Development of an Ergonomic Method for Determination of Smartphone Hard Key Locations
Authors: Choi Younggeun , Jung Hayoung , Park Jangwoon , You Heecheon
Published: September 2018

The present study proposed a design method for determination of optimal hard key locations based on analysis of preferred grip posture and preferred hard key control area, and examined the effectiveness of the method by applying it to a smartphone with 5.0” screen. 45 participants were involved for analysis of preferred grip postures and another 44 participants were recruited for measurement of preferred hard key control area. Smartphone mock-ups which allow participants to adjust the locations of hard keys in their preference were developed having similar specification of real smartphone. L (left) 3 - R (right) 1 - K (back) 1 grip posture (82.6%) that the back side of the device is supported by the index finger and L (left) 4 - R (right) 1 grip posture (11.9%) that all five fingers contribute to grasp the device hardly were the most preferred for the smartphone with 5.0” screen. The optimal hard key locations were found 77 ~ 96 mm area from the bottom for the 20 mm right hard key and 88 ~ 97 mm area from the bottom for the 10 mm left hard key. A verification with real smartphones in various use contexts is needed to apply the results to the product design since the experiments were conducted in a laboratory setting with mock-ups.
Modeling Personas for Older Adults with Heart Failure
Authors: Holden Richard J. , Joshi Pushkar , Rao Kartik , Varrier Anagha , Daley Carly N. , Bolchini Davide , Blackburn Jessica , Toscos Tammy , Wagner Shauna , Martin Elizabeth , Miller Amy , Mirro Michael J.
Published: September 2018

In the early stages of the design process, designers often benefit from the use of personas, or archetypes of target users presented in a vivid way to highlight design-relevant characteristics. In the growing efforts to create health information technology (HIT) for older adults, empirically derived personas could help orchestrate more user-centered design activities. However, there is a lack of ready-to-use personas for older adult HIT users and more so for those designing in specific domains such as heart failure self-care. This paper presents personas of older adults derived from qualitative analysis of interviews with 24 older patients with heart failure. Analyses unearthed key dimensions distinguishing patients based on their dispositions towards the self-management of their chronic condition, including locus of control, relationship with the health/support system, information needs, and activities of self-care. Two personas are presented: Direction Follower and Researcher, with subtypes for the latter codified as Investigator and Explorer. Our work contributes to future design of systems including HIT to support chronically ill older adults.
Conceptualization and Measurement of Individual Situation Awareness (SA) in Expert Populations across Operational Domains: a systematic review of the literature with a practical purpose on our minds
Authors: Meireles Luís , Alves Luís , Cruz José
Published: September 2018

From the time when the first formal SA theories were introduced (Endsley 1995; Smith & Hancock, 1995), an underlying ontological debate concerning the nature of human perception and cognition became evident. Indeed, despite more than two decades have passed since their publication, SA epistemological status and methodology are still object of dispute. For that reason, and bearing in mind the ultimate practice-oriented goal of developing/adapting SA measurement methods for elite soccer, a systematic review of the literature was performed regarding the definition and the methods used for SA measurement in expert populations. Fifty-four studies (N=54) met the established inclusion criteria and revealed important differences concerning SA definition and assessment across different operational domains. The results are discussed regarding both the state of the art of SA literature and the adaption/development of SA assessment methods for elite soccer.
Stereotypical of Us to Stereotype Them: The Effect of System-Wide Trust on Heterogeneous Populations of Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Kluck Molly , Kohn Spencer C. , Walliser James C. , de Visser Ewart J. , Shaw Tyler H.
Published: September 2018

Operators generalize their trust across all of the autonomous agents they are working with, a phenomenon referred to as System Wide Trust (SWT). As a result, the failure of one aid can cause a trust decrement in —and therefore disuse of— all other competent aids within the system. This study explored two possible SWT mitigation strategies: competence transparency and different appearance of aids. Previous research has shown that transparency and feedback affects trust calibration in systems (Walliser et al., 2016), yet our appearance manipulation is relatively novel, using gestalt principles of grouping to explore whether heterogeneous aids will be more easily differentiated compared to homogenous aids. Participants supervised four UAVs that identified targets as enemies or friendlies. Only one of these UAVs was inaccurate (70% recommended accuracy), which caused a SWT trust decrement for all UAVs. We expected that the heterogeneous UAVs with competence transparency would suffer the least SWT effect, yet the results did not find a difference between conditions. These findings suggest that the System Wide Trust effect is too strong to be affected by our manipulations and that further research on mitigation strategies is required.
Design to Improve Player On-Boarding and Decision-Making Processes in Video Games: A Systematic Review
Authors: Endresen Ian , Nathan-Roberts Dan
Published: September 2018

Decision-making performance in video games play a vital role in player success and frustration. As video games become more complex, designers will need to develop appropriate methods to assist players to address the increased learning requirements. To understand current research on player decisions and behaviors, a systematic review was performed, identifying 202 articles and fully analyzing a total of 14 studies. After the analysis of all studies, it was determined that efficient on-boarding and decision-making design strategies requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Future research should bridge the gap of independent disciplines into a cohesive methodology for effective video game design.
The Effects Of Anxiety And Seductive Details On Cognitive Load And Learning
Authors: Olcum Ecem , Sims Valerie K.
Published: September 2018

This research seeks to understand the interaction between anxiety, seductive details, cognitive load, and learning. Research investigating the seductive details effect in learning and anxiety with relation to cognitive load has not reached a consistent conclusion. Additionally, to our knowledge, no previous study has looked at the relationship between anxiety and seductive details. Ninety five college students read a passage about lightning formation either with negative seductive details, neutral seductive details, or no seductive details. Learning performance was measured with transfer and retention tests, and cognitive load was measured by using NASA Task Load Index. The results indicated helpful effects of negative but not neutral seductive details on problem-solving test for individuals with higher fear from storms. Results showed no meaningful relationships between the seductive details effect, cognitive load, and learning performance. Anxiety producing information, in small amounts, can benefit higher order cognitive processing.
Real-Time Cognitive-State Neuroimaging in Applied Education
Authors: Wazny Jarnet Han , Nathan-Roberts Dan
Published: September 2018

The combination of advances in cognitive neuroscience & the development of powerful, yet portable, devices are enabling real-time assessments in education. Electroencephalography (EEG) & functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) are two such neuroimaging tools being explored during instruction, with a current focus on student attention, engagement, & cognitive load. Neural synchrony has been linked with successful knowledge transfer, social interaction quality, engagement level, & shared attention. These studies, along with ergonomic considerations, are the focus of this literature review. Real-time learning assessments can optimize both teacher & student performance & satisfaction. A tailored instruction has the potential to create optimal learning experiences & more-proactively address learning difficulties.
Intelligent Bed Sheet Detects Respiratory Patterns
Authors: Nicholson Laura , Lin Olivia , Shim Edward
Published: September 2018

A new technology using an intelligent bed sheet made of fabric sensors is described as a novel advancement that supports wireless and continuous monitoring of vital signs without requiring wire attachments to the body. The intelligent bed sheet developed by Studio 1 Labs Inc. (Studio 1 Labs), can be used to support three distinct groups: i) healthcare institutions with human resource constraints, ii) caregivers who provide care for seniors, infants and children at home, and iii) independent seniors who prefer to age in place. This article describes two complementary research phases using the intelligent bed sheet to detect heart rate, respiratory rate, and respiratory effort. The first phase explores sensor validation from the intelligent bed sheet with preset respiratory conditions from high technology mannequins. The second phase involves a use case with healthy young adults comparing between physiological signals from the bed sheet with standard nursing protocols of manual counts and a pulse oximeter approved by Health Canada.
The Impact of Distance Between Displays on Visual Scanning in the Laparoscopic Training Environment: The Role of Effort
Authors: Klein Martina I. , DeLucia Patricia R. , Neilson Brittany N.
Published: September 2018

The laparoscopic environment induces high attentional demands on operators due to the perceptual-motor distortions inherent in this environment. Further, successful surgical outcomes necessitate surgeons to have adequate situation awareness of the patient and the surgery. Thus, surgeons need to obtain information that is often displayed visually at different locations in the operating theater, requiring visual scanning. The present study assessed the impact of the distance between different displays on visual scanning behavior when performing a concurrent laparoscopic training task. The results of the present study have practical implications for laparoscopic surgery, indicating that critical information displayed visually should be located close to the monitor that displays the target tissue. Further, relatively difficult laparoscopic procedures (e.g., those with increased disruption of hand-eye mapping) might result in longer viewing times, and thus critical information might not be attended to because of decreased frequency of visual scanning.
Intelligent and Human-Centered Clinical Checklists: A Voice Interface for Virtualized Clinical Paths
Authors: Barberis Lorenzo , McNeese Nathan J.
Published: September 2018

Healthcare practitioners today find themselves confronting a multitude of diverse and complex tasks while under time-sensitive conditions. This dynamic is particularly apparent in the operating room, where for each operation, doctors and nurses have to make sure each surgery condition is optimal to avoid surgery complications and the spread of infections. Checklists are a helpful tool to avoid glossing over these critical steps, but their current implementation is outdated and does not leverage human-centered technology. We propose a checklist design for operating rooms that is generated by an intelligent system and is interacted with through a voice interface. By removing this burden away from the nursing staff, routine safety procedures can be expedited, and practitioners can redirect their full attention to the operation at hand.
Investigating the Efficacy of Using Hand Tremors for Early Detection of Hypoglycemic Events: A Scoping Literature Review
Authors: Zahed Karim , Sasangohar Farzan , Mehta Ranjana , Erraguntla Madhav , Lawley Mark , Qaraqe Khalid
Published: September 2018

Diabetes is a prevalent condition affecting millions of patients globally. Some diabetic patients suffer from a deadly condition called Hypoglycemia (sudden drop in blood glucose levels). Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) have been the most pervasive tool used to track blood glucose levels but these tools are invasive and costly. While early detection of hypoglycemia has been studied, current approaches do not leverage tremors; which are a primary symptom of hypoglycemia. A scoping review was conducted to understand the relationship between tremors and hypoglycemia, and to document any efforts that utilized tremor signatures non-invasively to detect hypoglycemic events. Findings suggest that hypoglycemic tremors are a medium frequency tremor, more resistant to hypoglycemic impairment than other symptoms, and have not been fully explored yet. This paper also documents the work in progress to utilize a novel wearable device that predicts the onsets of hypoglycemia using hand tremor sensing.
Pokémon Go as a Tool to Study the Social and Cognitive Factors that Impact Spatial Navigation
Authors: Blasko Dawn G. , Lum Heather C. , McGuire Mason , Eichler Tiffany , Landers Kameron , Davis Kara
Published: September 2018

Researchers in spatial navigation have the difficult task of finding ecologically valid measures while maintaining a reasonable degree of internal validity. This often means simulating wayfinding and navigation task in the laboratory which increases control but eliminates the experience of walking around a natural environment. Augmented reality games like Pokémon Go allow researchers a novel way to study individual differences in cognitive and social factors in wayfinding with a game already designed to motivate players to move around in the real world. In the current study, Pokémon Go was played either individually or socially (2 players) while a map of the player’ speed and location was created in real time. We measured play style preference, game experience and basic spatial skills (mental rotation). Mental rotation performance was correlated with enjoying the game and being more motivated to play. Although games scores and distances traveled did not differ between the individual and cooperative groups, participates reported a strong preference for playing with a group over playing alone.
The MSSQ-S Had a Stronger Correlation to Actual Motion Sickness Symptoms than the MSHQ
Authors: Wilson Michael L. , Kinsela Amelia J.
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this paper is to report the comparison of two independent measures of susceptibility to motion sickness, the Motion Sickness History Questionnaire and the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire – Short Version. Twenty-nine subjects (15 male) participated in a repeated measures study in which they were exposed to two different latency conditions in a Head-Mounted Display (HMD): constant (70 ms) and varying (70 ms – 270 ms). Sickness levels increased significantly over time in both conditions. Participants began the study with minimal symptoms, progressing to problematic levels by the end of the blocks of trials. Prior to the study all participants completed both the MSHQ and the MSSQ-S. Peak sickness levels were strongly correlated with MSSQ-S, Pearson’s r =.45, p = .01. The MSHQ susceptibility scores did not significantly correlate with peak sickness levels. This indicates for this study the MSSQ-S more accurately predicted a participant’s susceptibility to motion sickness than the MSHQ.
Toward Cyber Workforce Development: An Exploratory Survey of Information Security Professionals
Authors: Schuster David , Wu Steven
Published: September 2018

High-profile cases of network intrusions in private organizations are becoming a regular occurrence, illustrating the vulnerabilities in current information technology. Cybersecurity is an emerging specialization within information technology careers. Demand for cybersecurity professionals greatly outstrips supply, and the disparity is expected to grow. In this paper, we describe existing efforts to professionalize cybersecurity careers and contribute the results of two exploratory surveys of cybersecurity subject-matter experts (SMEs) working in large corporations in California’s Silicon Valley. We asked SMEs about their training and experience, process for threat detection and response, team organization, and major challenges. Our results are the first in a series of studies aimed at bridging the gap between evolving knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) and the development of training needed to support the cybersecurity workforce.
Predicting Stress among Pedestrian Traffic Workers Using Physiological and Situational Measures
Authors: Marois Alexandre , Lafond Daniel , Gagnon Jean-François , Vachon François , Cloutier Marie-Soleil
Published: September 2018

Traffic workers are vulnerable to accidents and must make critical decisions to avoid conflicts between road users. This can lead to high stress levels, which may hinder their capacity to mitigate the occurrence of hazards. Measuring stress on the field could represent an efficient solution to help pinpoint risky situations and identify factors that increase risk. The goal of this study was to verify whether stress among traffic workers could be predicted using physiological measures and characteristics of the work situation. Nineteen police officers in Quebec City and Montreal, Canada, performed traffic duties while their physiological activity was assessed by a wearable physiological harness. Every 15 minutes, change in subjective stress was also measured. Results showed that decision-tree models outperformed multifactorial logistic regressions for predicting subjective stress based on both situational factors and physiological measures. This demonstrated the potential of using such measures to monitor stress among traffic workers.
The effects of natural scene statistics on text readability in additive displays
Authors: Blanc-Goldhammer Daryn R. , MacKenzie Kevin J.
Published: September 2018

The minimum contrast needed for optimal text readability with additive displays (e.g. AR devices) will depend on the spatial structure of the background and text. Natural scenes and text follow similar spectral patterns. Therefore, natural scenes can mask low contrast text – making it difficult to read. In a set of experiments, we determine the minimum viable contrast for readability on an additive display. Reading performance was assessed with an RSVP task. Text was additively overlaid on algorithmically generated images that mimicked natural scene statistics. When the text to background contrast ratio was below 1.6:1, participants’ reading rates decreased rapidly. At low contrast ratios (<1.4:1), this effect was slightly mitigated for out of focus backgrounds, which reduced power from masking frequencies. Above 1.6:1, reading rate did not significantly increase but subjective quality ratings did. These results help inform the possible requirement for the development of additive display systems for consumer products.
Optimizing Waveform Descriptors and Pupillometry of the Pupillary Light Reflex Using Data Acquired from Video-Based Eye Trackers
Authors: Tyson Terence L. , Cravalho Patrick F.
Published: September 2018

Previous models of the pupillary light reflex (PLR) provided a compelling narrative to the complex dynamics of pupil oscillations. However, simple descriptors, such as the time constant obtained from curve fits of a single exponential decay, can provide easily interpretable insights into the dynamics of the PLR. To optimize these time constant estimates and improve the overall quality of the pupillometric data, the ideal eye-tracking system should implement pupillary curve-fitted algorithms that are robust against occlusion artifacts and provide the most accurate centroid approximation.
Trends in HRC and their Effects on Human Operators’ Sense of Presence in Manufacturing Settings
Authors: Hagiwara Himeka
Published: September 2018

The introduction of robotic collaborators in manufacturing environments has the potential to interrupt human operators’ sense of physical presence when completing tasks, which can impact comfort, safety, and productivity. As a result, an examination of Human Robotic Collaboration (HRC) systems is called for in order to determine whether and how these systems are affecting human operator sense of presence. This review identifies trends and themes in HRC systems in order to identify patterns and opportunities for improvement.
Visuomotor Coupling during Two-Handed Tasks: An Investigation of Bimanual and Intermanual Coordination
Authors: Crites Michael J. , Gorman Jamie C.
Published: September 2018

This study investigated previously observed differences in speed when completing a two-handed task using either the bimanual coordination mode (i.e., an individual completing a two-handed task) or the intermanual coordination mode (i.e., two people completing a two-handed task). When comparing these coordination modes, various research domains have reported an intermanual “mode effect” of speed. Research suggests that the difference in performance may depend on fundamental characteristics of each coordination mode that facilitate or impede speed during two-handed tasks. To further investigate this intermanual speed advantage, a task was constructed to exploit a hypothesized bimanual limitation that may underlie this mode effect: bimanual visuomotor coupling. Results replicated the intermanual speed advantage and showed a higher degree of visuomotor coupling during bimanual performance. Subsequent analyses suggest that speed during two-handed tasks may be a function of visuomotor coupling, regardless of coordination mode.
Improving the U.S. Adult Immunization Schedule by Applying Usability Principles
Authors: Chen Dar-Wei , Schaeffer Laura M. , Preusse Kimberly , Gable Thomas M. , Hartzell Carolyn , McGlynn Sean , Yoo Angela , Gipson Christina , Kim David
Published: September 2018

Human factors (HF) can be implemented in various domains to improve usability, and healthcare is no exception. A student team from Georgia Tech was consulted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about performing a straightforward user-centered redesign of the CDC’s immunization schedule. Using classic design principles (e.g., consistency, simplicity, clarity), the team created a prototype schedule that aims to produce HF-driven efficiency of use while maintaining a form that fits with end-user expectations of the schedule. The CDC implemented some of the team’s design recommendations in its 2017 immunization schedule, and more changes could be implemented in the 2018 version of the schedule.
The Effect of Aesthetic Principles and a Functional Prime on Participant Ratings of Visual Appeal
Authors: Kent Travis M. , Carswell C. Melody , Popham Jamey
Published: September 2018

A recent thread of usability research is the investigation of the relationship between a product’s degree of usability and its degree of beauty. Previous research endeavors have found support for both “what is beautiful is usable” and “what is usable is beautiful” claims, emphasizing the need for further study on the topic. The current study was performed to further investigate this relationship by manipulating usability indirectly – by use of a functional prime, and by experimentally manipulating aesthetic principles. One hundred twenty-two participants rated sixteen manipulated on four aesthetic principles: symmetry, composition, curvature, and prototypicality after being presented with one of two functional primes. Results indicate that the aesthetic principles of symmetry and composition are independent primed function whereas curvature was dependent on priming.