bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multimodal Working Memory: The Unfolding Story
Authors: Samman Shatha N. , Sims Valerie , Stanney Kay M.
Published: January 2012

Given the prevalence of information overload, it is essential that systems are designed utilizing multiple communication media. Wickens' (1984) Multiple Resource Theory (MRT) suggests that performance efficiency may be realized via multiple sensory, processing, and response modalities. Recently, modality-specific working memory (WM) subsystems have been proposed, which include verbal, visual, spatial, kinesthetic, tactile, and tonal components. However, it has yet to be determined if modality-specific subsystems exhibit separate systems with their own resources, or if all or a subset of these systems shared certain resources in a global WM unit. The purpose of this study was to examine if the modality-specific subsystems were indicative of separate WM resources or shared common resources. Results demonstrated no interference between modality-specific subsystems, suggesting that they pull from separate WM resource pool. These findings support the expansion of the MRT to a multimodal WM processing system and great promise for multimodal design.
Effects of Cogintive Functioning on Strategic System Engineering
Authors: Goings Michael , Cyr Stephen A. , Hall Steve , Doherty Shawn
Published: January 2012

Mental workload is an important construct in psychology. Using various methods, researchers have investigated ways to reduce the amount of workload imposed on system operators. Reducing workload through system design might be facilitated by identifying required cognitive resources and designing the system so that tasking does not impose resource conflict which may cause a decrement in performance. Wickens' multipleresource theory has expanded on the three stages of processing (encoding, centralprocessing, and responding) to include cognitive resources, such as visual/spatial encoding, spatial/abstract processing, and manual discrete and non-discrete responding resources which are identified in this model. This study represents a first step towards building a research paradigm in which the amount of resource conflict (resulting in performance decrements) is estimated by taxing multiple resources simultaneously.
Effects of Visual and Auditory Cues About Threat Location on Target Acquisition and Attention to Auditory Communications
Authors: Glumm Monica M. , Kehring Kathy L. , White Timothy L.
Published: January 2012

This laboratory study examined the effects of visual, spatial language, and 3-D audio cues about target location on target acquisition performance and the recall of information contained in concurrent radio communications. Two baseline conditions were also included in the analysis: no cues (baseline 1) and target presence cues only (baseline 2). In modes in which target location cues were provided, 100% of the targets presented were acquired compared to 94% in baseline 1 and 95% in baseline 2. On average, targets were acquired 1.4 seconds faster in the visual, spatial language, and 3-D audio modes than in the baseline conditions, with times in the visual and 3-D audio modes being 1 second faster than those in spatial language. Overall workload scores were lower in the 3-D audio mode than in all other conditions except the visual mode. Less information (23%) was recalled from auditory communications in baseline 1 than in the other four conditions where attention could be directed to communications between target presentations.
Situation Awareness in Driving While Using Adaptive Cruise Control and a Cell Phone
Authors: Ma Ruiqi , Sheik-Nainar Mohamed A. , Kaber David B.
Published: January 2012

This research investigated the effects of an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system, and cell phone use in driving, on a direct objective measure of situation awareness (SA). Subjects drove a virtual car in a medium-fidelity driving simulation and performed a following task. Half of the subjects were required to respond to cell phone calls and all subjects completed trials with and without use of the ACC system. SA was measured using a simulation freeze technique and SA queries on the driving situation. Results indicated use of the ACC system to improve driving task SA under normal driving conditions, and cell phone conversations degraded SA. Results also revealed the ACC system to improve safe driving headway distance. Although the deviations in headway distance from an optimum were greater during cell phone conversations, this did not prove to be significant in terms of performance under normal driving conditions.
A Visualization Framework for Bounding Physical Activities — Towards a Quantification of Gibsonian-Based Fields
Authors: Jin Jeonghwan , Rothrock Ling
Published: January 2012

In a human-robot communications problem in which a mobile robot and an astronaut are required to work together to maintain network communication, it is possible for the mobile robot and the astronaut to have multiple courses of actions to restore communications if it becomes disrupted. To effectively accomplish a team's mission, a human supervisor responsible for monitoring and supervising the terrestrial activities of mobile robots and astronauts in this domain needs useful decision aiding tools in order to identify productive courses of action. Motivated by this, we propose a visualization framework based on Gibsonian-based fields for representing a mobile robot and an astronaut's possible action strategies to maintain their network communication in a continuous and dynamic environment and for graphically representing bounds on actualized action strategies of the robot and the astronaut based on their possible action strategies. The authors submit that it is not sufficient simply to calculate all the possible actions of the mobile robot and the astronaut. It is equally important to provide interfaces that reveal affordances in the domain in a manner that delineates the length and breadth of action opportunities and human perceptual and physical capabilities. We present a simple conceptualization of the problem of robot-astronaut communication in order to develop a framework for analysis that can be generalized to multiple robots and astronauts communicating to meet multiple objectives.
Situation Awareness in Hri with Collaborating Remotely Piloted Vehicles
Authors: Riley Jennifer M. , Endsley Mica R.
Published: January 2012

In future Army operations, soldiers may be required to remotely operate multiple robotic vehicles and participate in collaborative tasks with these systems. The ability to acquire and maintain situation awareness in tasking and controlling robots will be critical to human-robot interaction. Understanding the critical information requirements for robotics tasks will be important, particularly when operators must work with multiple systems across aerial and ground platforms, and must perform under what will likely be varying levels of system autonomy. Here, we examine SA needs in the context of a collaborative military task involving deployment of a single UAV that is coordinating with multiple UGVs to identify “safe lanes” for advancing troops. Cognitive task analysis was conducted for the task, along with an examination of potential function allocations that may require operator multi-tasking and frequent task switching. Issues in developing and maintaining situation awareness are discussed.
Visual Sensitivity of Dynamic Graphical Objects
Authors: Jessa Munira , Burns Catherine M.
Published: January 2012

Advanced display design, such as Ecological Interface Design (EID), makes extensive use of complex graphical objects. Research has shown that by following EID methodologies, operators have better performance with the EID displays (Pawlak and Vicente, 1996). However, past research does not consider visual aspects of the graphical objects used in EID. Of particular interest is how different design decisions of graphical objects affect the performance of the objects used within that design. We examined the visual sensitivity of dynamic graphical objects, examining which features make certain graphical objects visually superior for certain tasks. It was found that for simple dynamic objects, a line changing in angle was the most noticeable emergent feature. For complex graphical objects, those that mimic a “bull's eye” should be used for target-indicator displays, “solid objects” should be used for comparison meters, and changes in shape sizes should be used in trend meters. These findings provide guidance for designers of dynamic advanced graphical displays.
Relating Decision Making Styles to Predicting Selfefficacy and a Generalized Expectation of Success and Failure
Authors: Nygren Thomas E. , White Rebecca J.
Published: January 2012

The theoretical and applied distinction between a propensity toward a more intuitive decision style versus a more analytical style has gained prominence in recent years. A self-report measure, the Decision Making Styles Inventory, is presented and is shown to differentiate among those who endorse an analytical, an intuitive, or an avoidant, regret-based decision style. Results from one study, a horse race betting task, indicated that those who endorsed a decision style, particularly those endorsing a flexible analytical and intuitive style, performed better on the task than those who did not. A second study clearly showed that decision style was related to self reports of self-efficacy, optimism, and self-regard. These results suggest that having either an analytical, intuitive or combined decision style is beneficial to the decision maker.
Auditory Preemption versus Multiple Resources: Who Wins in Interruption Management?
Authors: Wickens Christopher D. , Dixon Stephen R. , Seppelt Bobbie
Published: January 2012

We examined the effects of modality (auditory versus visual) and spatial separation when a simulated vehicle control (tracking) task (the ongoing task: OT) was time shared with a digit entry task (the interrupting task: IT), contrasting the predictions of auditory preemption theory with that of multiple resource theory. Participants performed the tracking task with auditory display of the phone numbers, or with visual display at eccentricities ranging from 0 deg (overlay) to 45 deg. Auditory input improved IT performance relative to visual, but disrupted OT performance, thereby supporting the role of auditory preemption. This cost did not grow with longer messages. In contrast, at eccentricities above 15 deg, auditory superiority emerged for both tasks, highlighting the role of multiple resources, and separation produced greater costs to the OT than to the IT. Therefore, both discrete tasks, and auditory delivery have inherent preemptive effects on the continuous visual OT. The results are also interpreted in the context of the non-linear costs to dual task performance with increasing separation from the eye-field to the headfield, and the support for different visual hemi-fields for concurrent processing of verbal and ambient spatial information.
Graded and Multimodal Interruption Cueing in Support of Preattentive Reference and Attention Management
Authors: Sarter Nadine B.
Published: January 2012

A decade ago, attention management was considered by some “the least explored frontier in cognitive science and human-machine cooperation” (Woods et al., 1994). Today, at least one aspect of attention management — interruption handling — still poses a major challenge for the design of human-machine systems and computer-supported collaborative work. Successful interruption management requires that both unintentional dismissals and preemptive integrations of interruption signals are avoided (Latorella, 1999). One means of achieving this goal is to support preattentive reference, i.e., the processing of interruption signals that occurs before attentional selection. Operators need to be provided with at least partial information about the nature and cognitive requirements of a potential interruption, and this information should be presented in a way that allows for peripheral access. This paper will discuss and illustrate how currently underutilized graded and multimodal information presentation could help accomplish this goal and support various stages of the overall interruption management process.
Fostering Shared Situation Awareness and on-Track Safety Across Distributed Teams in Railroad Operations
Authors: Roth Emilie M. , Multer Jordan
Published: January 2012

Cooperative strategies of individuals within a distributed organizational structure can contribute to increased efficiency of operations and safety. We describe selected results of a cognitive task analysis that examined the cognitive and collaborative demands and activities of railroad roadway workers. The findings highlight the informal cooperative strategies that railroad workers have developed across distributed teams consisting of roadway workers, train crews, and railroad dispatchers that foster shared situation awareness and enhance on-track safety. We discuss design implications for leveraging new digital technologies and location finding systems to more effectively support these informal strategies to improve efficiency and enhance on-track safety are discussed.
Negotiation and Coordination: A Preliminary Field Study of Conflict Management in Large Scale Collaboration
Authors: Xiao Yan , Plasters Cheryl , Seagull F. Jacob , Mackenzie Colin , Kobayashi Marina , Fussell Susan , Kiesler Sara
Published: January 2012

Coordination of activities in many settings can be characterized by management of conflicts, potential and actual, because of resource limitations, high-stakes consequences, uncertainty, goal conflicts among stakeholders and hetero-hierarchical organizational structures. To understand coordination in such systems, we conducted a field study of management of surgical operating rooms. Although coordination efforts were focused on resolution of interdependencies, such as progress monitoring, scheduling and rescheduling, and prodding, coordinators managed a set of complicated conflicts, often through opportunistic means. They were very sensitive to potential conflicts, and used many different means to resolve the conflicts as reported in the literature. Additionally, they were very concerned with perceived fairness. The findings have direct implications to the deployment of information technology as it will change accuracy of information, barriers to access and means of information dissemination.
A Comparison of Observer and Incumbent Ratings of Situation Awareness
Authors: Matthews Michael D. , Martinez Silas G. , Eid Jarle , Johnsen Bjorn Helge , Boe Ole Christian
Published: January 2012

The Situation Awareness Behavioral Rating Scale (SABARS) utilizes ratings by expert observer/controllers (O/Cs) to evaluate situation awareness (SA) of infantry small unit leaders. Previous research (Matthews et al., 2004) showed SABARS to be predictive of a variety of performance measures. The current study explored the question of whether small unit leaders could use SABARS to accurately rate their own behavior as an index of their SA. To evaluate this question, 12 Norwegian Army and Navy Academy cadets participating in the role of squad leader during summer training exercises were given the SABARS to complete following an infantry mission. An experienced officer O/C observed the cadets though the execution of the mission and also provided SABARS ratings on the squad leader. Results indicated that “self-SABARS” evaluations did not correlate with SABARS completed by O/C's, and were not predictive of performance criteria. O/C-completed SABARS were, however, predictive of performance criteria thus replicating findings reported previously (Matthews et al., 2004). Implications for assessing SA in the field are discussed.
Determining the Information Needs of Puget Sound Boaters
Authors: Jones David W. , Olsonbaker Janet I.
Published: January 2012

Puget Sound is known for its highly variable weather and ocean currents. Trip planning for this challenging environment is critical for boating safety. We conducted a survey of the Puget Sound boating community to determine their information needs. We used a web-based questionnaire supplemented with face-to-face surveys. We received 610 responses. The respondents represented a wide range of the boating community. The boaters' most important environmental need was for daily weather forecasts and their most desired forecast parameters were wind speed, currents, and wave height. Respondents also commented on their frustration with accessing the needed information. Analysis of this survey and guidance from an advisory panel are being used to develop a usercentered designed (UCD) web portal, the Boater Information System (BIS) that will attempt to improve the situation awareness (SA) for a diverse user group.
Using a Linguistic Analysis Tool to Detect Deception
Authors: Dzindolet Mary T. , Pierce Linda G.
Published: January 2012

Detecting deception is important, yet accuracy rates remain low (e.g., DePaulo & Friedman, 1998). Pennebaker et al. (2003) suggest a linguistic analysis tool may be able to detect deception because people use a different linguistic style when telling the truth than when lying. For example, the anxiety experienced by liars may “leak” into their words. The cognitive resources devoted to the lie will be taken from the message. Newman et al. (2003) found support for these hypotheses using the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC). Dzindolet and Pierce (2004a) found the LIWC was useful in detecting deception among participants discussing music preferences. This study expands their work to include other topics. Results from the 2 (topic: movie or television) x 2 (topic importance: high or low) x 2 (communication type: lie or truth) design indicated that linguistic analysis tools may be useful in detecting deception across a variety of topics.
The Effect of Auditory Progress Bars on Consumer's Estimation of Telephone wait Time
Authors: Kortum Philip , Peres S. Camille , Knott Benjamin A , Bushey Robert
Published: January 2012

This paper describes the evaluation of four auditory progress bars (APB's) to see if they had the potential to garner high satisfaction scores from users while simultaneously having a positive impact on those callers' perception of hold time during a call to a customer service representative. The APB's varied by sound dimension (pitch/duration change), polarity (increasing/decreasing) and wait time. APB did not impact wait perception significantly for sound dimension or polarity. Analysis of the first call a participant made to the system showed a strong interaction affect, with better performance in the increasing condition for the duration APB, and better performance for the decreasing condition in the pitch APB. However, extremely low customer satisfaction scores for all of the APB's indicated that participants were unhappy with the stimuli. The data provide guidance for the continuing exploration into the proper design of both effective and desirable auditory progress bars.
The Influence of Microsoft's ClearType® on Programmer Productivity
Authors: Bias Randolph G. , Williams James Patrick , Chung Ding-Yu , Burns Samuel A.
Published: January 2012

An experimental study and a naturalistic field study were conducted to develop detailed behavioral (performance) and affective measures of user responses to ClearType® to support the derivation of quantitative estimates of ClearType's® impact on user productivity in computer programming tasks.
The Effects of Service Availability and Recognition Errors on Trust in Voice User Interfaces
Authors: Turner Carl W. , Safar Jennifer A. , Hardzinski Mary , Berube Derek
Published: January 2012

This study was conducted to determine the effects of speech recognition accuracy and system availability on customers' perceptions of a speech-enabled Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. Fifty-six participants searched for bank rate information using a prototype speech recognition banking system in one of four conditions: (1) perfect system performance when obtaining rate information, (2) occasional speech recognition errors, (3) occasional loss of system availability, and (4) a combination of recognition errors and loss of system availability. A “system trust” measure was a better discriminator between conditions than a commonly-used subjective satisfaction measure: participants who experienced periods of unavailable service trusted the system less than those who experienced fully available service, but these groups reported similar subjective satisfaction rates. Participants who encountered speech recognition errors reported no lower levels of trust or satisfaction than those who experienced perfect recognition accuracy. The paper discusses the relationship between system trust and the willingness to use self-service systems, as well as special aspects of speech recognition systems in terms of “persona” and users' perceptions.
The Effect of Information Overhead on Perceived Workload and Learning
Authors: Rivera Diego
Published: January 2012

E-commerce sites today contain variety product information to inform shoppers about a company's products offerings. Although the number of attributes used to describe products depends on the product being described, attributes can be in the hundreds. One of the key business challenges is to maintain the ever increasing product information up-to-date. It is important that data management tools used for these tasks are efficient and easy to use. The present study describes the effect of information overhead on perceived workload. Participants were asked to create 20 different products using four different web prototypes that varied in content density and customization capability. Mean time on task over 20 trials was fit using a power function and perceived workload was collected using NASA Task Load Index. The results obtained indicate that unused information does increase perceived workload and negatively affect performance. Also, that UI customization can help reduce perceived workload and allow users to reach peak performance faster. Finally, participants performed faster and with higher satisfaction under the customization conditions.
Enterprise Network Monitoring Using Treemaps
Authors: Goldberg Joseph H. , Helfman Jonathan I.
Published: January 2012

Treemaps may provide significant advantages over tabular data in corporate enterprise applications, due to their inherent ability to support users' integration of multiple dimensions of information. This study investigated the usability of treemaps for enterprise system administrators who monitor servers and web applications. Manipulated factors included hierarchy representation, data scale, and comparison with unsorted tables. The treemap hierarchy representations differed significantly in their support of the identification, comparison, and analysis tasks, but were significantly faster and more accurate than tabular data views. Treemap learnability was at least as successful as for tables. Performance differences between treemaps and tables increased with increasing size of datasets. Users' subjective ratings overwhelmingly supported treemaps over tabular data views. These results suggest that treemaps should be included as a standard graphical component in enterprise-level data analysis and monitoring applications.
Development and Validation of a Symmetry Metric for Interface Aesthetics
Authors: Bauerly Michael P. , Liu Yili
Published: January 2012

This article describes the experimental investigation of the effects of symmetry on judgments of interface aesthetics. Thirty compositions were developed in order to validate symmetry quantification algorithms with subjective aesthetic ratings. The same compositions were used in two experiments, one using basic black-and-white images, and the other using web pages. The images were rated by 16 subjects in each experiment using the ratio-scale magnitude estimation method against a benchmark image. Subjects also established an ordered list of the images according to their aesthetic appeal using the balanced incomplete block (BIB) ranking method.

The results show that subjects are adept at rating symmetry about both horizontal and vertical axes and their ratings closely match the quantification algorithm. Additionally, the relation between the dominant symmetry value and aesthetic appeal shows that subjects preferred symmetric images over non-symmetric images for the black-and-white imagery. The development and validation of the symmetry metric is an important step towards developing quantitative evaluation metrics for interface aesthetics evaluation and design.
Analysis of Collaborative Meetings in Developing Data Mining Models
Authors: Ma Jiao , Drury Colin G.
Published: January 2012

Observations of group meetings were used to help our understanding of the Data Mining (DM) process, which can take a year to complete. Over a course of three months, we followed two collaborative groups and observed their weekly meetings, where they devised DM models and explored new ways to analyze and present microarray data. The study furthered the current understanding of the DM activities by revealing its socio-technical aspects, and directed a promising design approach for a more efficient and effective DM system. Field observations of collaborative meetings disclosed that a longitudinal study is, in fact, appropriate and necessary to further understand the DM process and the system.
Revealing What's Important to the User: Value-Focused Thinking
Authors: Miller Janet E. , McGee Chris
Published: January 2012

Despite the importance of software interfaces, trade-offs must be made during development. Value Focused Thinking (VFT) provides an objective methodology that is well suited for handling multi-objective problems such as interface design issues. Facilitated sessions are held with the intended users to elicit what is of importance to the user. These values are characterized and put to a common scale, allowing measurement of their contribution to the overall objective. The resulting hierarchy can be used to guide software development or compare different interface solutions. In this study, a VFT hierarchy was developed with military intelligence analysts to identify what values were desired in an interface for software intended to address a facet of data overload. The prototype interface was evaluated against the hierarchy with these stated values. The process and the hierarchy itself provided insight on where resources should be expended to provide the greatest benefit in the final product.
Demonstration: Advancing Robotics Research Through the Use of a Scale Mout Facility
Authors: Evans A. William , Hoeft Raegan M. , Rehfeld Sherri A. , Feldman Moshe , Curtis Michael , Fincannon Thomas , Ottlinger Jessica , Jentsch Florian
Published: January 2012

This demonstration serves as an introduction to the CARAT scale MOUT (Military Operation in Urban Terrain) facility developed at the Team Performance Laboratory (TPL) at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Advances in automated military vehicles require research to understand how best to allocate control of these vehicles. Whether, discussing uninhabited ground vehicles (UGVs) or air vehicles (UAVs), many questions still exist as to the optimum level of performance with respect to the ratio of human controls to vehicles. The scale MOUT facility at UCF allows researchers to investigate these issues without sacrificing large costly equipment and without requiring vast physical areas, within which to test such equipment. This demonstration provides an introduction to the scale MOUT facility, describes the basic need for this tool, presents its advantages over full size counterparts, as well as several other possible uses for the facility.
Teaching Team Behavior to Human Factors/Ergonomics Students, Part II: Specifics for Forming and Developing Teams, and Using Peer Ratings
Authors: Stone Nancy J. , Moroney William F. , Burke C. Shawn , Caldwell Barrett S. , Chaffin Don B.
Published: January 2012

Many Human Factors/Ergonomics specialists are members of work teams. To prepare students for teamwork, the students' educational experiences need to include team building exercises and experiences. As a follow-up to the 2004 HFES panel on teaching team behavior, this panel will address more specific aspects of teaching team behavior to HF/E students. In particular, the panelists will address the issues of forming teams, developing teams, and collecting and using peer ratings. The results of this and last year's panel discussion will be used to develop guidelines for effectively teaching teamwork to HF/E students. These guidelines will be disseminated through the Education Technical Group.
Designing Human Factors Courses with a Human Factors Mind
Authors: Liu Dahai , Baskin Angela , Greene Frances , Frederick-Recascino Christina
Published: January 2012

Human Factors is a discipline that studies the body of information about human capabilities and limitations for engineering design. Human Factors combines different Engineering areas and integrates them with human information into the engineering design. This applied and multidisciplinary nature of Human Factors in turn requires that education in Human Factors should also focus on the application of knowledge to design, and encourage hands-on exercise into the learning process. A new course “Design With a Human Factors Mind” was designed to demonstrate this concept. This course abandoned the traditional classroom lecture format, using labs, field trips and guest lectures instead to expose students with various Human Factors subjects. A survey study was conducted to assess the efficiency of this teaching style. Results showed that different teaching techniques have different effects on students' performance. This case study provides some preliminary results for different teaching styles and can help other educators to design effective teaching methods in Human Factors education.
Does Ergonomic Chair Design Affect Thermal Comfort?
Authors: Hedge Alan , Saito Masaya , Jagdeo Jason
Published: January 2012

The effects of foam, mesh and gel chairs on thermal comfort and productivity were investigated. Thirty-six subjects, 18 men and 18 women, were tested in same-sex triads with each subject sitting on one of the 3 chairs for 1.5 hours. Subjects wore light clothing (shorts, t-shirt, socks and sneakers) with a low clo value. Skin and body temperature were measured. Thermal comfort votes and body thermal data were collected every 30 minutes. Climate conditions were controlled (air temperature of 22.4°C + 0.1°C and 21.1% + 1.0% relative humidity). Results showed a gender difference in thermal comfort, women voted that the environment was significantly cooler than did men by the end of the experiment. There were no differences between the chairs in thermal comfort votes, skin and body temperatures, body movements or productivity.
A Critical Analysis of the Usability and Design of Aluminum Wheelchair Ramps
Authors: Zackowitz Ilene B. , Vredenburgh Alison G. , Hedge Alan
Published: January 2012

A common method to improve accessibility for pedestrians and wheelchair users is the widespread use of ramps. Ramps for handicapped access are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA has specific guidelines for many aspects of ramp design. Although these specifications detail ramp requirements, they do not necessarily guarantee that a ramp will be trouble-free for users. A recent study that evaluated how wheelchair users perceive differences in slope and cross slope revealed design problems for modular aluminum ramps. The purpose of this paper is to identify aluminum ramp design issues that resulted in usability difficulties for wheelchair users in that study. When designing an environment, it is critical that the wide range of users test it. This paper demonstrates that attempting to provide greater accessibility in one area may create new barriers in another.
Evaluating the Effects of Frost Heave on the Feasibility of Compliance with Existing Walkway Accessibity Standards
Authors: Vredenburgh Alison G. , Williams Kevin
Published: January 2012

Existing American standards specify criteria for maximum walkway running and cross-slope. Many regions of the United States experience seasonal weather changes. Winter snow can cause frost heave of concrete that can change the slope of concrete sections throughout the year. The current study evaluates the extent of these seasonal changes on walkway slope. The findings indicate that the fluctuation of running and cross-slope makes it impossible to comply year-round with existing standards.
Ergonomic Evaluation in a Beverage and Food Service Application
Authors: Cohen Joseph , Imada Andrew S.
Published: January 2012

A global beverage and food company contracted the authors to evaluate the current store design to enhance speed of service and minimize the potential for employee injury. This assessment involved observations, interviews, physical measurements and link analyses at three high-volume locations in Southern California and three international stores in Singapore and Malaysia. The study examines two frequently performed tasks (preparation of café latte and mocha ice blended beverages). While the design was deemed to be adequate for the tasks performed, the analysis identified six areas for improvement. Further, the analysis included macroergonomic considerations for management control and organizational culture.
Impact of Environmental Design Features: Does Color Scheme Influence Transputed Attributions?
Authors: Schatz Sae Lynne , Bowers Clint A. , Lum Heather C.
Published: January 2012

Businesses invest millions in their environmental designs, hoping that they will communicate “the right” message and infl uence consumers' perceptions and behaviors. This investment is based on a set of beliefs that are widely held in the design community; however, there has been little attempt to validate them. As a fi rst effort towards validation, we conducted a two-part study. We examined designers' beliefs about the impact of room color, in general, and evaluated the specifi c anecdotal principle that deep, red hues appear expensive. The results suggest that beliefs regarding the behavioral affects of color are quite prevalent. For the second part of the study, we created three illustrations of a restaurant, each featuring various shades of red. Sixty-two participants rated their opinions of the restaurants. The results suggest that a discrepancy exists between designers' beliefs and the public's reactions. We recommend the use of attribution theory and policy-capturing to resolve this.
Canine Factors: Bridging the Gap between Human Factors and Comparative Psychology
Authors: Helton William S.
Published: January 2012

Working dogs have proven to be highly accurate and flexible extensions of our human senses. These trained dogs are increasingly employed in a multitude of occupational roles. The study of these highly trained working dogs bridges the gap between Human Factors and Comparative Psychology and offers many points of potentially fruitful exchange. The present paper presents two examples of issues where Human Factors and Comparative Psychologists share a common interest: expertise development and sustained attention. Dogs are, perhaps, unique among nonhuman animals in their adaptation to human culture and are amazingly flexible, often serving as human surrogates. Many issues discussed and investigated in the Human Factors literature are also relevant to the study of working canines and the study of working canines may enhance the Human Factors literature.
The Human Element in Homeland Security Systems: Application Issues and Research Needs
Authors: Sanquist Thomas F. , Thurman David A. , Mahy Heidi A.
Published: January 2012

Increased federal emphasis on homeland security in the past four years has created unprecedented monitoring and vigilance requirements for the people involved in operating and administering technologies used to detect and interdict potential terrorist activity. A broad range of agencies using a variety of non-destructive imaging and data synthesis systems have placed a variety of new mental demands on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel, such as TSA screeners, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, and intelligence analysts from various agencies. This paper reviews selected DHS-administered technologies and systems based on open-source information, describes some of the human factors issues associated with these systems, and suggests potential interventions and research approaches to ensure acceptable human-system performance. The advantages of a DHS-wide programmatic focus on applied human-systems research is discussed.
The Influence of Driver Stress, Partial-Vehicle Automation, and Subjective State on Driver Performance
Authors: Funke Gregory J. , Matthews Gerald , Warm Joel S. , Emo Amanda , Fellner Angela N.
Published: January 2012

The present study addressed the effects of stress, partial-vehicle automation, and subjective state on simulated vehicle driving. 168 college students participated. Participants in the stress-induction condition completed a ‘winter’ drive which included periodic loss-of-control episodes. Participants in the no-stressinduction condition were not exposed to loss of control. Participants then completed a test phase, during which they drove in one of three conditions varying in level of automation. Manipulation checks demonstrated that both the stress manipulation and level of automation influenced subjective state. Driver performance data were analyzed by means of hierarchical multiple regressions. Vehicle automation but not the stress induction influenced performance. In addition, individual differences in subjective task engagement and worry were associated with performance. Resource theory provides a framework that partially but not completely explains the impact of stress factors on performance. Data further show that analysis of individual differences is essential for predicting the effects of stress factors.
Making ‘Human Factors’ Truly Human: Cultural Considerations in Human Factors Research and Practice
Authors: Lippa Katherine , Klein Helen Altman
Published: January 2012

Traditionally, human factors research has been conducted in Western nations to answer the questions of Western practitioners. This approach was appropriate in the past and still works well in many situations. However, as the world of work is becoming more international it is important to consider how national differences affect human factors applications. We review recent issues of the Human Factors journal to see how cultural differences are being addressed in research. Five domains where important cultural difference may influence research findings are reviewed. These areas are physical design, visual displays, symbolic communication, information technology and managing complex processes. We present recommendations for incorporating greater cultural variation into Ergonomic and Human Factors work.
Evaluation of a Bed Assistive Devce on Self-Perceived Recovery Measures for Patients in Postoperative Care
Authors: Tran Grace M. , Babski-Reeves Kari
Published: January 2012

Assistive equipment has helped lower task demands and back stress for patient-handlers; however, limited research exists on the psychological benefits (i.e., safety and comfort) of self-transfer devices for patients in postoperative care. A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of a bed assistive device in a patient population; the objectives were to compare self-perceived recovery measures and usage of pain medication between patients in the Control ( n = 8; age, 34 ± 6.3years) and Device ( n = 7; 41 ± 12) groups. Fifteen female participants undergoing either abdominal hysterectomy ( n = 6) or Cesareansection ( n = 9) procedures were recruited for the study. Both groups completed a total of twelve questionnaires over a five-week recovery period. The Device Group reported higher levels of energy, less pain interference, lower perceived pain, less reliance on pain medication and returned to activities of daily living faster than the Control Group.
Work System Analysis of Home Nursing Care and Implications for Medication Errors
Authors: Calvin K.L. , Casper Gail R. , Karsh Ben-Tzion , Brennan Patricia F. , Burke Laura J. , Carayon Pascale , Grenier Anne-Sophie , Krause Carolyn , Murphy Judy , Sebern Margaret
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the context of the provision of home nursing care for patients with congestive heart failure. A modified macroergonomic analysis and design work system analysis was undertaken in two phases with fourteen nurse participants: I) field observations of eight nurses for the collection of data on work elements and II) follow-up telephone interviews with six home care nurses. Open-ended questions were asked after the observations to identify clinical knowledge, policies, and procedures that influenced care decisions and practices. The telephone interviews focused on four different aspects of home health care delivery and were conducted using semi-structured questions. Results of the observations were translated into flowcharts and a summary report. The baseline findings described aspects of home medication management and its relevance to safety, quality of care, communication, and self-management.
Clinical Reminders: Explaining Variability in Adoption by Nurses and Physicians at Four Outpatient Clinics
Authors: Saleem Jason J. , Patterson Emily S. , Militello Laura , Render Marta L. , Orshansky Greg , Asch Steven M.
Published: January 2012

Computerized clinical reminders (CRs) can improve compliance with evidence-based practices in preventive care and chronic disease management. However, observational research is needed to explain the known variability in the use of CRs. We conducted ethnographic observations of nurses and providers using CRs in outpatient primary care clinics for two days in each of four geographically distributed Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers. We found that use of CRs was impeded by (1) lack of coordination between nurses and providers, (2) using the reminders while not with the patient, impairing data acquisition and/or implementation of recommended actions, (3) workload, (4) lack of CR flexibility, and (5) poor interface usability. We discuss implications of these findings for CR system design and provide recommendations for redesign to facilitate the effective use of CRs.
Promoting Patient Safety within Implantable Medical Devices: Patient Alert™
Authors: Vitense Holly
Published: January 2012

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) systems have been shown to provide lifesaving therapy for patients at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular tachyarrhythmia. In order to assure an ICD system is operating properly, some models of ICDs perform periodic system checks. The Patient Alert™ feature, in Medtronic® ICDs, monitors and alerts patients, via audible tones, to system integrity issues that have the potential to comprise patient safety.

The objective of this research was to evaluate: how often patients are being alerted to ICD system issues, and how effective the alerts are at bringing patients into medical clinics for treatment and thus promoting patient safety. An analysis of 14,092 ICDs revealed that the probability of first alert occurrence increased with time since implant, but overall occurrence rates remained low (< 7% per patient year). The average median time from the alert sounding until the patient received medical attention was 4.3 days. Overall, for a life-threatening condition such as ICD therapy delivery being turned off, the majority (76%) of patients with this alert were brought into a clinic within one week to have therapy delivery turned back on. To reach the remaining patients, as well as bring all patients in quicker to seek medial treatment, additional communication modalities are being planned for the next generation of ICD systems.
Surgical Learning Aid: Reducing Uncertainty for the Novice during Simulated Minimally Invasive Surgery
Authors: Gaulin Mathieu O. , Cao Caroline G.L.
Published: January 2012

Can a procedural learning aid assist novice surgeons in reducing uncertainty and workload during critical points of minimally invasive surgery in an OR environment? Twenty Tufts University students performed a multi-step cutting task on a laparoscopic skills training simulator, with and without a multi-media procedural learning aid. A simple between subjects design was used. The results showed that those subjects who used a learning aid while completing the procedural cutting task were significantly faster ( p = 0.02). However, subjects' perceived workload with and without the learning aid were not significantly different. These results have implications for the teaching of residents and communication between experts and novices in the OR.
Clinical Information Use by Medical and Nursing Staff in the ICU: Outcomes of a Coded Tables Analysis
Authors: Miller Anne , Sanderson Penelope
Published: January 2012

The long-term, intensive nature of patient admission to an Intensive Care Unit necessitates passing responsibilities from one medical and nursing staff member to another. An ideal outcome of this process is a common team situation awareness of the patient's condition. However, medical and nursing staff have different training and practice regimes, which raise questions about the nature of the situation awareness needed by the two groups. Statistical and an exploratory data analysis techniques were used to explore the information content of video-cued recall interviews in order to identify differences in information use. Doctors were found to attend to future patient projections over a broader range of physiological functions than nurses, reflecting a strategic orientation, whereas, nurses attended to sensed information over shorter timeframes than doctors, reflecting a tactical orientation. When not aligned these orientations may lead to breakdown in coordination and discontinuities in patient care.
A Cognitive User Centered Redesign of a Radiotherapy Chart
Authors: Sela R. , Auerbach Y. , Straucher Z. , Rogachov M. , Klimer O. , Bar-Deroma R. , Carmi R. , Kuten A. , Pollack S. , Gopher D.
Published: January 2012

We describe the human factors analysis and redesign of the radiotherapy paper chart used at the radiotherapy unit of Rambam Medical Center. The chart is a paper form used by multiple team members. It is the main record of relevant information and treatment orders. It also serves as the major follow up and quality control tool. As such, the chart is a major communication, reference and decision making aid, which has a direct influence on the treatment quality and patients safety and health. Analysis of the existing chart revealed multiple content and format design problems, which raise the probability of errors. The new design of the chart attempts to resolve these problems. At present, it has been adopted by the unit and hospital and is in the process of being produced and introduced to the unit.
From Models to Methods to Models: Tools and Techniques for Using, Developing, and Analyzing Cognitive Human Performance Models
Authors: Gray Wayne D. , Myers Christopher W.
Published: January 2012

Four modelers present tools based on or for cognitive human performance modeling. Myers introduces a new statistical technique for testing the similarity of sequential behavior across conditions. This technique promises to solve what Anderson (2002) regarded as the non-determinism problem of modeling behavior at the 100–ms level of analysis. John presents a programming-by-demonstration system that creates keystroke level GOMS models in ACT-R. Her approach enables those not trained in cognitive science to build predictive models of human performance. Salvucci's work expands on John's system by applying predictive modeling techniques to in-vehicle devices. His work integrates models of device use with a rigorous model of driver behavior to predict driver distraction and performance. Finally, Gray introduces Cognitive Metrics Profiling (CMP) — a model-based approach that produces theory-based estimates of cognitive workload. CMP holds the promise of predicting transient changes in cognitive workload that occur in a dynamic task environment.