bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Timing of Information Front-Loading and Planning Ahead in All-Human vs. Human-Autonomy Team Performance
Authors: Scalia Matthew J. , Zhou Shiwen , Grimm David A.P. , Harrison Julie L. , Gorman Jamie C.
Published: October 2022

The current study examines the effects of teams front-loading information and planning ahead through team-level communication during action phases of taskwork on team performance across all-human and human-autonomy teams (HATs) in a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System-Synthetic Task Environment (RPAS-STE). Twenty-one three-member teams (two participants teaming with either a trained experimenter or autonomous agent) flew an RPA with the goal of photographing target waypoints. Basing action phases on Information-Negotiation-Feedback (I-N-F) loops, we used the time difference between F-I as an indication of a team front-loading information. Planning ahead was hypothesized to occur in teams with longer F-I times. We found that all-human teams performed better than HATs while engaging in less front-loading. This indicates that F-I might have been measuring an aspect of team coordination related to optimal timing of action phases and flow of performing taskwork. Effective teamwork may require the right person (agent) get the right information at the right time rather than front-loading information as much as possible.
Driver Engagement Strategies for L3 ADS: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Prendez David M. , Noble Alexandria M.
Published: October 2022

The completion of the driving task by Level 3 (L3) Automated Driving Systems (ADS) allows drivers to turn their attention away from the road and direct it towards other activities; however, the driver must remain receptive to requests to intervene (RTI) and be prepared to complete the driving task upon deactivation of the driving automation. This transfer of control is called a takeover. The objectives of this research activity were to understand the human factors underlying driver disengagement while using L3 ADS and to identify factors influencing takeover quality and performance when the ADS-equipped vehicle has exited its operational design domain. A structured, comprehensive literature review approach was used to synthesize findings in the following areas: common measures used to assess takeover performance, factors that affect takeovers, and strategies that improve driver takeover performance.
Automating Everyday Activities: A Study on the Usage of Text-Based AutoCorrect among Age Groups
Authors: Frazier Shree N. , McComb Sara A. , Pitts Brandon J.
Published: October 2022

Automation has infiltrated nearly all areas of our lives. Many technologies have not been designed considering older adult populations. Smartphone usage is pervasive among older individuals, but whether age-related differences exist in the use of automated features of mobile devices continues to be researched. This study examined how younger, middle-aged, and older adults use AutoCorrect (AC) to send mobile messages. A total of 138 participants were asked about their perceptions of AC and to write messages in response to four scenarios that varied in complexity. Overall, younger adults had a more favorable perception of AC compared to middle-aged and older adults. Also, when complexity was both high and low, older adults were more likely to proofread their messages, manually correct AC, find AC distracting, and perceive AC to be helpful. Our findings suggest that older adults do engage with automation differently than their younger counterparts, which should be considered by automation designers.
Mask-wearing: effects on cognitive task performance and cardiac workload indices
Authors: Du Zhengyi (Andersen) , McKenzie Johnathan , Raghatate Nikita , Ferris Thomas
Published: October 2022

Consistent with CDC recommendations and government mandates during COVID, masks are commonly required/suggested in public gathering places like workplaces and schools. Considering the implications for human factors research, the extent to which mask-wearing impacts cognitive abilities and/or workload assessment from cardiac indicators are unknown. This study investigated these effects by engaging subjects in cognitively-loading tasks (math or memory) while not wearing masks, and additionally by wearing one of three types of masks (surgical, N95, and cloth). Results suggest that mask-wearing does not have significant impact on task performance data (accuracy, total question answered) or cardiac indices (heart rate). This study can foster a deeper understanding of the influence of mask-wearing on actual and perceived cognitive workload, and how mask-wearing may mitigate common workload assessment methods. These findings are valuable for informing human subjects research during COVID, and in identifying implications of mask-wearing on domains that impose cognitive work demands.
FORENSIC TECHNIQUE: The Utilization of 3D Laser Scans for Topographic Mapping of Walking Surfaces
Authors: Hartman Leah S. , Funcik Robert M. , Whetsel Borzendowski Stephanie A. , Robertson Charles A.
Published: October 2022

This case study demonstrates the forensic technique of utilizing 3D scans to provide visual topographic information about a walking surface. The case study involves a woman who allegedly experienced a slip and fall on a transition from a concrete curb ramp to an asphalt parking lot. A portion of the allegations included the potential of ice forming in the area, contributing to the fall. The plaintiff’s expert performed measurements which resulted in the reporting of inaccurately high changes in elevation in the area concluding that there were areas where water could accumulate. With the utilization of 3D scans, we were able to create a topographic map of the area and demonstrate there were no areas where precipitation could accumulate significantly. This methodology is useful to practitioners for the investigation of cases in which the question of changes in elevation and / or slopes are in question.
Learning is Compromised during Remote Instruction --- A Social Cybernetic Analysis
Authors: Smith Thomas J.
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has cast into stark relief challenges to student learning during remote relative to in-person school classroom instruction. These effects can be understood from a social cybernetic perspective --- there are design limitations inherent to E-learning environments that compromise social cooperation essential to the learning process. Social cybernetics offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the patterns of social cooperation inherent to student, instructor and classmate interactions with each other, and with educational institutions, in both physical and virtual learning environments.
Hierarchical Task Analysis of Ophthalmology Clinical Exam for identifying Biomechanic risks
Authors: Li Yifan , Hickman Charlie , Zhang Amy , Armstrong Thomas J.
Published: October 2022

A taxonomy was developed a) to describe clinical procedures with sufficient detail to review differences among practitioners, b) to examine the relationship between individual technique, spatial and temporal relationships of the workspace for calculating biomechanical risk, and c) to enable practitioners to standardize technique around best practices as well as suggest work changes that can reduce load and risk. Three different examples of ophthalmological exams were recorded for three different practitioners of differing statures. A hierarchical task analysis (HTA) was used to decompose the observed exams into successive levels of detail. The results were then used to perform load pattern and fatigue risk analysis for upper-body limbs. Analysis of these selected cases using the proposed taxonomy demonstrates how even routine ophthalmologic clinical exams pose fatigue risks for the practitioners.
The Role of Pedestrian Conspicuity and walking speed in the Forensic Analysis of a Potential Pedestrian-Tractor Trailer Collision
Authors: Whetsel Borzendowski Stephanie A. , Hartman Leah S.
Published: October 2022

The case study involves the investigation of an alleged collision between a pedestrian and tractor trailer in which the pedestrian (Mr. D) suffered fatal injuries. Investigation by state officials relied on surveillance video to determine time of death and identified the driver (Mr. R) who pulled up to a pump after Mr. D was last seen in the surveillance video. The Human Factors Consultants utilized both industry standards and human factors data/research in formulating opinions related to pedestrian conspicuity. We found that the gas station did not have adequate lighting in the incident area. Additionally, animations were used to model the typical walking speed of an individual of Mr. D’s age, indicating he would have passed the point of impact prior to the defendant driver passing it. Our analysis regarding the likelihood of a driver perceiving a low contrast pedestrian in conjunction with data from an accident reconstruction offered valuable insight into this matter.
Maybe I Can Do Better Myself: The Impact of Automation Levels on HRI
Authors: Benton Rachel A. , McDonald Mitchell D. , Sackett Maxwell A. , Poncy John R. , Collins McLaughlin Anne , Rovira Ericka M. , Novitzky Michael
Published: October 2022

Although previous studies have developed scales to measure levels of robot autonomy and ways to quantify trust in human-robot teams, there is still much interest in determining how trust, individual differences, and levels of autonomy impact these teams. The primary objective of this study is to identify how pre-existing attitudes about robots, individual differences in normal cognition, and levels of robot autonomy affect performance, communication, and trust with a robot teammate. This study pairs participants with a robot teammate to compete against two robotic opponents in a simulated game of capture the flag. Game performance and interactions with the robot teammate will be collected as outcome measures. Subjective measures will include pre-existing negative attitudes toward robots (Nomura et al., 2006a) and trust (Schaefer, 2016).
Comparing the efficacy of AR-based training with video-based training
Authors: Dwivedi Shivangi , Hayes John , Pedron Isabella , Kang John , Brenner Lindsey J. , Barnes Connor , Bailly Ashley , Tanous Kyle , Nelson Cassidy , Moats Jason , Gabbard JosephL. , Mehta Ranjana K.
Published: October 2022

In recent years, US Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have faced a massive shortage of EMS workers. The sudden outbreak of the pandemic has further exacerbated this issue by limiting in-person training. Additionally, current training modalities for first responders are costly and time-consuming, further limiting training opportunities. To overcome these challenges, this paper compares the efficacy of augmented reality (AR), an emerging training modality, and video-based training to address many of these issues without compromising the quality of the training with reduced instructor interaction. We examined performance, subjective, and physiological data to better understand workload, user engagement, and cognitive load distribution of 51 participants during training. The statistical analysis of physiological data and subjective responses indicate that performance during AR and video-based training and retention phases depended on gender perception of workload and cognitive load (intrinsic, germane, extraneous). However, user engagement was higher in AR-based training for both genders during training.
Analyzing physiological responses to quantify anxiety disorders: A scoping review
Authors: Ziyadidegan Samira , Razavi Moein , Sasangohar Farzan
Published: October 2022

Anxiety disorder is the most common mental health disorder in the United States. One of the key factors that leads to the development and aggravation of anxiety disorders is mental stress. In this study, we reviewed publications that used physiological responses and symptoms to assess mental stress. This review found that mental stress affects heart rate, hear rate variability, blood pressure, and skin conductance. Fuzzy logic, time series, and Poincare plots are prominent data analysis tools for physiological data. Most studies used a threshold (e.g., Poincaré plot) or variance (e.g., moving average models) to distinguish stress from normal conditions. The variations and thresholds, however, might fluctuate across various activities and individuals. Moreover, most research evaluated lab-generated stress data, which may be biased. Therefore, more naturalistic studies should be conducted for future research.
Investigating a new classification to describe the differences between Work-As-Imagined and Work-As-Done
Authors: Ashraf Atif Mohammed , Peres S Camille , Sasangohar Farzan
Published: October 2022

Standard operating procedures are vital in maintaining safe operations in high-risk industries such as the petrochemical industry. Despite significant safety management improvement, most incidents in these industries often attribute deviation or non-compliance with procedural steps as a causal factor. Even though workers do not always follow the exact procedure steps when performing their tasks, very few studies investigate the discrepancies between Work As Imagined (WAI) and Work As Done (WAD), particularly under normal working conditions. This study aims to identify and quantify the differences between WAI and WAD while conducting procedural tasks by operationalizing a coding framework. An actual work environment in a petrochemical facility was used to apply the framework to help decide if WAI aligns with WAD. Finally, a classification scheme is proposed and discussed to explain why workers do what they do during their routine work.
Databases for Estimating Task Element Times: An Overview
Authors: Koca Ekim , Green Paul
Published: October 2022

This article summarizes several databases (aka predetermined time systems) that provide estimated times for task elements (e.g., reach, move a mouse, make a specific decision, make a specific movement) which can be summed to estimate total task time. Databases emphasized include Methods Time Measurement (MTM), Work Factor, the Keystroke-Level Model (KLM), MODAPTS, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Recommended Practice J2365, and the Touchless Hand-Gesture-Level Model. Databases identified were drawn from industrial engineering, human-computer interaction, automotive interfaces, and other sources. In several cases, example element times and tables from these databases are provided to help readers appreciate and understand their content and structure. Also provided are 6 recommendations (e.g., choose the database that meets the analysis accuracy and time requirements; don’t mix databases with and without mental elements or those with different levels of resolution) to guide readers in database selection.
Who is using a mobile app and who is using a computer to access their patient portals?
Authors: Yin Rong , Neyens David M.
Published: October 2022

The use of patient portals to access online medical records provides patients with multiple benefits like improving patient-provider communication, access to information, and improvements in self-management of care. Studies have shown advantages to using mobile apps in healthcare. This study examined the characteristics of individuals who reported accessing patient portals via a mobile app and those who accessed their patient portal using a website on a computer by using the publicly available HINTS data. Our results suggest that those who accessed their patient portal more frequently were more likely to use apps rather than only using websites. However, users who searched for online health information were less likely to use apps. We identified differences between patient portal app users and patient portal website users that may lead to differences in user needs and design features based on how and why these groups access the information in a specific modality.
Comparing Team Performance Constructs Involved in Ground Combat and a Ground Combat Simulator
Authors: Wilson Griffin M. , Farah Yvonne , Furukawa Veronica , Melody Hui En Tan April , Dorneich Michael C. , Gilbert Stephen B.
Published: October 2022

This paper aims at exploring whether a single team performance management system could effectively monitor team communication within active firefights in both real and simulated environments. While individual skills training in military settings has undergone extensive research, work focused on contrasting team constructs within real and simulated combat has seen comparatively little development. One hour of firefight footage taken from US Army engagements and one hour of firefight footage taken from groups using the ground combat simulator ARMA 3 were reviewed. Analysis revealed that the team metrics recorded by team performance measurement system are similar in quality and quantity. While this was an early exploratory study, these preliminary results support the proposition that teamwork in real and simulated ground combat environments is similar enough to use common metrics between them. These results may indicate a potential for more effective cross-training of military teams in simulated environments.
How Do Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Fit into Level of Automation Frameworks?
Authors: Souders Dustin J. , Baringer Kathryn , King Savana L. , Mintz Alan
Published: October 2022

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have been increasingly incorporated in cars for nearly four decades and have changed the relationship of the driver to the driving task substantially. Over this period, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have developed similar ADAS functions (e.g., adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning), but these functions lack uniformity in their implementation such that there is the possibility of negative transfer of learning across different implementations of the same ADAS function. This brief theoretical paper aims to highlight issues around using some existing human-automation interaction (HAI) frameworks that have been used to classify vehicle automation and discuss considerations for better ADAS classification to inform their design and support safe and satisfactory use.
The Prevalence and Potential Effects of Distractions in General Surgery: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Ayas Suzan , Donmez Birsen , Kazlovich Kate , Lombardi Selena , Jain Ashna
Published: October 2022

Distractions can interfere with surgical tasks and may negatively impact task performance, surgery duration, and mood of surgical team members. A mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the prevalence and potential effects of distractions during general surgery, in particular during the surgical procedure and post-operative counts. An audio-video recording platform named the OR BlackBox® was used to record data from 40 surgical cases, which was in turn coded by multiple raters. Supporting qualitative data was collected through interviews with four OR staff members. The audio-video data revealed that distractions occurred on the average about every three minutes during the surgical procedure, and most frequently observed effect was distracted members not noticing other members’ requests. Twenty-nine of the cases had at least one changeover during the surgical procedure whereas overall four changeovers occurred during post-operative counts; in one of these cases the count was repeated, resulting in a delay of almost 15 minutes. Other distractions (OR traffic, communication, and others) were frequent both during the surgical procedure (M=0.39 per minute per case, SD=0.15) and post-operative counts (M=0.75 per minute per case, SD=0.44). The interviews were preliminary in nature and provided additional insights on the effects of OR distractions and potential mitigation strategies to inform future OR distraction research.
Exploring the Use of Public Transportation Among Older Adults During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study
Authors: Summerville Susan , Etu Egbe-Etu , Sureshbabu Keertana , Parmar Ankur , Huang Gaojian
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic affected many lives; however, adults 65 years and older experienced challenges such as limited mobility options, which may result in more age-related declines in perceptual, cognitive, and physical functioning. This pilot study aimed to explore how older adults living in the Bay Area, California, used and perceived public transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Sixteen respondents completed the survey, and the results showed that older adults who used public transportation more frequently were more concerned about contracting Coronavirus and that those with fewer transit barriers used mobile technology more often for transportation services. These findings may help transit agencies develop effective strategies to improve transportation services and increase policymakers’ awareness of older adults’ need for accessible public transportation.
Investigating Crash Risks and Driving Performance Among the Oil and Gas Industry Workers
Authors: Moffis Katlin T. , Martinez Joseph A. , Choi HeeSun
Published: October 2022

Motor vehicle crashes are the major cause of worker injuries and fatalities in the oil and gas industry. The current study uses an online survey to investigate driving safety and crash risk among the oil and gas industry workers. We examine driver characteristics and attentional and cognitive abilities associated with increased crash risks and evaluate the frequency of traffic warnings, tickets, crashes, and near-crashes among this driver population. The preliminary results from this ongoing study suggest a significant link between drivers’ age, experience, and attentional and cognitive deteriorations and increased motor vehicle crash risk. The survey responses also showed that crashes involving certain types and characteristics might be particularly prevalent among this driver group.
Peripheral Display in Virtual Reality Environments involves Higher Cognitive Demands Compared to Centered Display during Dual-Tasking
Authors: Bouzar Moncef , Bryce Marquessa , Castillo Segny , Cortez Damian , Doucette Olivia , Garcia Bayron , Ho Andy , Ito Kara , Kim Chris , Lansdell Kelly , Soangra Rahul
Published: October 2022

Peripheral displays may require higher attention allocation compared to centered displays. This study investigated how cognitive load with peripheral dual-tasking affected gait variability in healthy young adults compared to centered dual-tasking. Eleven healthy young adults (23.8±1.25 years) participated in the experiment. Participants performed three trials of three different tests while walking on the treadmill. The tasks were randomly assigned as i) normal walking without dual tasking, ii) walking with a centered cognitive arithmetic test or centered dual-tasking (DTC) and iii) walking with peripheral cognitive arithmetic test or peripheral dual-tasking (DTP). Gait parameters were evaluated for all three task conditions. We found step width significantly increased during DTP compared to the control walking condition (p<0.05). Our results revealed that DTP was challenging even for healthy young adults and thus leading to adaptations in step width. Our results show that DTP has clinical diagnostic values in revealing subtle gait deviations and can potentially be used to assess Parkinson’s disease and post-concussion disorders.
Do Drivers Respond to Lead Vehicles Gradually or Suddenly?
Authors: Oliver Myriam , Weaver Bradley W. , DeLucia Patricia R. , Qian Howard , Jupe Jason , Yang Rosemary
Published: October 2022

The aim of the current study was to determine whether drivers’ responses to stopped and slow-moving lead vehicles transition gradually in phases, each associated with a distinct optical expansion rate. We also examined whether results were affected by a cell phone conversation and expectancy. We used a driving simulator to assess six response inputs of (1) begins to release the accelerator, (2) releases accelerator completely, (3) starts to press brake (4) comfort-level braking (5) unanticipated-level braking and (6) brake pedal pressed more than 90 percent. Optical expansion rate differed among the first four inputs (the fifth and sixth did not occur enough to analyze), meaning drivers respond to lead vehicles in phases. When drivers were not engaged in a cell phone conversation, optical expansion rate for the perceptual event preceding unanticipated braking was greater when the lead vehicle was stopped compared to slowed. Expectancy did not affect optical expansion rates.
Interacting with Virtual Reality with a Controller Instead of the Body Benefits Performance and Perceptions
Authors: Johnson Cheryl I. , Whitmer Daphne E. , Entinger Jacob , Peterson Eric K. , Sobel Briana M.
Published: October 2022

Methods of interaction within virtual environments, such as virtual reality (VR), typically include hand-held controllers, but recent advances in technology are making body-based interactions possible, such as eye and hand tracking. These modern interaction methods may prove to be more natural and intuitive for users and improve their experience by reducing the mental effort associated with learning a new interaction. In this within-subjects experiment, we compared users’ performance on a speeded button selection task and ratings of their experience in five different interaction methods: controller-based (Trigger, Push, and Raycasting) and body-based (Eyetracking and Handtracking). We found that participants performed best with controller-based interactions and rated their experiences more favorably than the body-based interactions. Participants reported higher mental and physical effort in the body-based conditions than the controller-based conditions. Implications for VR system design and future research are discussed.
Integrating Usability into the Design of Student Ratings of Teachers: The Teaching and Instructional Measure of Effectiveness (TIME)
Authors: Robertson Ian , Oswald Frederick L. , Kortum Philip
Published: October 2022

At most universities, students are required to complete end-of-semester teacher evaluation forms, which may have undesirable effects on teacher ratings to the extent that students feel inconvenienced, annoyed, or disinterested when completing these forms. Addressing these concerns, we designed the Teaching and Instructional Measure of Effectiveness (TIME), a brief 6-item measure that captures relevant aspects of teaching effectiveness while retaining high levels of usability. The TIME was piloted in a small set of undergraduate psychology courses ( k = 22 classrooms, cumulative N = 640 students). Students perceived the usability of the TIME to be good-to-exceptional; and overall, students indicated that the TIME was better than the teaching evaluation system currently employed by the university. Moreover, the TIME correlated very highly with the existing teaching evaluation form, but with fewer items and less time to complete. Together, these results suggest the TIME can reliably yet more conveniently reflect student ratings of teacher performance. Future research on the psychometric properties of the TIME can usefully expand from the current work by involving multiple universities, more disciplines, more diverse classrooms, and a wider range of institutional teaching evaluation forms.
Trait Loneliness and Social Presence in Human-Human and Human-Robot Interaction
Authors: Montalvo Fernando L. , Alves Giovanna M. , Payne Charlotte A. , Sasser Jordan A. , McConnell Daniel S. , Smither Janan A.
Published: October 2022

Social robots are a proposed solution to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Given the psychological complexity of experienced trait loneliness and its potential to reduce perceived social presence, an experiment using a social robot was conducted to examine how trait loneliness impacted perceived social co-presence, psychobehavioral interdependence, and subjective mutual presence in social robot interactions. Furthermore, we explored whether these effects differed from human-to-human interactions. Although trait loneliness only affected third order subjective copresence among the three social presence dimensions, individuals with higher trait loneliness were more likely to accept the robot as a social companion.
Breaking News! Writing University Newspaper Articles to Build UX Skills and HF/E Awareness
Authors: Rickel Emily , Allen Jasmine , Chaparro Barbara S.
Published: October 2022

Hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States produce newspapers for the campus community and general public. This paper discusses how a university user experience (UX) research lab has utilized their campus newspaper to regularly publish student research findings. Publishing through this medium promotes the visibility of the human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) and UX fields, while affording undergraduate and graduate student researchers opportunities to gain practical experience using HF/E and UX methods, improve their science communication skills by presenting findings to a layperson audience, and obtain exposure to a fast-paced, collaborative environment that is common in industry. This paper also reports interview results of current and alumni HF/E student researchers who have published HF/E and UX articles through the campus newspaper. Results indicate that publishing articles effectively complements students' academic coursework that helps them apply skills learned in class and makes them more marketable job candidates.
Mobile Augmented Reality Design Evaluation
Authors: Ford Steven , Miuccio Michael , Shirley Luke , Duruaku Fiona , Wisniewski Pamela
Published: October 2022

Augmented reality (AR) usage has increased substantially in recent years due to the proliferation of smart phone technology. Retail companies have leveraged augmented reality by allowing users to view products in their space before they buy. Because usability is related to return on investment (Marcus, 2005; Nielsen et al., 2013), ensuring the usability of these products is vital. One way to accomplish this is through heuristic analyses (Tan et al., 2009). While there are many time-tested sets of heuristics (Nielsen, 1994; Schneiderman & Plaisant, 2004), these often fail to address many of the interactions that are unique to AR (Derby & Chaparro, 2021). In this paper, we demonstrate the viability of supplementing traditional heuristic analyses (Nielsen, 1994) with a new heuristic checklist designed specifically for augmented and mixed reality (Derby & Chaparro, In Press) by evaluating a retail AR program.
The Case for Negotiation Robots in simulated workplace negotiations A Theoretical Approach
Authors: Rosero Andres , Kluck Molly , MacKay Amie
Published: October 2022

Job negotiations are an anxiety-inducing and highly important form of social interaction. Most people are not sufficiently trained in negotiation strategies and often do not receive job offers that are conducive to financial stability. With the rise of virtual agents and robotics that are capable of modeling social interactions, a significant research effort has been established to create realistic simulations of negotiations. While the bulk of this research has focused on virtual agents as a medium for simulated negotiations, we propose that embodied agents can be utilized to model the inherent nuances in human interaction. In this paper, we propose a study that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of embodied agents compared to virtual agents in simulated negotiations with human participants.
Human Factors Methods and How to Use Them: Developing a Website for Novice Researchers
Authors: Alharoon Dahlia , Ferreri Nina , Goodman Kylie , Richardson Khalaeb
Published: October 2022

Due to an abundance of available methodologies and research guidelines, it can be difficult to pinpoint and correctly choose a suitable method for answering human factors-centered research questions. This is especially true for novice researchers who may lack the requisite knowledge to identify and implement methods within the domain that could be most appropriate for solving a specific problem. To address this issue, a human factors methods website was designed and created using an iterative four-stage developmental process consisting of investigation, planning, design, and evaluation phases. This website will serve as a tool for users (i.e., novice researchers) to select, learn, and implement a variety of methods that can be tailored to properly address their research questions and achieve valid results.
Rating Product Satisfaction by Watching Others Using Video
Authors: Shanklin Roslyn , Kortum Philip , Robertson Ian
Published: October 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, usability practitioners and researchers had to find new approaches to product testing. In-person, contact-intensive product testing became a safety concern, resulting in the need for more remote testing practices. An underexplored and promising method to capture subjective usability measures is Watching Others Using Video, wherein users rate a product after watching videos of others using it. This can have broad application, but previous research found this method yields positively biased usability ratings relative to post-use ratings. This study explored potential factors (e.g., success, error, and failure) that may impact how users perceive satisfaction using this method. To do so, participants were shown videos with different product interactions while systematically varying the factors of interest. Additionally, the effects of the number of errors and error recovery versus failure were explored. Participants watched different videos of the following products being used and rated them using the After-Scenario Questionnaire (ASQ): a website, electric can opener, digital timer. Results found inflated satisfaction ratings across products, however the effect did not reach statistical significance for the website. There also was no observable effect of increasing errors or showing failures. This may be attributed to poor error detection or negligible error severities. Further research is needed for Watching Others Using Video to be accurately implemented as a viable testing method.
Supporting Environmental Sustainability with Human Factors and Ergonomics: Territories, Opportunities and Considerations
Authors: Gottesman Daniel , Rempel - David Rempel David , Thatcher Andrew , Sidhu Maguire Amrita , Macht Gretchen A. , Duroha Jesse C. , Witt Jessica K. , Baldwin Carryl , Chan Cindy , Riggs Sara Lu
Published: October 2022

Humanity is facing our greatest challenge ever: to address run-away global temperatures and ecosystem degradation threatening civilization as we know it. Human factors and ergonomics have much to contribute in partnering with industry, government, academia, and society as a whole, to stop the destruction of our home, and evolve systems to sustainably provide clean energy and other resources needed to feed, clothe, house, sanitize, and transport humans.

In this poster, we present a sampling of ways ergonomists, human factors researchers, and practitioners are already engaging in work to support environmental sustainability, as well as areas in which HFE could be applied to support progress toward sustainability goals. Examples presented include contributions from members of the HFES Sustainability Task Force. We share this with the HFES community both to inform work completed and in-progress as well as to inspire the participation of others in this important work.
Evaluation of Latest Computer Workstation Standards
Authors: Stone Richard , Vasan Midhun , Mgaedeh Fatima , Wang Zhonglun , Westby Braden
Published: October 2022

The study reflects the relevance of existing standards for setting up computer workstations. Normal human behavior doesn't always make us assume the best postures as we tend to shift posture to make ourselves comfortable. Even though we know it's not good for our body, we frequently get caught up in the activity at hand, resulting in inappropriate and awkward postures. A 2x2 factorial design that included two different arrangements of a computer workstation and two different chairs with different features was used to make participants perform a 2-hour computer task during which the postures were measured. There is no significant difference in postural behavior for different workstation arrangements or interaction effects. Two posture variables showed differences across the two chairs used. Arranging workstations based on standards doesn't cause a significant effect on the subjects' postural behavior. Chair features or the design seem to have affected how they assume their postures.
An observational study of skier and snowboarder chairlift lap bar, helmet, and snow goggle usage
Authors: Park Jennifer I. , King Danielle R. , Jonas Rachel K. , Phillips Kyra B.
Published: October 2022

Alpine sports carry risk of serious injury while riding down runs or riding up on chairlifts. Some potential for injuries can be mitigated if riders use safety equipment such as helmets, snow goggles, and safety lap bars when present. In this observational study, skier and snowboarder use of such equipment was studied at three chairlifts in the United States. Researchers observed that the majority of riders wore helmets and snow goggles, with a greater proportion of children wearing helmets than adults. Skiers were more likely to wear helmets than snowboarders. Despite the prevalence of personal gear, a minority of chairs had riders lower the lap bar while riding the chairlift, and younger age and chairlift access to beginner runs corresponded with increased lap bar usage. While the use of personal gear was high in the observed sample, there is room to improve on the implementation of potentially life-saving safety equipment.
Knowledge of state-recommended following-distance rules
Authors: King Danielle R. , Phillips Kyra B. , Krauss David A.
Published: October 2022

Rear-end accidents are often attributed to the following vehicle not allowing sufficient headway to react in the event of a sudden change in velocity by the lead vehicle. Accordingly, most U.S. state DMVs offer seconds-based guidelines for safe following distances such as a ‘three-second rule’. However, studies have demonstrated that headways shorter than those recommendations are common. While numerous explanations can account for these observations, fundamentally, drivers must be aware of following distance recommendations in order to follow them. Here, we tested drivers’ knowledge of the following-distance rule (FDR). Results demonstrated that only 55.2% of survey respondents knew their state had an FDR, only 13.4% knew that it was based off of a seconds method, and only 2.4% accurately identified their state’s specific FDR. Factors associated with FDR knowledge included number of years of licensure and self-reported knowledge of driving rules.
Are Users Better Able to Correctly Interpret Single or Concatenated Auditory Icons that Convey a Complex Message?
Authors: Choi Jinwoo , Lodinger Natalie , Jones Keith S. , Siami Namin Akbar , Armstrong Miriam , Sears David
Published: October 2022

Auditory icons are naturally occurring sounds that systems play to convey information. Systems must convey complex messages. To do so, systems can play: 1) a single sound that represents the entire message, or 2) a single sound that represents the first part of the message, followed by another sound that represents the next part of that message, etc. The latter are known as concatenated auditory icons. To evaluate those approaches, participants interpreted single and concatenated auditory icons designed to convey their message well and poorly. Single auditory icons designed to convey their message well were correctly interpreted more often than those designed to convey their message poorly; that was not true for concatenated auditory icons. Concatenated auditory icons should not be comprised of a series of sounds that each represents its piece of a message well. The whole of a concatenated auditory icon is not the sum of its parts.
Impact of Simulation on Road User Acceptance of Restricted Crossing U-Turns
Authors: Craig Curtis M. , Schwieters Katelyn R. , Tian Disi , Morris Nichole L.
Published: October 2022

Restricted Crossing U-turns (RCUTs) show reduction in severe and fatal crashes compared to traditional stop-controlled intersections in rural and suburban areas, but poor community acceptance of these relatively novel road designs can lead to costly delays in installation or cessation of the project. One way to increase road user acceptance of RCUTs and other novel road designs is through the use of persuasive technologies such as virtual environments and simulation. Three studies employing different forms of simulated virtual environments with the same RCUT design were conducted, with participants providing pre- and post-exposure self-report attitudes toward the RCUTs. The results indicated that acceptance towards RCUTs generally improved for two of the three studies that provided a virtual experience driving through an RCUT, but attitudes did not improve for the virtual environment utilizing a highly immersive full-cab simulator. The results have implications for the use of persuasive technologies for novel roadway designs.
Examining the effects of interruption timing and frequency on performance: An update
Authors: Powers Sarah A. , Scerbo Mark W.
Published: October 2022

The present study re-examined how the timing and frequency of interruptions impact performance on a planning and decision-making task. Undergraduates performed a trip planning task and were interrupted at coarse breakpoints, fine breakpoints, or not at all. Additionally, interruptions occurred at either a low or high frequency. Based on the memory for goals and event segmentation theories, it was predicted that a higher number of interruptions would be more disruptive than fewer interruptions, and that this effect would be more pronounced at the fine breakpoints. The results supported these predictions. Participants took longer to resume the primary task and experienced higher mental workload and frustration when interruptions occurred at fine breakpoints and at a higher frequency. Overall, these results demonstrate that the disruptiveness of interruptions is tied to their frequency and the point within the task hierarchy at which they occur.
The Impact of Surrounding Road Objects and Conditions on Drivers Abrupt Heart Rate Changes
Authors: Tavakoli Arash , Heydarian Arsalan
Published: October 2022

Recent studies have pointed out the importance of mitigating drivers' stress and negative emotions. These studies show that certain road objects such as big vehicles might be associated with higher stress levels based on drivers' subjective stress measures. Additionally, research shows strong correlations between drivers' stress levels and increased heart rate (HR). In this paper, based on a naturalistic multimodal driving dataset, we analyze the visual scenes of driving in the vicinity of abrupt increases in drivers' HR for the presence of certain stress-inducing road objects. We show that the probability of the presence of such objects increases when becoming closer to the abrupt increase in drivers' HR. Additionally, we show that drivers' facial engagement changes significantly in the vicinity of abrupt increases in HR. Our results lay the ground for a human-centered driving experience by detecting and mitigating drivers' stress levels in the wild.
Identifying And Improving Young Drivers’ Perceptions Towards Vulnerable Road Users
Authors: Mehrotra Shashank , Roberts Shannon C.
Published: October 2022

Vulnerable road users (VRUs) like bicyclists, pedestrians, and road users of other modalities, are at a higher risk of collision with young drivers when a complex traffic situation presents itself. Past research has established the importance of young drivers’ perceptions about VRUs around safe interactions. This research aimed to design and evaluate a novel persuasive intervention that can improve perceptions of young drivers towards VRUs. First, the study identified recently licensed (12 to 18 months) perceptions towards VRUs through structured interviews. Based on these findings, an interactive intervention was designed and evaluated. Results showed improvement over time in self-reported violations among groups who received the intervention or the control. Additionally, participants who received a citation showed lower violations and lapses. The findings have implications for designing future interventions for interactions with VRUs.
An Analysis of School-Life Balance in University Students in the Context of Covid-19 Lockdowns
Authors: Soares Shayna R. , Gruber Mira E. , Schmidt Kristen M. , Hancock P. A.
Published: October 2022

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities began moving their classes from in-person to online. With the sudden change in the learning environment, students have likely struggled to maintain their school-life balance. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate whether school-life balance had decreased during COVID-19 lockdowns, and if so, why. Given the limited school life balance research, we also propose an instrument with novel components to measure school-life balance, the School-Life Balance Questionnaire. We found a lower school-life balance was reported during COVID-19 lockdowns and that certain recovery strategies predict school life balance. This study is a preliminary step towards understanding how changes in the learning environment impact school-life balance and what strategies students can use to create an optimal balance between life and school.
The effects of varying music tempo on vigilance performance and affective state
Authors: Monroe Lauren , Smith Samantha
Published: October 2022

Vigilance tasks typically involve an operator monitoring an environment for infrequent, random critical signals, buried among more frequent neutral signals, for an extended period. In addition to a decline in task engagement, task performance, and arousal over time, these tasks are also associated with high perceived workload. Previously, music has been shown to positively influence operator engagement and response times during vigilance tasks; however, the differences between fast and slow tempo music on both vigilance performance and mood measures have not been studied. The present study examined the effects of music played at different tempos on a selection of performance metrics and self-report measures of mood, engagement, and workload. Results indicated that varying music tempo did not influence the typical decline in detection of critical signals, but the fast tempo condition had a modestly positive impact on worry and engagement from pre to post task.
Jarvis in the car: Report on characterizing and designing in-vehicle intelligent agents workshop
Authors: Wang Manhua , Hock Phillip , Chan Lee Seul , Baumann Martin , Jeon Myounghoon
Published: October 2022

As intelligent agents have become more popular at home, they have been progressively introduced into driving environments. Although previous research has discussed agent features and their effects on driver perception and performance, attributes that define in-vehicle agents and distinguish them from other intelligent agents have not been discussed clearly. Thus, we organized a workshop on characterizing and designing in-vehicle intelligent agents at the 13th International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces (AutoUI 2021). In this report, we integrated ideas generated during the workshop and identified user-centered action and autonomy as two attributes that define an agent, with functions and features as specific characteristics that vary agent design. The outcomes of this workshop can facilitate in-vehicle intelligent agent design and deliver optimal user experience, while providing insights on manipulating variables in controlled studies.