bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ergonomic and Biomechanical Evaluation of Work-Related Risk Factors in Sonography
Authors: Burnett David R. , Campbell-Kyureghyan Naira H.
Published: January 2012

Previous studies have shown that medical sonographers are at an increased risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) which may be attributed to occupational risks including repetitive motion, extreme joint positions, and periods of applied static muscle force. The specific aim of this study was to identify and quantify possible risk factors for the development of WRMSDs in medical sonographers and determine possible pathways to injury. Seven full time sonographers participated in the study which included the use of customized questionnaires to determine the prevalence of WRMSDs and the existence of perceived work-related risk factors, ergonomic job evaluation using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and biomechanical evaluations with electrogoniometers to assess upper extremity posture during typical scanning procedures. 86% of sonographers reported musculoskeletal pain in at least one upper extremity joint. Shoulder abduction, wrist deviation, sustained transducer usage, bending or twisting of the neck, and the number of scanning procedures performed per day were all identified as possible risk factors for injury.
Towards a Tool for Predicting Goal-directed Exploratory Behavior
Authors: Teo Leonghwee , John Bonnie E.
Published: January 2012

In recent years, research predicting search through webpages has begun to be successful. However, existing tools ignore the order in which on-screen options are evaluated and therefore might make inaccurate predictions. We developed CogTool-Explorer and used it to model a previously published web-based experiment. Its predictions were better than those of a previously published tool, and included the order of evaluation effect not accounted for by previous tools. These more accurate predictions can be attributed to CogTool-Explorer's approach of using a satisficing process model, with a visual search strategy and an accurate description of the visual interface in concert.
Individual Differences in Performance under Acute Stress
Authors: Delahaij Roos , Gaillard Anthony W. K.
Published: January 2012

To be able to predict which persons are capable to perform under acute stress is important for the selection and training of professionals in the military, police, and fire-fighting domain. The present study examines how individual differences in coping (style, efficacy, and behavior) explain differences in performance and anxiety under acute stress. Cadets ( n = 124) of the Netherlands Defence Academy were examined during a realistic stressful exercise. Person characteristics obtained from questionnaires well before the exercise were related to performance and behavior indices obtained during the exercise. Coping style predicted anxiety and performance, which was mediated by behavior during the exercise.
Ergonomics in the Biosciences
Authors: Rempel David , Burt Cindy , Janowitz Ira , Junge Maria , Pollard Martin
Published: January 2012

The process of ergonomics analysis and the development and deployment of interventions in the biosciences will be illustrated and discussed. Case studies in laboratory design, equipment, and procedures will be presented by panelists who have been closely involved in participatory ergonomics projects with the involvement of labor, management, engineering, procurement, and health and safety staff.
Frequencies in Center of Pressure Time Series above 1Hz during Quiet Upright Stance Reflect the Use of a Hip Strategy
Authors: Zhang Hongbo , Nussbaum Maury A.
Published: January 2012

Upright stance is primarily maintained through the use of ankle and hip strategies, involving respective rotations about the two joints. Choice of and coordination between these two strategies is regulated by the central nervous systems (CNS). Postural control mechanisms used to maintain upright stance are often assessed (or inferred) using a spectral decomposition of center of pressure (COP) time series. Existing evidence, however, is contradictory in some respects. Specifically, there is conflicting evidence whether COP frequencies above 1.0 Hz reflect CNS function or use of a hip strategy. In this study, fatigue was induced to the lumbar extensors and shoulder flexors through intermittent sub-maximal (60% MVC) isotonic exercises, and used to ‘perturb’ postural control. Use of hip strategies was assessed by entropy methods, which indicates the level of ‘complexity’. Coordination between ankle and hip strategies was analyzed using a coherence method. Both power spectrum and Tsallis and entropies showed that the medio-lateral (ML) hip strategy was impaired by lumbar extensor fatigue. Coherence (i.e. coordination) between ankle and hip motions was reduced following fatigue in both muscles groups. Integrated with earlier evidence, these results indicate that, during quiet upright stance, COP frequencies above 1.0 Hz correspond to the hip strategy rather than reflecting CNS function in postural control.
Collaborative Environments for Distributed Teams Comparing Effects of Different Concepts
Authors: Bayerl Petra Saskia , Lauche Kristina , Badke-Schaub Petra
Published: January 2012

Collaborative Environments involve the use of real-time data sharing and visualization technology to enhance collaboration across distances. This paper investigates three different designs of Collaborative Environments and their differential impact on work processes and integration between subparts of distributed teams in the offshore oil and gas industry. Using semi-structured interviews and observations, influences of technology, physical environment, and team composition were studied both on the individual and team level. The most positive effects were found where an environment with high media richness was combined with organizational measures to enhance collaboration between subgroups.
Visual Aesthetic Appeal Speeds Processing of Complex but not Simple Icons
Authors: Reppa Irene , Playfoot David , McDougall Siné J. P.
Published: January 2012

Over the last decade there has been a shift in emphasis from interface usability to interface appeal. Very few studies, however, have examined the link between the two. The current study examined the possibility that aesthetic appeal may affect user performance. In a visual search task designed to mimic user searches of interface displays, participants were asked to search for a target icon in an array of distractors. Target icons were varied orthogonally along two dimensions, complexity (which is known to affect visual search for icons in displays) and aesthetic appeal. The results showed that visually simple icons were found faster than visually complex icons, replicating previous findings. More importantly, aesthetic appeal interacted with icon complexity, significantly reducing search times for complex but not simple icons. These findings provide empirical evidence to support the idea that aesthetic appeal can influence performance.
Transforming Object Locations on a 2D Visual Display into Cued Locations in 3D Auditory Space
Authors: Hornof Anthony , Halverson Tim , Isaacson Andy , Brown Erik
Published: January 2012

An empirical study explored the extent to which people can map locations in auditory space to locations on a visual display for four different transformations (or mappings) between auditory and visual surfaces. Participants were trained in each of four transformations: horizontal square, horizontal arc, vertical square, and vertical spherical surface. On each experimental trial, a sound was played through headphones connected to a spatialized sound system that uses a non-individualized head-related transfer function. The participant's task was to determine, using one transformation at a time, which of two objects on a visual display corresponded to the location of the sound. Though the two vertical transformations provided a more direct stimulus-response compatibility with the visual display, the two horizontal transformations made better use of the human auditory system's ability to localize sound, and resulted in better performance. Eye movements were analyzed, and it was found that the horizontal arc transformation provided the best auditory cue for moving the eyes to the correct visual target location with a single saccade.
The Red-Line of Workload: Theory, Research, and Design
Authors: Grier Rebecca , Wickens Christopher , Kaber David , Strayer David , Boehm-Davis Deborah , Trafton J. Gregory , St. John Mark
Published: January 2012

Multi-tasking is now ubiquitous component of our lives; despite the fact that we all can cite an incident where multi-tasking put us in a difficult situation. The reason so many of us do multi-task is that most of the time we are capable of effective dual task performance. Hart and Wickens (2008) have defined the point where one traverses safe and effective multi-tasking to dangerous and ineffective multi-tasking as the “red-line” of workload. In this panel, we will discuss this “red-line” of workload from the theoretical, empirical, and practical viewpoints. To that end, we first examine what theories of attention can help guide empiric search for this red line and where these theories must be expanded with further research. The greatest need is research that will allow human factors practitioners to identify the red line of workload before a system has been developed. One approach to achieving this research is to leverage the approach of industrial ergonomics, which has successfully defined physical workload limits by using data from safety incidents. Another avenue of research to be discussed is that which will lead to refinement of our theories and understanding of cognitive function to improve our ability to predict the red line. Next we move to the problem of evaluating systems to ensure that the red line of workload is not crossed. In particular, we will discuss the possibility of using task analysis, specifically, CPM-GOMS to predict if a system design will lead to excessive workload. Finally, we present two system design strategies for maintaining a cognitive workload that is below the red-line. The first of these is an adaptive automation using eye-tracking to reduce screen clutter when it appears workload has become so high an error may occur. The second design strategy presents four research based design principles for reducing workload to acceptable levels.
Crossmodal Congruency Benefits for Tactile and Visual Signaling
Authors: Merlo James L. , Gilson Richard , Hancock P. A.
Published: January 2012

An experiment is reported in which tactile messages were created based on five common military arm and hand signals. We compared response times and accuracy rates of novice individuals responding to visual and tactile representations of these messages. Such messages were displayed either alone or in congruent or incongruent combinations. Analyses were conducted on trials where tactile and visual signals messages were presented either individually or concurrently. Results indicated a beneficial effect for congruent message presentations with both modalities showing a superior, combined response time and improved accuracy when compared to individual presentations in either modality alone. These results confirm the promise for tactile messages to augment visual displays in challenging and stressful environments where visual messaging may not always be clear or even possible.
The Difficulty of Centering Circular Discs
Authors: Pastel Robert
Published: January 2012

Centering, positioning an object within specified bounds, is a common computer task, for example making selections using a touch screen or positioning icons relative to each other. The experiments measured times for participants ( n = 155) to position a circular cursor with diameter, p = 40 pixel or approximately 10 mm, completely within circular targets with a variety of diameters, w. The analysis divides the total movement time into two parts, the time for the cursor to touch the target and the centering time, the remaining time for participants to indicate that the cursor is completely within the target by clicking on the mouse button. The time to touch the target is modeled well by the initial cursor-target separation, and the centering time is modeled well by the index of difficulty, IDC = p/( w-p). Both models have high correlation, r2 = 0.99.
When do People Generate their Best Ideas?
Authors: Johnson Brian R. , Jones Keith S.
Published: January 2012

Using the electronic brainstorming technique, participants brainstormed ideas in three-person groups. After brainstorming for 15 minutes, participants received a paper transcript that contained all of their generated ideas and then they were asked to individually select the five best ideas. When selecting ideas, participants had an affinity for ideas that were generated early. For instance, 23% of participants selected the very first idea that was generated as their very best idea. Furthermore, over half of the participants (51%) selected one of the first five ideas that were generated as their very best idea. This was notable considering the average group generated 55 ideas. This finding may be beneficial in that it could shorten the brainstorming process.
A Student Conference for Human Factors: Recommendations for Success
Authors: Blickensderfer Elizabeth L. , Nickens Tiffany
Published: January 2012

Giving effective oral presentations is an important skill for human factors specialists. Student research conferences can give human factors specialists-in-training the opportunity to practice presenting their human factors projects and research. These conferences maintain the professional qualities of larger, national conferences for professionals, while offering a less expensive and supportive atmosphere for students still developing their skills. Holding a student conference requires some careful planning and effort. Potential stumbling blocks include a lack of resources and a lack of student participation. Fortunately, a variety of strategies to overcoming these barriers exist. These range from reducing the conference costs by using existing resources, to enlisting student help in planning, and to accepting a variety of genres of presentation material. This paper discusses the notion of student research conferences, barriers to holding a student conference, and recommendations for those interested in holding a meeting of this nature.
UAV-Guided Navigation for Ground Robot Operations
Authors: Chen Jessie Y. C. , Clark Bryan R.
Published: January 2012

We simulated a military reconnaissance environment and examined the performance of ground robotics operators who needed to utilize sensor images from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to navigate his/her ground robot to the locations of the targets. We also evaluated participants' spatial ability and examined if it affected their performance or perceived workload. Results showed that participants' overall performance (speed and accuracy) was better when s/he had access to images from larger UAVs with fixed orientations, compared to other UAV conditions (baseline- no UAV, micro air vehicle, and UAV with orbiting views). Participants experienced the highest workload when the UAV was orbiting.
Complexity in Collaboration: Developing an Understanding of Macrocognition in Teams through Examination of Task Complexity
Authors: Lum Heather C. , Fiore Stephen M. , Rosen Michael A. , Salas Eduardo
Published: January 2012

How individuals and teams work together to plan, think, decide, and solve problems has been of increasing interest to researchers within the past decade. Specifically, collaborative aspects of macrocognition such as knowledge construction, collaborative team problem solving, team consensus, and outcome evaluation and revision are moving to the forefront of team research. Critical to our overall goal of improving collaboration, is an understanding of how the nature of the task interacts with team problem solving. Therefore, in this paper we focus on task complexity and discuss how it can potentially be operationalized and examined to better understand how it can impact collaboration.
Accessibility and Usability of Health Care Equipment for Obese Patients: A Case Study in a Brazilian Public Hospital
Authors: do Lucio Cristina Carmo , Paschoarelli Luis Carlos , Razza Bruno Montanari
Published: January 2012

Obesity is a chronic illness that has been considerably discussed because of its alarming increase. Obese individuals, besides the risk of developing several health and psychosocial problems, have restricted access many products, especially due to problems of size and resistance to weight. Medical and hospital equipment deserves special attention because it demands greater efficiency in promoting patient rehabilitation. This study aimed to analyze if the equipment available in a Brazilian public hospital was satisfactory for obese patients. The research procedure consisted of interviews with professionals and patients, systematic observation of the environment of the study, and metric and descriptive analysis of the equipment. The results indicated that most of the equipment served the majority of the obese patients, even though the equipment was in a bad state of repair. Other products, however, would require immediate intervention to help obese patients.
Subjective Workload Assessment for On-Hold Telephone Stimuli
Authors: Kortum Philip , Ling Alicia , Su Andy , Peres S. Camille , Stallman Kurt
Published: January 2012

The goal of this study was to begin to understand the subjective workload reported by users who are placed on telephone hold while listening to a number of different stimuli. Two separate studies were conducted. In the first study, participants were placed on hold while listening to a series of on hold stimuli. On-hold stimuli comprised of silence, natural voices and tones were used. While on hold, they performed a secondary task. In the second study, participants were not placed on hold, but simply performed each of the tasks. The NASA-TLX was used to measure workload in each of the conditions. Results show that there is a significant difference between subjective workload for the different on-hold stimuli, but that the contributions of the secondary tasks were not clear.
Steering and Gaze Control Modifications from Directed or Spontaneous Use of a Visual Augmentation Cue
Authors: Mars Franck
Published: January 2012

In the perspective of full-windshield HUD in cars, this study investigated whether adding a guidance cue in the visual scene influences drivers' gaze strategies and steering behavior. Participants negotiated a series of bends with or without a visual beacon positioned on the tangent point or close to it. Results revealed that the stability of steering was improved when tracking of the beacon was enforced. The visual cue was not spontaneously used by the drivers and gaze strategy only showed minor changes in that case.
Sources of Secondary Task Interference with Driving: Executive Processes or Verbal and Visuo-spatial Rehearsal Processes?
Authors: Morris Nichole , Phillips Cooper , Thibault Kathleen , Chaparro Alex
Published: January 2012

We investigated the effects of secondary working memory tasks that loaded either visuo-spatial working memory or verbal working memory (phonological loop) and which required either rehearsal or executive processes involving stimulus manipulation. The effects of the secondary tasks on driver look-out behavior and driving performance were assessed. Preliminary studies were conducted to select tasks that resulted in similar levels of accuracy and perceived difficulty across modalities (visuo-spatial, verbal, rehearse, and manipulate). Piloting and the preliminary studies were also used to evaluate different visual tasks and to select a visual task that could not be encoded verbally. Results of the study reveal that driving performance is significantly impaired while performing a secondary manipulation task than performing a rehearsal task of equivalent difficulty. The study finds that visuo-spatial and verbal secondary tasks produce the same level of interference with overall driving performance.
Integrating Head Pose Tracking with Eye Tracking for Wider FOV Virtual Environment
Authors: Cai H. , Lin Y.
Published: January 2012

In virtual environment based driving experiments, eye-tracking is very helpful for quantitatively investigating driver visual behavior. However, commercial eye trackers usually have a limited maximum tracking range, e.g. ±35 degrees in horizontal direction for Tobii x50. In high fidelity applications with 135 degrees view, or even 360 degrees curved screen, there is a need to extend the range of eye tracking. This paper proposed a method to combine head pose tracking and eye tracking to achieve a large range of sightline tracking in wide field of view applications. Head poses (yaw and pitch) were estimated from head images with Multilayer Perceptrons (MLP). Head images were represented with a combination of coefficients obtained from Principal Component Analysis (PCA). With a 7times6 calibration grid, head pose estimation achieved the mean errors of yaw angle at −2.1° and pitch angle at −6.5°. The standard deviation was about 10°. The estimation process is feasible for real-time wide field of view virtual environment applications.
Bridging Cognitive Modeling and Model-Based Evaluation: Extending GOMS to Model Virtual Sociotechnical Systems and Strategic Activities
Authors: Pronovost Sylvain , West Robert L.
Published: January 2012

Cognitive modeling and human factors models claim to represent critical features of human behavior and cognition, but for very different purposes. While cognitive modeling is concerned with the description and explanation of fundamental cognitive processes, human factors modeling is interested in performance and workload measures derived from simple formalisms of behavior and cognition in order to test design hypotheses. The present paper extends the use of GOMS models from models of the knowledge necessary for an agent to perform a task, to complex sociotechnical processes involving multiple agents in strategic activities situated in a virtual environment. The authors believe that extending GOMS may help to bridge the knowledge representation-driven cognitive models of complex human behaviors with the task networks-driven models of the human factors tradition.
Perception of Information Security and its Implications for Mobile Phone
Authors: Huang Ding-Long , Rau Pei-Luen Patrick , Salvendy Gavriel , Shang Xiao-Li , Liu Ying , Wang Xia
Published: January 2012

Information security is of great concern to IT users, who may hesitate or refuse to adopt IT appliances because of worries about security problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the antecedences and consequences of people's perception of information security. This study included three phases. In phase 1, a six-factor structure modeling people's perception of information security was developed through a survey study and exploratory factor analysis. In phase 2, the relations between people's perception of information security and their intention to adopt IT appliances were tested through a laboratory experiment and path analysis. Significant effects were found and a path model was developed. In phase 3, the implications of people's perception of information security for mobile phone were discussed through focus group. Mobile users' perception of mobile security in seven scenarios was summarized. Three personas of mobile security were developed.
A Study of Firearms Mode Indicators
Authors: Devlin Lisa
Published: January 2012

This study evaluates a current range of mode indicators (also called “safety mechanisms” or “selector switches”) on various firearms. The purpose is to fill a gap in the current knowledge base. There are currently no studies of location or label design for the firearm mode indicator. This study evaluates experienced and novice users. With location, the more the mode indicator is in the user's line of sight, the more quickly it is found. The experienced group located the mode indicators in all locations more quickly than the novice group. In labeling, when the labels are less ambiguous, they are interpreted more correctly and with more confidence. Color needs to be studied further in order to determine which, if any, colors should be used to compliment other labels. Low participant numbers and high variances in the findings dictate that this must be treated as a pilot study; however, there is a trend in the data that indicates further study is warranted.
Effect of Active and Passive Fatigue on Performance Using a Driving Simulator
Authors: Saxby Dyani J. , Matthews Gerald , Hitchcock Edward M. , Warm Joel S. , Funke Gregory J. , Gantzer Thomas
Published: January 2012

The present study investigated the effects of active fatigue (e.g., elevated distress) and passive fatigue (e.g., decreased task engagement) on driving performance. The study used similar manipulations developed by Saxby et al. (2007), which were shown to induce active and passive fatigue states. 168 undergraduates participated. There were 3 conditions (active, passive, control) and 2 durations (10, 30 minutes). The active condition used simulated wind gusts to increase the required number of steering and acceleration changes, while the passive condition was fully automated. In the control condition, drivers were in full control of steering and acceleration. Data confirmed that, over time, passive fatigue is expressed as decreasing task engagement. Furthermore, drivers in the passive condition had slower response times to an unexpected event and were more likely to crash than those in the active and control conditions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Drivers' Performance in Response to Sight-Limited Crash Scenarios at Midblock Crosswalks: Evaluation of Advance Yield Markings and Symbolic Signage
Authors: Garay-Vega Lisandra , Fisher Donald L. , Knodler Michael A.
Published: January 2012

The objectives of this study are twofold: (1) to determine whether changes in drivers' yielding behavior are observed in sight-limited scenarios at marked mid-block crosswalks when advance yield markings and symbolic signage are installed and (2) to develop a mathematical model of drivers' performance in these scenarios that can be used to predict what improvements might be made in future pedestrian crosswalk signing. The methodology employed included standard videotaped observations of staged pedestrian-vehicle interactions as well as novel in-vehicle evaluations of eye movement data as a surrogate measure for hazard anticipation. Advance yield markings increase the likelihood that a driver will yield for a pedestrian when there is an adequate sight distance, confirming previous results. However, when the sight distance is not adequate, there is no change in the likelihood that a driver will yield. Interestingly, among those who do yield, the advance yield markings and symbolic signage lead to increases in both the distance between the stopped vehicle and the crossing pedestrian and the number of glances to the right for a potential pedestrian. The results indicate that adding advance yield markings without improving sight distance does not result in significant improvements in yielding behavior. The mathematical model suggests that it is the failure to see the pedestrian, not the failure to see the advance yield markings and symbolic sign, that explains why there is no improvement. The data suggest that parking must be prohibited in the area between the yield line and the crosswalk.
Evaluating and Validating a New Pedestrian Exposure to Risk Metric
Authors: Emo Amanda K. , Do Ann H.
Published: January 2012

The ultimate goal of the Pedestrian Exposure to Risk project is to more effectively allocate resources to improve pedestrian safety, based on crash statistics, as well as to more effectively evaluate trends and impacts of safety improvements. In order to accomplish this goal, it is essential to have information not only on the number of pedestrian fatalities but also on the relative exposure of the pedestrians at risk. In the case of calculating meaningful pedestrian crash rates, the numerator (number of pedestrian fatalities) is easy to determine. However, a generally useful denominator has not been as easy to ascertain. Several metrics to evaluate pedestrian exposure to risk have been proposed. Although these previously proposed metrics all have advantages and disadvantages, none has the relevance and generalizability of the denominator used for motor vehicle crashes (million vehicle miles traveled). The purpose of this study was to identify, test, and validate the use of million pedestrian feet traveled as the denominator for pedestrian exposure based on the analogous motor vehicle denominator.
Determining Effective Orientation and Location of Decision Support Signs at Rural Intersections
Authors: Rakauskas Michael E. , Manser Michael P. , Creaser Janet I. , Drew Daniel A.
Published: January 2012

Drivers face an increased crash risk when making gap acceptance decisions at high speed, unsignalized, rural intersections. The use of Stop-Sign Assist (SSA) intersection decision-support systems aims to assist drivers with these difficult decisions. This effort to identify effective placement of SSA systems will play a critical role in how the information is interpreted and utilized to successfully navigate an intersection. A driving simulator was used to present virtual representations of an intersection in Minnesota where SSA signs are planned for deployment. This study suggested which angles and locations would result in faster and more accurate comprehension of the signs. These results provide guidance for more effective comprehension, viewing, and acceptance of IDS signs at similar rural, trunk highway intersections.
Is There a Bilingual Advantage When Driving and Speaking Over a Cellular Telephone?
Authors: Telner Jason A. , Wiesenthal David L. , Bialystok Ellen , York Martin
Published: January 2012

One of the most common dual task challenges involves driving while speaking on a cellular telephone. Bilingualism provides performance advantages in dual task paradigms involving divided attention, compared to monolinguals. It was hypothesized that bilinguals should demonstrate performance advantages when driving and performing a variety of verbal tasks into a simulated hands-free cellular telephone compared to monolinguals. 82 university students participated in the study following assessment of their linguistic fluency. The driving task was performed on the driving simulation program Drivesim 4.00 and the experiment consisted of both single driving and speaking conditions, as well as dual conditions with both driving and speaking tasks. Bilinguals demonstrated significantly fewer decrements to their driving performance when speaking on a cellular telephone compared to monolinguals, providing a practical demonstration of the cognitive advantages of bilinguals in dual task paradigms.
Evaluating Camouflage Effectiveness Using Virtual Reality
Authors: Augustyn Jason S. , Brunyé Tad T. , Rock Kathy , Hepfinger Lisa , Mahoney Caroline R.
Published: January 2012

Military camouflage evaluation is a critical domain that can benefit tremendously from recent methodological advancements in Human Factors. Specifically, the evolution of virtual reality (VR) technologies and their application to user testing and product development affords new opportunities for improving the range of conditions under which novel camouflage patterns may be evaluated and the degree of control and quantitative precision associated with such evaluations. The present paper reports an effort underway to apply VR techniques to the evaluation of camouflage uniforms for infantry forces. An experiment is described that compared target detection data from a standard photosimulation procedure with data gathered from a virtual analog of the same task. While differences were noted between the real and virtual stimuli the findings were encouraging and yielded insights into how VR might complement more traditional measures of camouflage effectiveness. These lessons are discussed and avenues for additional research are considered.
Avoiding Friendly Fire: Constructing Behaviorally-Anchored Rating Scales to Assess Team Cognition in Distributed Mission Training for Close Air Support
Authors: Jarmasz Jerzy , Zobarich Richard , Lamoureux Tab , Bruyn-Martin Lora
Published: January 2012

Distributed Mission Training (DMT), where trainees who are geographically distributed train for common missions using simulators connected via high-speed data networks, has been shown to be an effective training tool, particularly for Air Force operations. The Canadian Forces (CF) are interested in assessing the effectiveness and applicability of DMT for joint (air-land) and coalition missions. To this end, a rating instrument using behaviorally-anchored rating scales (BARS) was designed and trialed at Exercise Northern Goshawk, a distributed Close Air Support (CAS) simulation exercise that involved participants from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada in August 2007. Effective team performance and training is essential in order to avoid friendly fire incidents while conducting CAS. The BARS instrument was thus designed to assess the quality of team coordination and performance at key moments of CAS missions. It is based on a validated Hierarchical Task Analysis of CAS missions as performed by Canadian Forward Air Controllers (FACs) and Pilots, and makes use of the behavioral markers of team cognition breakdowns proposed by Wilson, Salas, Priest and Andrews (2007). Here we describe the process of combining the behavioral markers and the HTA to develop the BARS. We also discuss the results that were obtained with the instrument, the challenges encountered while applying it, and propose future directions for validating and improving it.
Virtusphere: Walking in a Human Size VR “Hamster Ball”
Authors: Medina Eliana , Fruland Ruth , Weghorst Suzanne
Published: January 2012

A major challenge for virtual reality (VR) interfaces is to provide realistic human interactions with the virtual world in more natural ways; one solution is to use a device called the VirtuSphere (VS). The VS provides a mechanism for walking in VR in semi-natural way; however, users have to adapt to walking in a moving platform, having limited visual feedback and integrating motion cues with physical responses. In this study we report on the challenges novice users of this virtual reality locomotion device encounter when performing navigation tasks in a virtual environment in two visual conditions (first-person and third-person viewpoint). We analyzed how performance, simulator sickness, and satisfaction vary under these two viewpoint conditions. We found that motion sickness and balance disturbance were more pronounced for the first-person viewpoint group than for the third-person group. However the first-person viewpoint group performed better and enjoyed the experience more than the third-person view group.
The Physiological Assessment of VE Training System Fidelity
Authors: Jones David L. , Greenwood-Ericksen Adams , Hale Kelly , Johnston Matthew
Published: January 2012

This paper describes the Training Effectiveness Evaluation with neurophysiological metrics: Fidelity Assessment of VE Training Systems (TEE-FAST) framework, which offers a comprehensive assessment of physical, functional and psychological fidelity of VE training systems. TEE-FAST evaluates at the cue level how information is presented to users and how users respond, both behaviorally and physiologically, in both a VE training environment and the related operational (or live training) environment. The differences in cue presentation and user responses across VE and live tasks are evaluated to determine how effective a VE training system is at targeting specified training goals. Evaluation outcomes provide targeted design guidance regarding training utility related to each specified training goal, as well as redesign recommendations to enhance VE system fidelity and training utility.
Comparing Decision-Making and Control for Learning a Virtual Environment: Backseat Drivers Learn Where They are Going
Authors: Bakdash Jonathan Z. , Linkenauger Sally A. , Proffitt Dennis
Published: January 2012

A considerable amount of research has been conducted on the role interactivity, active versus passive navigation, for learning the spatial layout of a virtual environment (VE). However, active navigation is not unitary. It has two distinct components: decision-making and control. In the present work we investigated which main component of active navigation was critical for acquiring spatial knowledge of a virtual city. We found that spatial knowledge was comparable when the VE was learned with active navigation or decision-making in the absence of control, but was much worse when only control was present. These results suggest decision-making, not control, is the critical component for learning a VE.
Visual Controller Aids to Support Late Merging Operations for Fuel Efficient and Noise Reduced Approach Procedures
Authors: Oberheid Hendrik , Weber Bernhard , Rudolph Michael
Published: January 2012

Objective: The paper studies aircraft ghosting on a radar display as a potential means to support air traffic controllers with late merging operations in approach control. Background: A formerly presented late merging concept has pointed out operational benefits in terms of fuel efficiency and noise reduction. A first exploratory study has shown that the concept puts high task demands on the air traffic controller to achieve necessary precision. The provision of a ghosting system is considered as a potential automation tool which supports the controller in merging traffic. Methods: A microworld simulation of approach control was used to study the effect of two potential ghosting solutions (time-based vs. distance based ghosting) on control performance while executing late merging operations. Objective performance, situation awareness (SAGAT), and subjective ratings on the ghosting system were the main evaluation criteria. Results: The results confirm the hypothesized positive effects of both ghosting solutions on objective merging performance. Under certain conditions, ghosting had a negative effect on situation awareness as regards the position of real aircraft. Finally, the majority of participants reported that time-based ghosting support is less strenuous and more helpful for merging operation than distance-based ghosting. Conclusions: Ghosting brings about performance benefits. Yet, SA of real aircraft has to be ensured. Application: Results will inform the system design and experimental design for follow-up studies in the full mission simulator.
Helicopter Pilot Use of a See-Through, Head-Mounted Display with Pathway Guidance for Visually Guided Flight: Observations of Navigation Behavior and Obstacle Avoidance
Authors: Beringer Dennis B. , Luke Terri , Quate Allison , Walters Elizabeth
Published: January 2012

An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate synthetic imagery, presented in a binocular, stereoptic, head-mounted see-through display (HMD) for providing destination guidance and navigation data to helicopter pilots. The intended application was to Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). Participants flew a simulator from an airfield to a remote, unimproved site to pick up an accident victim. Synthetic cues included approach and landing-zone signposts, highway-in-the-sky guidance for a 6-degree approach, approach direction lights, landing direction lights, and a synthetic helipad. Performance measures included destination visual acquisition time, transit time, obstacle avoidance, landing accuracy, and workload. Signposts allowed significantly shorter destination visual acquisition times. There were no significant differences in perceived workload. The baseline flights using the Global Positioning System (GPS) terminated further from the desired landing zone than flights using the HMD imagery. Successful visual avoidance of obstacles in the out-the-window view varied for different types of obstacles.
The Use of Concept Maps to Support Human-System Integration Requirements: Highlighting the Human Touch Points
Authors: Small Ronald , Plott Christopher , McDermott Patricia L. , Acosta Hector , Lindberg Robert , MacLeod Kathi-Ann
Published: January 2012

Concept maps are graphical representations of a body of knowledge and the relationships between parts of that knowledge. Concept maps help people see relationships among ideas and the range of topics to be considered in a concise form. The project discussed in this paper uses concept maps to support the design and development of a human-system integration (HSI) assessment tool to help system acquisition staff develop HSI requirements, to review deliverables for completeness, and to conduct or review HSI evaluations during the system acquisition process. Concept maps, used in this novel way, can help ensure that the essential aspects of a system or a problem are captured. Exemplar systems to be mapped are the F-15E, Stratcom's Global Operations Center (GOC), and the Predator unmanned aerial system.
Emotion Recognition of Virtual Agents Facial Expressions: The Effects of Age and Emotion Intensity
Authors: Beer Jenay M. , Fisk Arthur D. , Rogers Wendy A.
Published: January 2012

People make determinations about the social characteristics of an agent (e.g., robot or virtual agent) by interpreting social cues displayed by the agent, such as facial expressions. Although a considerable amount of research has been conducted investigating age-related differences in emotion recognition of human faces (e.g., Sullivan, & Ruffman, 2004), the effect of age on emotion identification of virtual agent facial expressions has been largely unexplored. Age-related differences in emotion recognition of facial expressions are an important factor to consider in the design of agents that may assist older adults in a recreational or healthcare setting. The purpose of the current research was to investigate whether age-related differences in facial emotion recognition can extend to emotion-expressive virtual agents. Younger and older adults performed a recognition task with a virtual agent expressing six basic emotions. Larger age-related differences were expected for virtual agents displaying negative emotions, such as anger, sadness, and fear. In fact, the results indicated that older adults showed a decrease in emotion recognition accuracy for a virtual agent's emotions of anger, fear, and happiness.
Rasmussen's S-R-K 30 Years Later: Is Human Factors Best in 3's?
Authors: Woods David
Published: January 2012

2009 is the 30th anniversary of the original publication of Jens Rasmussen's Skill-Rule-Knowledge (S-R-K) framework in a technical report from Riso National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark (Rasmussen, 1979a). Given the influence of this work, it is timely to have a panel discussion that examines the impact of this paper and its current status. Since S-R-K is a three level heuristic, the panelists were also asked to address the questions: Can Human Factors be boiled down to just 3 levels? What are the 3 levels that capture the essentials of people at work?
Complexities and Challenges in the Use of Bayesian Belief Networks: Informing the Design of Causal Influence Models
Authors: Pfautz Jonathan , Koelle David , Carlson Eric , Roth Emilie
Published: January 2012

Bayesian belief networks (BNs) are well-suited to capturing vague and uncertain knowledge. However, the capture of this knowledge and associated reasoning from human domain experts often requires specialized knowledge engineers responsible for translating the expert's communications into BN-based models. Across application domains, we have analyzed how these models are constructed, refined, and validated with domain experts. From this analysis, we have identified key user-centered complexities and challenges that we have used to drive the selection of simplifying assumptions. This led us to develop computational techniques and user interface methods that leverage these same assumptions with the goal of improving the efficiency and ease with which expert knowledge can be expressed, verified, validated, and encoded. In this paper, we present the results of our analysis of BN construction, validation, and use. We discuss how these results motivated the design of a simplified version of BNs called Causal Influence Models (CIMs). In addition, we detail how CIMs enable the design and construction of user interface mechanisms that address complexities identified in our analysis.
Auditory alarms for medical equipment: How do we ensure they convey their meanings?
Authors: Sanderson Penelope M.
Published: January 2012

For systems to be effective and to earn their users' trust, their signals must be readily interpreted. An international standard IEC 60601–1–8 was released in 2005 that provides guidelines on how to make auditory alarms on medical electrical equipment more recognisable and discriminable. Since the release of the standard, there have been concerns about the adequacy of its recommendations and, in particular, its proposal that manufacturers should use melodies to distinguish alarms from different sources. The melodies presented in the standard are just suggestions, but the standard does not indicate how an acceptable set of melodies can be established. Moreover, the standard does not require that developers perform thorough testing with representative users before implementing any melodies. The paper reviews studies performed over the last few years that demonstrate that the melodies suggested in IEC 60601–1–8 are ineffective. The paper also critiques suggestions that have been put forward for alternative alarm sounds, using speech synthesis techniques, better urgency mapping, and so on. Finally, criteria for future design and evaluation efforts are indicated.
Using Persistence Display to Increase Change Detection in Process Control Graphical Gauges
Authors: Portnoy Felix , Madhavan Poornima
Published: January 2012

This study investigates the effect of a novel display mechanism, named “persistence display”, on visual sensitivity to changes in graphical gauges. The effectiveness of the persistence display was evaluated under different magnitudes of level changes and was compared to traditional displays that are prevalent in the process control industry. The results of this study show that persistence display increased the users' visual sensitivity such that their ability to detect changes in graphical gauges was greater compared to traditional forms of display across all level of change magnitude. Further recommendations are made to continue evaluating the effect that persistence display may have on operators training.
Divergent and Convergent Thinking in Emergency Response Organizations
Authors: Hu Yao , Mendonça David
Published: January 2012

This laboratory experiment shows how time constraint and event severity affect convergent and divergent thinking processes among professional emergency response personnel addressing a simulated emergency situation. Increasing time constraint resulted in fewer options considered, fewer recommendations made, fewer decisions taken, and less favorable decision outcomes. Increasing event severity had a more ambiguous effect, suggesting the need for further study on the effect of this factor alone and in conjunction with time constraint.