bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Task-Load Transitions on Team Postural Dynamics
Authors: Tolston Michael , Strang Adam J. , Funke Gregory J. , Satterfield Kelly , Miller Brent
Published: October 2015

This study examined order effects of task-load (TL) transitions on team task performance and interpersonal postural coordination. Twenty-three dyads played a cooperative video game (Air Force Spaceship Simulator-AFSS) under two task-load order conditions (high-low-high; low-high-low). Performance was affected by task-load, with dyads performing more efficiently under low task-load. For interpersonal postural coordination, we found an interaction between task-load and order of presentation. Specifically, pairs that transitioned from high-to-low TL exhibited less stable coordination in the high TL condition than pairs transitioning from low-to-high, indicating that measures of postural coordination may provide insight into team dynamics that is not captured by assessing team performance alone. We also confirmed that the postural coordination we observed was indeed driven by inherent demands of the team task, and was additionally indicative of individual team coordination patterns. This latter finding is potentially indicative of individual differences in team strategy.
A Wearable Vibrotactile Display for Automotive Route Guidance
Authors: Szczerba Joseph , Hersberger Roger , Mathieu Roy
Published: October 2015

Automotive navigation systems typically provide distance and directional information of an ensuing maneuver by means of visual indicators and audible instructions. These systems, however, use the same human perception channels that are required to perform the primary task of driving, and may consequently increase cognitive workload. A vibrotactile display was designed as an alternative to voice instruction and implemented in a consumer wearable device (smart-glasses). Using a driving simulator, the prototype system was compared to conventional navigation systems by assessing usability, workload, performance and preference. Results indicated that the use of haptic feedback in smart-glasses can improve secondary task performance over the conventional visual/auditory navigation system. Additionally, users preferred the haptic system over the other conventional systems. This study indicates that existing technologies found in consumer wearable devices may be leveraged to enhance the user-interface of vehicle navigation systems.
Investigating Operator Aids for Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicles
Authors: Evans William A. , Hill Susan G.
Published: October 2015

In the past, robot operation has been a high-cognitive-workload task requiring human operators to dedicate a large amount of their cognitive resources to maintaining awareness about a robot’s state and functioning. This report describes operator-knowledge-management aids, in the form of visual display-screen overlays, used to help increase performance. The aids were overlays displaying what an autonomous robot perceived in the environment and the subsequent course of action planned by the robot. Eight Soldiers completed 16 scenario missions using an operator interface called the Warfighter Machine Interface. The simulated missions included various display configurations, with combinations with and without 3 operator aids: Travel Planner, Obstacle Map, and Rerouting Alert. During the simulations, participants managed the autonomously navigating robot, taking teleoperation control when needed, while completing a reconnaissance to detect simulated improvised explosive devices. Results of this study showed that the use of operator aids resulted in less use of manual teleoperation control, suggesting that operators were better able to predict robot actions, understand the projected robot paths, and have less need to manually intervene in autonomous robot behavior. The use of operator aids did not, however, contribute to improved target detection.
The Effect of Perceived Choice on Performance, Workload, and Stress
Authors: Isard Jennifer L. , Szalma James L.
Published: October 2015

Many tasks in both military and industrial settings require monitoring a display or an environment for the appearance of a target stimulus. The capacity to remain vigilant decreases with time on task and, consequently, there has been research devoted to developing methods to improve sustained attention. The goal for this study was to investigate the effects of a perceived choice for task difficulty on the performance, perceived workload, and stress of individuals as well as replicate past vigilance findings related to time on task and event rate using a first-person perspective movement-based vigilance task. The hypotheses were partially supported. There was a marginal reduction in both false alarm frequency and frustration depending on perceived choice condition and a choice by task difficulty interaction for physical demand. The results for time on task and event rate effects were consistent with previous research.
On the Cognitive Demands of Different Controller Dynamics
Authors: Scheer Menja , Buelthoff Heinrich H. , Chuang Lewis L.
Published: October 2015

The cognitive workload of a steering task could reflect its demand on attentional as well as working memory resources under different conditions. These respective demands could be differentiated by evaluating components of the event-related potential (ERP) response to different types of stimulus probes, which are claimed to reflect the availability of either attention (i.e., novelty-P3) or working memory (i.e., target-P3) resources. Here, a within-subject analysis is employed to evaluate the robustness of ERP measurements in discriminating the cognitive demands of different steering conditions. We find that the amplitude of novelty-P3 ERPs to task-irrelevant environmental sounds is diminished when participants are required to perform a steering task. This indicates that steering places a demand on attentional resources. In addition, target-P3 ERPs to a secondary auditory detection task vary when the controller dynamics in the steering task are manipulated. This indicates that differences in controller dynamics vary in their working memory demands.
Influence of Stereoscopic Depth on the Flanker Compatibility Effect
Authors: Funke Gregory J. , Vidulich Michael A. , Warm Joel S. , Patterson Robert E. , Finomore Victor S. , Dukes Allen W. , Barnes Laura E.
Published: October 2015

Modern air-traffic control displays feature complex symbology that may negatively impact operator performance efficiency. Manipulations of stereoscopic depth have been proposed as a means to declutter such displays and thereby to enhance operator performance. In this study, we employed a flanker task designed by Eriksen and Eriksen (1974) to further investigate that possibility. Participants were required to correctly respond to target letters from the sets H and K and S and C that were bordered horizontally by response compatible and response incompatible flanking letters. Using a stereoscopic imaging technique, the flanking letters were made to appear .1 and .8 cm in front of or behind the target letters, or on the same plane as the target letters. Consistent with the findings of Eriksen and Eriksen (1974), when all letters appeared on the same plane, response times (RTs) to target letters in the presence of response incompatible flanking letters were significantly elevated in comparison to RTs in the presence of response compatible flanking letters. These effects were eliminated when the flankers appeared to be slightly in front of the target letters or at both distances behind the target letters. However, the flanker effects were restored when the flankers appeared well in front of the target letters. The results suggest that the decluttering ability of stereoscopic depth is complex and dependent on the relative apparent distance between the targets and their bordering flanker elements.
Effect of Viewing Angle on 3D Multiple Object Tracking
Authors: Weber Brad , Ni Rui
Published: October 2015

Multiple object tracking (MOT) has been used extensively in studies on visual attention and working memory in a dynamic environment. However, the majority of MOT research findings have been collected using two dimensional (2D) displays. Given the lack of ecological connection between 2D MOT displays and 3D real-world visual scenes, the current study aims to investigate the effect of 3D depth information on tracking performance of multiple objects moving in monocular 3D environments. Specifically, the MOT displays were generated in a way to simulate different viewing positions from an observer’s perspective. It was found that the MOT tracking performance significantly decreased with increased target number and shallow viewing angles as small as 15°. The results suggest that 3D MOT programs that mimic more ecological viewing angles could be a better indicator of tracking performance in real-world conditions.
The Moon’s Contribution to Nighttime Illuminance in Different Environments
Authors: Todd J. Jay , Barakat Brandon , Tavassoli Abtine , Krauss David A.
Published: October 2015

The moon’s contribution to illuminance was investigated in order to determine the role it may play in providing a level of illuminance suitable to perform everyday tasks in nighttime outdoor environments. The level of illuminance provided in an area void of artificial lighting was compared to illuminance in an urban environment. Moon phase affected illuminance only in the absence of urban lighting. This effect was lost when controlling for altitude and azimuth, suggesting the moon’s location in the sky has a more significant effect on illuminance than the phase of the moon. These results are discussed in relation to our current understanding and experience of navigating and operating in nighttime environments.
Arrow Key Configurations on Laptop Keyboards
Authors: Thomas Eric , DeLeon Ruben , Kelling Nicholas , Harper Christy
Published: October 2015

Over the years, many configurations of the navigation arrow keys have been developed and implemented. As laptops have become smaller, keyboard sizes have followed suit. Consequently, arrow key configurations have been looked at to help free up real estate on the keyboard. The most common configuration currently is the inverted-T; however, the modified-T is being investigated as a possible solution to provide more space on laptop keyboards. This study sought to understand how the inverted-T and the modified-T compare in terms of performance and user preference. Performance was defined by accuracy and speed of use on a series of tasks, where accuracy was measured by number of errors and speed was measured by task completion time. User preference was evaluated using the System Usability Scale. Results showed that user performance and preference did not differ significantly between the two keyboard designs. This has practical implications for laptop keyboard design.
Content Validation from Card Sorting
Authors: Atkinson Beth F. Wheeler , Tindall Mitchell J.
Published: October 2015

During the content validation phase of the development of a hybrid heuristic/survey-based usability assessment technique, the authors of this paper conducted a card sort with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in Human Factors Psychology. The information provided would inform the initial usability dimensions (e.g., Help, Learnability, Graphic Design & Aesthetics) used in the resulting technique. While Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) is the standard approach to data analysis with card sorts, several factors (e.g., size of data set, application of system, nature of construct measured) led the research team to consider alternatives. As a result, data derived from this card sort were analyzed in two ways: 1) using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and, 2) Using (HCA). The use of the two methods provided an opportunity for researchers to compare their quality and utility in informing dimensions used during the construct validation phase. While HCA was more detailed and provided a better visual description as to how individual items were related to others and broad dimensions, the results were far from parsimonious, making it difficult to determine the meaning of broad dimensions and exactly where those dimensions deviated from others. In contrast, CFA resulted in clear and distinct dimensions with individual items loading on no more than two dimensions (e.g., one primary and one secondary). With that said, the CFA resulted in the rejection of more items as many did not load on the extant dimensions. The general conclusions of this psychometric methodological comparison, for the validation of a Usability evaluation method, is that while HCA is an excellent method for understanding the intercorrelations and intricacies of a construct (i.e., Usability), it may not be the best suited approach for developing a usability method intended to provide systematic feedback to system developers. If the goal is the development of a usability assessment technique, researchers and practitioners alike can use CFA to analyze their card sort data and inform the construct validation phase of their measure.
A Neck Support for Alleviating Occupational Neck Pain
Authors: Yee Christina A. , Kazerooni Homayoon
Published: October 2015

While neck pain is common among occupations such as dentistry and machine operations which require static neck flexion, few products are available to alleviate workers’ neck pain while still permitting them to perform their daily tasks. Therefore, the goal of this project is to develop a neck support which alleviates neck pain while still allowing workers to comfortably perform all tasks. To accomplish this goal, we designed a device which supports the head and redistributes neck muscle loads during neck flexion to the upper body. We also built a prototype of our design and used surface electromyography (EMG) testing to evaluate its efficacy. EMG results showed that our device decreases neck muscle activity during flexion by 60% overall and 80% for certain subjects. Statistical analysis of the EMG results using repeated measures analysis of variance also showed our device’s reduction in neck muscle activity was statistically significant.
Ergonomic Evaluation of Console Chairs for a Weapon Locating Radar
Authors: Lee Baekhee , Jung Kihyo , Jeong Jineun , Kim Jinman , Hong Wongi , Park Seikwon , You Heecheon
Published: October 2015

The present study is intended to evaluate the usability of a console chair for a weapon locating radar by comparing with different kinds of chair design. Console chairs need to be ergonomically designed to reduce physical workload of operators and improve mission capability; few studies have been reported which systematically evaluate usability of military console chairs. Ergonomic design of a console chair, a bus seat, and an office chair was evaluated in terms of headrest, seatback, seatpan, armrest, and controller on a 7-point scale. Ten males in their 20s and 30s were recruited considering the demographic characteristics of console operators. The satisfaction scores of the console chair for headrest, seatback, and seatpan were significantly higher than those of the bus seat (mean difference; MD = 0.9) and office chair ( MD = 1.3). Meanwhile, the satisfaction scores of the console chair for armrest and controller were significantly lower than those of the office chair ( MD = -1.4) and bus seat ( MD = -2.2). The armrest and controller of the console chair needs ergonomic improvements for better comfort. The evaluation results of the console chair would be of use for ergonomic console chair design.
Evaluating the Impact of Changing to an All-Touch Keypad for a Mobile Workforce
Authors: Bankston Noël R. , Nair Chandra
Published: October 2015

Mobile industrial workers are bringing new expectations of familiar and intuitive experiences from their smartphones to the rugged industrial work environment. The impact of moving from physical keys on dedicated, enterprise-class, rugged devices to virtual keys on rugged next-generation devices in industrial environments is not well understood. This study utilized business-critical data entry workflows used by package delivery professionals to measure task completion time, error rates, and subjective preferences when comparing legacy physical keys to virtual keys. The study was designed to compare physical to virtual keys with data entry tasks for the same workflow without optimizing or changing the interface. The results showed that the users indicated an overall preference for the virtual keypad and exhibited faster typing speeds on the virtual keypad. The results did not show any statistical difference in total task time. Users were more likely to detect and correct their errors on a virtual keypad, but were also more likely to mistype on the virtual keypad. These initial findings show that the transition from physical to virtual keypads for package delivery workflows will not adversely impact worker productivity, and could potentially increase productivity and reduce training time.
Touch Behavior Analysis for Large Screen Smartphones
Authors: Zhang Yu , Ou Bo , Ding Qicheng , Yang Yiying
Published: October 2015

As phone touch screen becomes larger and larger, for single hand holding posture, the user interaction can be extremely hard if icon do not be placed into proper touch area. So it is necessary to know the specific suitable touch zone on large phone screen. In this paper we performed a target selection task on a large screen smartphone and analyzed the task performance under different variable conditions. Response time, hit rate and hit offset differences between gender and target location and the possible reasons for such difference are discussed. Design recommendation for button and icon location are also been discussed based on the experiment result.
Minimal Physical Features Required for Social Robots
Authors: Martini Molly C. , Murtza Rabia , Wiese Eva
Published: October 2015

Social robotics strives to create robots that enable social interactions similar to those experienced between two humans with the goal to increase performance in human-robot interaction (HRI). This is often achieved by designing robots that create an illusion of intentionality either through biologically inspired design or functional design in which the agent mirrors the cognitive or physical aspects of a human. The current study focused on functionally inspired design with the intent to learn what minimal features need to be included in the physical design of a social robot in order for it to appear as an intentional agent. Two groups of three and four participants respectively were lead through a design thinking workshop in which they brainstormed and ranked the physical features and expected interactions of social and non-social robots. They were asked to sketch ideal and minimum versions of each type of robot which were then evaluated on the degree to which different mental states were attributed to the robot (as only an intentional agent can have a mind and therefore mental states). Results showed that the minimum features required for participants to attribute mental states to a robot include an emotive head with eyes and a mouth. This minimal feature set can be utilized by social roboticists to aid in future designs in order to save both time and monetary resources.
Evaluating Control Room Interface Design and Automation in Petrochemical Operations
Authors: Schwartz Sophie , Ikuma Laura H. , Harvey Craig
Published: October 2015

Console operators are responsible for much of the safety and productivity of petrochemical facilities through continuous monitoring and mitigation of potential issues. These critical activities happen through complex human machine interfaces (HMIs), and recent studies suggest that the current interfaces in use are not supportive enough to inform console operators of potential issues. The current research sought to identify current industry practices in interface displays and describe their limitations based on human factors research and models. The research team visited three refineries with different distributed control systems (DCS) implementations to evaluate the current state of HMIs. During each visit, researchers evaluated the current HMIs and interviewed console operators about the usability of the current interfaces. No system reviewed assisted the controller’s decision-making process. Instead, the systems only provided the console operator data that they are expected to integrate to make a decision. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current state of HMIs found during the petrochemical facility visits and outline the limitations of current HMIs by comparing the console operator activities with the levels of automation that the HMIs provide.
Store-Related Injuries to Children and Adults
Authors: Kim Robyn , Crump Caroline , Harley Erin , Nauhaus Genevieve , Yigit-Elliott Serap
Published: October 2015

The present study investigated in detail the circumstances and patterns of injury experienced by adults and children in retail store environments in the United States. Data from the CPSC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database were analyzed, yielding a total national estimate of 85,403 injuries occurring inside stores for the year 2012. Injuries were analyzed by severity, type of injury, accident mode, objects/conditions involved in the accident, and age of the injured. The majority of store-related injuries were not severe, and did not involve interaction with store-related objects or factors unique to store environments. The most common accident modes were general falls, unintentional contact with an object or person, falls from objects (such as carts) and slips. Children under the age of 5 had the highest rates of injury, most commonly resulting from falls from shopping carts. Adults over the age of 65 had the second highest rates of injury, typically resulting from general falls not caused by specific store-related objects.
A Call for Updating the FHSA Regulations With Warnings Research and to Match ANSI Z535.4
Authors: Nemire Kenneth , Vigilante William J.
Published: October 2015

The Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) regulations apply to many household products that may cause substantial personal injury or illness as a result of customary or foreseeable use. This article examines a warning on an FHSA-regulated hazardous product involved in a fatality and discusses how the warning would have been more effective had the FHSA, and the product labeling, followed guidelines provided by the American National Standards Institute Z535.4 standard for Product Safety Signs and Labels. The article concludes with a call to update the FHSA with information from current warning research and standards that, if implemented in FHSA labeling requirements for manufacturers, would lead to more effective warnings.
Using Computational Tree Logic Methods to Analyze Reachability in User Documentation
Authors: Abbate Andrew J. , Bass Ellen J.
Published: October 2015

To support navigability, user documentation designers may use a table of contents, cross-References within procedures with page locations for related procedures, and in the case of PDF documentation, hyperlinks. Although standards and guidance exist for supporting navigable user documentation, problems appear across multiple industries including aviation and healthcare. To support user documentation development, we present a reachability analysis approach leveraging computational tree logic (CTL) reachability specifications as usability criteria coupled with a CTL model checker. A case study informed by an entry in an industry database highlights the effectiveness of the approach.
Specific Evacuation Instructions Enhance Spoken Fire Warnings
Authors: Taylor Jesseca R. I. , Wogalter Michael S.
Published: October 2015

Most building fire alarms are presented auditorily and almost all are simple non-verbal sounds, such as bells and buzzers—despite the availability of inexpensive, feasible, voice-presentation technology. One advantage of speech or vocal signals is that they can convey specific avoidance instructions. This study examined the content (wording) of spoken fire alarms. Sixty-five participants rated 90 spoken fire evacuation warnings plus two non-speech sounds (white noise and a recording of an actual [simple, nonverbal] fire alarm) on a 9-point scale (0=not at all, 8=extremely) on their acceptability as a building fire alarm. Significantly higher ratings were assigned to spoken than to non-spoken warnings, except the recorded fire alarm had significantly higher ratings compared to the shortest speech warning (“Fire, Fire”). Speech warnings that provided evacuation instructions (e.g., “Use Stairs”) and communicated the need to evacuate right away (e.g., “Exit Now”) were rated significantly higher than those lacking that information. Implications of these results are discussed.
Evaluating the Public Perceptions of Landslide Risks in the Himalayan Mandi Town
Authors: Chaturvedi Pratik , Dutt Varun
Published: October 2015

Landslide experts have developed very detailed landslide hazard maps for different parts of Himalayas in India. These maps indicate the types of damage possible and the probabilities of adverse events. Six categories of risk severity are defined on the maps, ranging from severe risk to very low risk. Based on the existing maps, we selected respondents for a survey, some from areas high in risk and others from low-risk regions. Respondents answered several questions related to landslide risk perception and preparedness. Survey results showed a lack of awareness about the scientific causes of landslides among Mandi residents. Most of the respondents were of the belief that they lived at a safe place. Survey results suggested that many inhabitants did not know that landslide hazard maps existed for their region and most of them were not able to understand them. People overestimated the risks associated with landslides. Consequently, some people were more worried of landslides than was justified by the facts. Another important finding was that since catastrophic landslides are rare events, most of the people were risk averse. These people did not show prevention behaviour, and they were not well prepared for an adverse event. Furthermore, results suggest that respondents’ experiences with landslides were positively related to their perceptions of landslide risk. Thus, findings of the present study comply with the concept of availability heuristic.
Studying Situation Awareness on a Shoestring Budget
Authors: Ulrich Thomas A. , Werner Steffen , Boring Ronald L.
Published: October 2015

Current situation awareness (SA) experiments typically involve large-scale field studies or simulations with industry experts servings as participants. In addition, however, smaller scale approaches to examining SA can allow researchers to focus on specific theoretical questions that would otherwise be cost prohibitive. The benefits of using a microworld approach to examine SA are presented along with a prototype microworld simulation environment demonstrating a novel example approach to evaluating SA via the change blindness paradigm. The latest iteration of this prototype includes a microworld simulation of a simplified nuclear process control intended for examining cognitive aspects of SA with student participants. The pilot study results provide promise for continued use of this microworld approach and further investigation into novel SA evaluation techniques such as change blindness.
A Fine Line
Authors: Stokes Thomas A. , Gillan Douglas J. , Strauss Jemma M.
Published: October 2015

Trend lines are a powerful visualization tool for displaying data over a period of time. Previous research has shown that trend lines are encoded as a single object containing one value (a slope for linear trends), but the exact mechanics of how trend stimuli are processed is not well known. The present research set out to determine what factors impact comparisons between trend line slopes and what is the visual and cognitive process that underlies these comparisons. Results suggest that there may be a two-phase process when searching for an extremum in a set of trend lines, where during an initial phase a person will search the stimuli based on a mental anchor to identify candidates, and then make direct comparisons between those competitors during a second phase. This trend holds true whether a person is searching for the steepest or least steep slope in a set of trend lines. This result has instant applications to visualization designers who use slope as a feature in their graphics, and is especially important when choosing x/y axis aspect ratio as this choice directly transforms presented slope.
The Effects of High Stress on Attention
Authors: Prinet Julie C. , Sarter Nadine B.
Published: October 2015

Attentional narrowing – the involuntary reduction in the range of cues that can be utilized by an individual – represents a major threat in many complex data-rich domains. Still, very little empirical research has been conducted to better understand and overcome the problem, in large part because it is difficult to reliably induce the phenomenon in controlled settings. The present study examined the effectiveness of two factors – high attentional load and ego-threat - for inducing high levels of stress and attentional narrowing in the context of a simplified air traffic control (ATC) task. Five participants were asked to complete two simultaneous noticing tasks - one presented centrally, the other in the periphery of the screen. In the high stress condition, they also had to perform a concurrent paced addition task (high attentional load) and received false feedback on their performance (ego-threat). Performance on the two main ATC tasks and the addition task was measured. Subjective ratings were collected to assess participants’ anxiety levels. High attentional load and ego-threat increased participants’ anxiety level. Overall, performance on the ATC tasks suffered slightly during high stress, suggesting a reduction in the spread of attention. Also, performance on the addition was significantly reduced when performed concurrently with the ATC tasks, as compared to the training phase. The findings from this study represent an important step towards being able to induce and study attentional narrowing systematically and to develop countermeasures to this significant safety threat.
Individual Differences in Cognition as Predictors of Driving Performance
Authors: Louie Jennifer F. , Mouloua Mustapha
Published: October 2015

The present study empirically examined the role of individual differences in working memory capacity and executive attention on driving performance. Forty participants first completed a series of tasks measuring working memory capacity and executive attention. They then completed simulated driving routes while concurrently engaging a secondary task. The secondary (distractor) task was a 20-questions game in which participants were required to ask twenty “yes-or-no” questions to guess the experimenter’s word as a way to simulate natural conversation. Participants were randomly assigned to complete the secondary task by either calling or texting. Results showed a significant interaction of distraction condition and allocation phase on the number of lane deviations. Participants in the texting condition had significantly poorer driving outcomes during distraction compared to those in the calling condition. Both theoretical and practical implications of this study are also discussed.
Apples to Oranges
Authors: Welk Allaire K. , Gillan Douglas J.
Published: October 2015

Inattentional blindness research suggests that individuals are not “blind” to unexpected events; instead, unexpected information is perceived and processed, and can reach attention, based on the information contained within these events. Factors that have been shown to influence further processing and subsequent attention include luminance (Most, Simons, Scholl, and Chabris, 2000) and color (Welk, Creager, and Gillan, 2014). The current research examined how semantic content of unexpected events influenced the processing of these events in an inattentional dual task. Participants performed a dynamic, computer-based visual task, in which unexpected events occasionally occurred; semantic relevance of these unexpected events was manipulated across trials. Results indicated that the degree of semantic relatedness of unexpected events did not significantly affect primary task performance or the detection of unexpected events. This suggests that semantic content is processed differently from perceptual content in a visual inattention task. The authors propose that the processing of semantic information in visual inattention tasks may be analogous to the processing that takes place in dichotic listening tasks; specifically that the processing of semantic content may be more dependent on the availability of attentional resources than perceptual content. Future directions are discussed.
Investigating Older Adults’ Trust, Causal Attributions, and Perception of Capabilities in Robots as a Function of Robot Appearance, Task, and Reliability
Authors: Branyon Jessica , Pak Richard
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which appearance, task, and reliability of a robot is susceptible to stereotypic thinking. Stereotypes can influence the types of causal attributions that people make about the performance of others. Just as causal attributions may affect an individual’s perception of other people, it may similarly affect perceptions of technology. Stereotypes can also influence perceived capabilities of others. In situations where stereotypes are activated, an individual’s perceived capabilities are typically diminished. The tendency to adjust perceptions of capabilities of others may translate into levels of trust placed in the individual’s abilities. A factorial survey using video vignettes will be utilized to assess young and older adults’ attitudes toward a robot’s behavior and appearance. We hypothesize that a robot’s older appearance will yield lower levels of trust, more dispositional attributions, and lower perceptions of capabilities while high reliability should positively impact trust.
Implicit Theories of Technology
Authors: Pybus Lawton , Gillan Douglas J.
Published: October 2015

What makes someone “good with technology,” or else “technologically illiterate”? The study of implicit theories has previously demonstrated that people develop ideas about the malleability of their own abilities in a number of domains, including intelligence, athletics, gaming and using technology. Some think of their abilities as fixed and unchangeable (entity theorists), while others think of them as adaptable through work and/or experience (incremental theorists). These beliefs influence people’s goal outcomes. In this study, we examine implicit theories as a possible contributor to people’s performance using modern technologies. We use an adapted instrument to measure implicit theories of technology, followed by an ecologically valid technological task. People with incremental theories showed better performance than those with entity theories. We discuss implications of this research for practitioners, as well as avenues for future research.
An Evaluation of Human Mental Models of Tactical Robot Movement
Authors: Talone Andrew B. , Phillips Elizabeth , Ososky Scott , Jentsch Florian
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we describe an ongoing exploratory study investigating human mental models of tactical robot movement under different combinations of mission commands, constraints, and environmental features. In particular, we are assessing the relationship between participants’ mental models of robot form and their expectations for robot movement. The results of this study will inform the design of future experimentation with a soldier population and the design of tactical robot movement behaviors. Due to data collection being in its early stages, findings will be presented at the 2015 HFES Annual Meeting.
The Impact of Training Method on Skill Acquisition and Transfer
Authors: Alfred Myrtede , Neyens David M. , Gramopadhye Anand K.
Published: October 2015

Technology, such as simulations and virtual reality (VR), can be used for training students and employees. Using these tools may have implications for skills development and retention, specifically related to individual differences and technology’s effectiveness as a learning tool. To explore this issue, a pilot study was used to evaluate how an individual’s performance on a task (i.e., the building an electrical circuit), differs depending on the physical fidelity of the learning environment. In addition, this study examined the effects of cognitive ability and goal orientation on task performance. Specifically this study investigated different methods for practicing the building of electrical circuits using a 2D breadboard simulation, a 3D virtual breadboard, and a physical breadboard. The preliminary results of this pilot study found that physical fidelity of learning environment was a significant predictor of construction time and circuit accuracy. Cognitive ability and learning goal orientation were significant predictors of gain scores and diagram accuracy.
Effectiveness of a Dual Control Theoretic Driver Assistance for Attaining Safety and Identifying Driver State
Authors: Saito Yuichi , Itoh Makoto , Inagaki Toshiyuki
Published: October 2015

We have proposed a driver assistance system with a dual control theoretic scheme, which tries to perform safety control of a vehicle as well as identification of a driver’s cognitive state simultaneously. To investigate the functionality and effectiveness on attaining safety and identifying driver state, we collected driver behavior data when the system was active. In this paper, driver state identification methods are proposed, and a trade-off relationship between detection accuracy of drowsy driving and time to detect drowsy driving are verified through a leave-one-out cross-validation technique.
Investigating Redundant Multimodal Speedometer Displays for Supporting Concurrent Lane and Speed Tracking
Authors: Yang Shiyan , Nevins Lashawn , Ferris Thomas K.
Published: October 2015

Driving heavily requires visual processing resources. This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of novel speedometer displays that offload the visual channel by encoding speed data in auditory and tactile presentations. Building on previous work, this study specifically examined dimensional effects in these displays to see whether simple or redundantly-encoded displays were better for supporting multitask performance. Four displays relayed information about current vehicle speed relative to a target speed and performance effects in concurrent lane-tracking and speed-tracking tasks were compared. The experimental results showed that the spatial location dimension in both modalities significantly improved the speed-tracking performance and also the total performance; whereas the displays with redundant beat patterns did not further improve performance beyond the spatial displays. An understanding of the dimensional effects provides better support the design of multimodal display for multi-tracking performance in driving scenarios and other domains.
Impact of In-vehicle Voice Control Systems on Driver Distraction
Authors: Wu Jiarui , Chang Chun-Cheng , Boyle Linda Ng , Jenness James
Published: October 2015

Many in-vehicle systems have multimodal interfaces and allow mobile device connectivity to embedded and cloud-based systems. However, some drivers continue to use their hand-held devices regardless of whether the device can be synched with the vehicle. In these situations, drivers appear to rely more on voice interfaces given the perception that they may be safer to use for performing in-vehicle tasks. Drivers use of these systems within their own vehicles was explored using contextual interviews conducted in Seattle, WA and Rockville, MD. The study was conducted on planned routes with 64 participants, who were asked to perform voice control tasks for communication, navigation, accessing information, and entertainment while driving. The interviews were video recorded and a researcher rode along and logged the responses and errors made during the voice interactions. Cognitive workload was assessed using the NASA TLX (Task Load Index). The study showed that drivers are willing to use various voice control devices using smartphones, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) installed voice systems, or a combination. The types of errors made and the level of workload perceived varied among the different voice tasks, indicating that varying levels of distraction can occur with voice interfaces.
Collection and Analysis of Physiological Measures in Driving Research
Authors: Gable Thomas M. , Walker Bruce N. , Baldwin Carryl L. , Gable Thomas M. , Jeon Myounghoon , Kun Andrew L. , Mehler Bruce
Published: October 2015

Driving research has recently seen a surge in the collection and use of physiological measurements. This use of physiological data is often part of an attempt to either measure cognitive load or detect affective states. While these methods are becoming more popular it seems that many driving researchers are still unsure of the best methods of data collection and analysis. This discussion panel will center around a question and answer session between the audience and experts in techniques for the collection and analysis of physiological measures in the driving research fields to help researchers increase their productivity in this space and provide a forum for frank discussion on methods in the area.
Detection of Operator Drowsiness Using Google Glass
Authors: He Jibo , Choi William , Wu Xiaohui , Yang Yan
Published: October 2015

Background: Drowsiness is one of the major factors that cause accidents in driving and aviation. Existing drowsiness detection systems using camera and EEG have several limitations, such as price, intrusiveness, and reliability. A Google-Glass-based drowsiness detection system was developed and tested to explore the feasibility of using the sensors of wearable devices to detect drowsiness. Methods: The technology uses the accelerometer and proximity sensors of Google Glass to detect eye blinks, a commonly used indicator of drowsiness. Results: A simulated driving study showed that drowsy drivers differed significantly in the frequency of eye blinks compared to when they were attentive. A threshold algorithm for proximity sensor can reliably detect eye blinks, and proved the feasibility to use Google Glass to detect operator drowsiness. Applications: This technology can reduce drowsiness-related accidents in driving and aviation.
Bicyclist Behavior at Stop Signs
Authors: Ayres Thomas J. , Kelkar Rajeev , Kubose Tate , Shekhawat Vivek
Published: October 2015

Unobtrusive observations of bicyclists were conducted at two-way, three-way, and four-way stop-controlled intersections. Consistent with previous reports, most cyclists did not stop at the stop sign. However, most cyclists did exhibit safety-related behaviors by making accommodations for traffic conditions. It was found that the cyclists conducted precautionary visual search when approaching stop signs, and that they were more likely to slow substantially or stop if cross traffic was not controlled by stop signs or if there were potential conflicts from other road users. Implications for safety interventions are discussed.
Sampling Biases Associated with Driver Distraction Tasks in a Simulated Environment
Authors: Wu Xingwei , Boyle Linda Ng , Marshall Dawn
Published: October 2015

Participants recruited for driving simulator studies may need to be excluded if they fail to complete the study as designed. The data that is analyzed therefore includes a sampling bias that is not typically considered but important to recognize. This sampling bias was examined using a study involving five data collection sites in the US. The goal of the original study was to examine the effectiveness of a forward collision warning system. A distracting task is part of the study protocol to divert drivers’ attention away from the braking lights of the forward vehicle. In this experiment, two groups of participants became ineligible for further data analysis: (1) conservative drivers who had difficulty being artificially distracted and (2) risky drivers who did not maintain vehicle control while distracted. Two separate binary logit models were used to identify factors associated with these two driver types. As age increased, drivers were more likely to be in one of these driver types and are therefore, likely to be disqualified from further examination. Females had a higher likelihood of losing control during the distraction task when compared to males. Further, drivers with previous driving simulator experience were better able to maintain vehicle control while distracted. Drivers in two (Iowa City, IA and Seattle, WA) of the five sites were less likely to be distracted. The sampling biases observed among older drivers and female drivers may have implications with respect to the generalization of the findings. The site differences observed may be indicative of ordering effects in that IA and WA were the first two sites to begin data collection. Once issues with attrition became apparent, there was a greater emphasis on the experimental training in the latter data collection sites.
A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Tablet-based Training Program for Younger Drivers
Authors: Krishnan Akhilesh , Samuel Siby , Romoser Matthew , Fisher Donald
Published: October 2015

Driver distraction is a leading cause of crashes, especially among novice drivers. Distraction for novice drivers is especially problematic in the presence of latent hazards (hazards which are not visible but could very well materialize). The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a tablet-based training program called the Engaged Driver Training System (EDTS) that enables novice drivers to navigate through realistic scenarios on a tablet and incorporates an error feedback mechanism to train them on latent hazard detection in high-risk scenarios. This study attempts to assess whether the training has an effect on drivers’ hazard anticipation skills and their willingness to engage in a secondary task in the presence of latent hazards. The secondary tasks include both tasks that require drivers to take their eyes off the road (e.g., operating the defroster) and those which do not (e.g., talking on a cell phone). Participants were assigned either to the EDTS condition or the placebo condition. After training (EDTS or placebo), the groups navigated ten different scenarios on a driving simulator and were instructed to engage during the drive in as many secondary tasks as they choose to, as long as they felt safe to do so. The secondary tasks were fully user paced. The results indicate that training drivers to detect latent hazards on a tablet can increase their recognition of latent hazards in a driving simulator and reduce their willingness to engage in distracting activities in the presence of such hazards. A usability survey by the EDTS participants suggests that the training platform was effective in imparting latent hazard detection knowledge and that the tablet interface was easy to use and understand.