bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consideration of Economical and Socio-Psychological Factors in the Implementation of Computer-Aided Manufacturing
Authors: Das Biman
Published: January 2012

For the successful implementation of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), management should plan in advance and involve all the people concerned to develop a “consensus” toward a common goal. The management should explain to the workers the advantages of CAM: job security through competitive strength, easier and safer work, a longer working life and better pay. Develop a sound company labor policy to provide “psychological security” through guaranteed job security, pay, job status and seniority. Provide a continuous training program to update workers skills for dealing with CAM.
An RSM Investigation of Defect Rate and Other Variables Which Influence Inspection
Authors: Ainsworth Les
Published: January 2012

The main experiment reported in this paper investigates the effects of changes in defect rate, the number of different types of fault present, the complexity of items, inspection rate, and the horizontal velocity of items upon inspection performance. An analysis of d' revealed that discriminability significantly decreased as the number of fault types, or the number of subassemblies increased, and there was also a significant interaction between complexity and defect rate. The only other significant effects were due to complexity influencing caution, and response latency.

A second experiment is also briefly described, which illustrates the use of response latencies to obtain TSD data from inspection tasks.
Dynamic Perception of Computer Generated Visual Information in an Altitude Control Task
Authors: Mitchell Tamara
Published: January 2012

Investigations were conducted to determine what size (visual angle) of objects and where in the forward visual field objects should be placed to provide maximum effectiveness in a simple altitude control task. Two experiments placed between 7 and 9 degrees below the horizon enabled significantly better altitude control and induced the least tendency to drift in altitude. The two experiments investigated targets ranging from 2 to 20 degrees in horizontal visual angle. This variable did not prove to significantly affect altitude control or altitude drift. Subject variance was significant in both experiments.
How Can Personnel and Training Requirements Have an Influence on Design of Systems?
Authors: Graine George N. , Baker James D. , Malehorn Merlin K. , Richardson John M. , White Lawrence M. , Meister David
Published: January 2012

During the next decade and beyond, the ability to maintain a meaningful level of military readiness will be severely tested. Simply increasing the Defense budget is not sufficient. Modern weapon and support systems are increasing in sophistication and user-system interface complexity, while the human resources pool to operate and maintain these systems is decreasing in terms of both numbers of individuals and the aptitudes, abilities, and skills these individuals bring into a military organization. This situation leads to the necessity of considering human resources as a parameter of system design, but such an effort is severely handicapped by a lack of efficient and reliable techniques that can be used by designers to estimate the human resource implications of their designs.

The complexity of the systems on the drawing boards means that their contribution to the military capability and readiness will be critically influenced by (1) the extent to which new system designs are sensitized to the militaries available human and training resources and (2) the military ability to synchronize the planning, programming, and budgeting of these resources with systems development.

Acquisition of new systems is a multi-billion dollar process, that is, the Weapon System Acquisition Process or WSAP. Determination of personnel and training requirements are usually considered so far downstream in the WSAP that the human resource requirements have been totally reactive to the fixed system design rather than being interactive with design engineering to influence the design for people. The results of this way of integrating people into a system means that hardware design has driven personnel and training requirements, rather than being a part of a procedure in which these requirements are used to influence equipment design or choices. Cost of personnel and training, low human reliability and increased human error in system failures are also valid reasons for now considering the topic question. The result is often predictable, that is, a large requirement for extremely limited technical personnel, inadequate training and, in many cases, degradation in operational effectiveness and personnel readiness.

The four panelists take different and interesting approaches to the topic question. A case study; the utilization of a computer (for greater efficiency) during the development of a human aptitude/assessment technique; a discussion and update of the HARDMAN (hardware acquisition/manpower integration) project; and a response to the topic question from a policy point of view and asks another question, Why should personnel and training requirements have an influence on design?
An Outline of a Series of Diversified Process Simulation (DIPOS) Experiments
Authors: Hollnagel Erik
Published: January 2012

This paper describes a framework for small scale experiments on man-machine systems. Four basic techniques relying on reconstruction, discrimination, prediction and problem solving are discussed together with suggestions for a series of experiments. Finally, the data recording requirements from the various parts of a DIPOS system are discussed in detail.
The Effectiveness of Using Real-Time Eye Scanning Information for Pilot Training
Authors: Spady Amos A. , Jones Dennis H. , Coates Glynn D. , Kirby Raymond H.
Published: January 2012

A study to evaluate the idea of providing pilots feedback on their scan behavior as an instructional training aid was conducted jointly by NASA, Piedmont Aviation, and Old Dominion University. The study used Langley's oculometer system to provide a real-time display of the trainee's scan to the instructor pilot in the aft part of the Boeing 737 training simulator at Piedmont. The trainees' scan behavior was also video-taped for viewing by the instructor and trainee after each training session. Based on qualitative data obtained during the study, scan behavior feedback was an effective tool for pilot training.
Power Plant Man-Machine Modeling with Systems Dynamics
Authors: Strobhar David A. , Sweeney Patrick J.
Published: January 2012

The modeling of complex man-machine systems above the task level historically has been hampered by the difficulty in integrating models of human performance with other models of the system. In particular, modeling the macro-dynamics of a nuclear power plant process and in conjunction with the features of the control room has not been attempted due to the complexity of both elements. If such a model could be developed, then the interactions between performance shaping factors and process parameters could be studied.
The Interpretation of Human Factors Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plant Control Room Reviews
Authors: Maddox Michael E.
Published: January 2012

As a result of the Three Mile Island-Unit 2 (TMI) accident and subsequent investigations, all U.S. nuclear utilities are being required to review the control rooms in their nuclear generating plants for human factors design adequacy. Before TMI, human factors considerations were not an integral part of the design process in the nuclear industry. The utilities were not well equipped to handle the requirement for control room design reviews (CRDR), so, in an attempt to provide useable guidance for CRDR's, the NRC issued several documents that were based on military design standards and commonly-used equipment design guides. A fundamental problem with the guidance issued by the NRC and others is that much of the design guidance is not directly applicable to a review and backfit process such as the CRDR.

This paper presents a description of the ongoing process of applying human factors design criteria from the military and aerospace arena to the review and backfit activities in the nuclear utility industry. This process has, and is, taking place in a broad-based utility working group to which the author acts as a consultant. The work includes a large educational segment in which techniques, such as task analysis, are made explicity applicable to the CRDR. So far, this activity has resulted in four guidelines that have been reviewed by the nuclear utilities.
The Effects of Display Errors and Font Styles upon Operator Performance with a Plasma Panel
Authors: Abramson Sandra R. , Mason L. Hardy , Snyder Harry L.
Published: January 2012

The effects of manipulating discrete element error types and font types were determined on a reading performance task using a plasma panel display. Thirty male and 30 female college students attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University participated as subjects. The results demonstrate that reading performance is significantly degraded by the random addition or removal of discrete elements or lines of elements. Subjects made more errors with lower case characters than with upper case characters. Similarly, more errors were also made in the discrete element failure condition than with horizontal line or vertical line failure. The Huddleston font was found to be better than the Lincoln-Mitre and the font used on the HP2621A.
Aircraft and Background Noise Annoyance Effects
Authors: Willshire Kelli F.
Published: January 2012

Traditionally, community aircraft flyover annoyance has been studied in the absence of other noises. However, the importance of considering the flyovers along with other community noise sources is gaining increasing awareness. To investigate annoyance of multiple noise sources, two experiments were conducted. The first experiment used 48 subjects, and the second used 216 subjects. The first experiment was designed to establish annoyance-noise level functions for three community noise sources presented individually: jet aircraft flyovers, air conditioner, and traffic. This experiment provided baseline data for a second experiment which is currently being conducted to investigate (1) effects of background noise on aircraft annoyance as a function of noise level and spectrum shape; (2) the relative contributions of background noises and aircraft noise to overall annoyance; and (3) effect of type of annoyance rating: overall or source specific. In the second experiment, the subjects were required to make either overall or source specific annoyance ratings or a combination of the two. Both experiments used two dependent measures: rated annoyance and amount of subconscious body movement or fidgeting.

Results of the first experiment indicated that the slope of the annoyance-noise level function for traffic was significantly different from the slopes corresponding to flyover and air conditioner noise. This added further justification to the need to determine the influence of different background noises on aircraft noise annoyance (e.g., experiment two). Preliminary body movement analysis indicated no relationship of body movements to source noise level.

Results of the second experiment showing differential effects of signal-to-noise ratio and background source type across total noise level will be presented and discussed. Results will also be presented to illustrate the effects of all the sources (flyover, air conditiner, and traffic) on relative annoyance as a function of the type of annoyance questionnaire. Further data on the correlation of movement with source noise level will be discussed. However, based on the results of the first experiment, little relation to annoyance is expected. All results will be applied in an effort to develop an improved model of human response to community noise.
Organization and Management of Human Factors in High Technology Organizations
Authors: Brown Ogden
Published: January 2012

The Technical Group on Organizational Design and Management is interested in determining organizational characteristics of successful firms which have Human Factors Groups or Departments within their structure. Of particular interest is the organizational design employed by these companies and how the human factors function is incorporated into this framework. Also of interest is the degree of differentiation and the extent to which integrating functions have been or are now present in the organization. One way to learn about these considerations is to examine organizational programs, noting initial design, subsequent changes, management practices, and problems encountered in initiating human factors efforts. Another method by which we might learn about alternative management systems, organizational design, and problems encountered is to consult those who have the responsibility for managing human factors programs in large, high technology organizations which have incorporated the human factors function into their design.
Are Our Methods any Good? A Way to Find Out
Authors: Meister D.
Published: January 2012

This paper proposes that the Human Factors Society undertake to collect information from Human Factors specialists working in system development about the adequacy of the behavioral methods they use, the conditions under which these methods are applied and the success or failure of the methodolgical outputs. Information would be provided on a continuing basis by society members who wish to contribute anonymously by providing information of historical importance.
Flight Stations and Offices of the Future: How Similar Will They be?
Authors: Wasson Raymond L.
Published: January 2012

Information creation and management are starting to become the major task elements for both the office worker and the pilot. The computer technology which is enabling this will not only improve performance but will lead to greater user satisfaction. Research has been ongoing in both of these work environments. Human factors personnel engaged in either area can benefit from an increased sharing of their respective achievements.
Variable Training for a Novel Instance in a Dynamic Environment
Authors: Kleiner Brian M. , Catalano John F.
Published: January 2012

The study used an “open” or dynamic environmental task to determine whether the acquisition of novel responses outside the range of the subjects' past experience would be facilitated by variability of training. This was found to be the case for a coincident-timing task. Subjects with high stimulus variability during training showed improved transfer to a novel task. A generalization gradient was obtained; the further the novel conditions were from the training conditions, the poorer was the transfer. However, generalization decrement was attenuated with variable training.
Status of Diagnostic Training in the Nuclear Utility Industry
Authors: Johnson William B. , Maddox Michael E.
Published: January 2012

A review of diagnostic-related training for operators and maintainers in the nuclear industry was performed. The work, funded by the Electric Power Research Institute, consisted of site visits to utility and training vendor facilities. Structured interviews and opinionnaires addressed the areas of training program structure, training implications of post-TMI requirements, knowledge and skills requirements for diagnostic performance, diagnostic training techniques, and implicit and explicit diagnostic training objectives.
Human Reliability Data Bank: Pilot Implementation
Authors: Comer Kay , Miller Dwight P.
Published: January 2012

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Sandia National Laboratories have initiated a three-phase research program to develop a plan for a human reliability data bank. This research is in response to the data needs of the nuclear power industry's probabilistic risk assessment community. The three phases are: A - Develop the data bank concept, B - Develop an implementation plan and conduct a feasibility test, and C - Assist sponsor in implementing the data bank. This paper describes the results of work performed during Phase A and the program tasks scheduled for Phase B.
Inspection Time on Items Following the Detection of a Faulty Item
Authors: Tsao Yao-Chung , Wang Tsai-Guey
Published: January 2012

Two experiments were conducted to examine inspector's inspection time spent on items following a detected faulty item. Reinforcement theory, Expectancy theory, and a combined theory of the two were compared. Results were consistent with the combined theory.
Color Matches and Discrimination Functions for Selected Hues
Authors: Ward Frank E. , Greene Fran , Martin Wayne
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this research was to investigate color discrimination under conditions of ambient illumination that may reduce CRT display saturation and contrast. Our research measured both the variability of color matching and the offsets from a match necessary for a 100% discrimination difference. We did this for four dominant wavelengths each at five saturation levels. Our subjects were tested at low, medium, and high adaptation levels for both large and small test stimulus sizes.

In general, our results for the low luminance color matching conditions are in agreement with the published literature. For the high luminance and small field conditions, our data suggest that color discrimination should not be predicted from the CIE Uniform Chromaticity Space data. Color discrimination varies dramatically with dominant wavelength; reds and greens are more difficult to discriminate than yellows and yellow-greens. Empirical relationships that describe the discrimination are presented.
A Methodological Investigation of Three Psychophysical Techniques for Rapid Measurement of Contrast Sensitivity
Authors: Ginsburg Arthur P. , Bittner Alvah C. , Kennedy Robert S. , Harbeson Mary M.
Published: January 2012

A general method for assessing visual capacity, contrast sensitivity function (CSF), has emerged in the last decade. The CSF describes visual detection of sine-wave gratings over a range of visual sizes. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the stability and sensitivity of three methods of obtaining rapid CSFs: Method of Adjustment (ADJ), Bekesy Tracking (B), and Method of Increasing Contrast (MIC). For each method, a microcomputer controlled video display was used to generate five different stationary gratings: 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 cycles per degree (cpd). Individual contrast sensitivity functions were determined for each of 13 observers over five days. Analyses were conducted on reliabilities, means, and variances across frequencies, methods, and days. The MIC demonstrated near-largest or largest reliabilities over all frequencies across days. The MIC, in addition, appeared differentially stable from the onset of measurement (p > .10); while, both ADJ and B methods demonstrated differential instability (p < .002). The Methodof Increasing Contrast (MIC) may be recommended as the method of choice for assessing CSF based on the present findings.
Contrast Sensitivity Predicts Target Detection Field Performance of Pilots
Authors: Ginsburg Arthur P. , Easterly Jill , Evans David W.
Published: January 2012

Our recent research has shown that contrast sensitivity, not visual acuity, can predict a pilot's ability to detect an air-to-ground target in a flight simulator. Here we report a further study that shows a similar predictive power under actual field conditions. Eighty-four Air Force pilots, seated at the end of a runway, typically in groups of ten per week, reported the detection of an approaching T-39 jet aircraft under visibility conditions varying from 0.5 to over 15 miles for 10 field trials. The pilots' detection ranges were correlated with their individual contrast sensitivities and standard visual acuities. Contrast sensitivity, not visual acuity, was found to be a good predictor of detection range. These results have strong implications for the creation of performance-related vision standards.
An Evaluation of Two Methods for the Injury Risk Assessment of Lifting Jobs
Authors: Liles D. H. , Mahajan P. , Ayoub M. M.
Published: January 2012

This paper compares two methods of evaluating the risk potential of manual materials handling jobs. This comparison is based upon two large field studies. A total of 101 different lifting jobs were analyzed using each of the two methods. Injury profiles, representing a total of over one million hours of worker exposure, were also compiled. The results indicate that the two methods tend to agree in their risk assessment of most jobs. The results also indicate that the assessments tend to be correct when compared to observed injury statistics. There are, however, certain differences between the two methods. These and other points are also discussed.
Driver Task Load in Different Road Environments
Authors: Janssen Wiel H.
Published: January 2012

The research to be reported deals with the driver-environment interaction in terms of driver task load.

The potential significance of road environment in driver information processing follows from the fact that accident rates are different for different types of roads. Another relevant aspect is that task load experienced in a particular road environment appears to be a factor in driver route preference, a relationship of obvious relevance to traffic management.

We have investigated several road environments in terms of task load as indicated by psychophysiological variables measured while subjects drove an instrumented vehicle.

Experiment 1, employing 16 male Ss, concentrated on: (a) the .1 Hz component of the cardiac interval spectrum, and (b) the P300 cortical potential component evoked by subsidiary stimuli. It was found that the motorway trajectory was associated with more load than either a city or a rural interlocal trajectory. I.e., the amplitude of the .1 Hz cardiac spectral component was lowest on the motorway, and P300, was slower and its amplitude lower on the motorway. We replicated this study on different trajectories in Experiment II, again employing 16 male Ss, only to see the motorway section emerge as the outlier again. In Experiment III we returned to the motorway and rural interlocal trajectories of the first experiment. Catecholamine excretion rates over 1 hr driving periods were obtained for 8 male and 8 female Ss. The males showed the pattern of the first two experiments, their excretion rate being highest on the motorway, while the female Ss showed the opposite pattern.

These results emphasize that driving is not an open-loop, paced task. A particular environment does not ‘emit’ some fixed amount of load, but it sets an upper and a lower limit to that variable. Thus, the driving task is essentially self-paced, though its possible rate of self-pacing is constrained to different degrees in different road environments. The male drivers in our experiments assumedly seized the opportunity presented to them on the motorway, while female drivers drove in a more passive manner in that condition. This interpretation will be supported by additional analysis of the data, in particular of the relationship between parameters describing driving performance on the one hand and measures of task load on the other. Implications for the problem fields indicated above follow from these results.
Use of a Secondary Task Methodology for Determining Acceptability of Flat-Panel Display Technologies in Consumer Environments
Authors: Hoffman Mark S. , Cramer Martin L.
Published: January 2012

Flat-panel displays are used in consumer environments for displaying information where limits on content, physical space, power, and cost constraints are critical. Applications have traditionally included Retail Point-of-Service (POS) terminals. Most common flat-panel display technologies found in the consumer markets are Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), Plasma, and Vacuum Fluorescent displays. Emitting displays, i.e., Vacuum Fluorescent, Plasma, and LEDs were introduced into the marketplace with few reservations as to their general acceptance since normal ambient lighting conditions other than direct sunlight had minimal impact on readability. However, reflective display technologies, i.e., LCDs have not been widely accepted in POS products because of slower response times and a more restrictive range of ambient light needed to achieve acceptable viewing conditions.

Many techniques used for determining the acceptability of a display technology for the POS environment presently used in industry are solely based upon the physical and functional performance characteristics of the display itself. This approach is similar to those used for evaluating video displays in that the primary concern is the stability of the displayed output for the intended user environment. Often these evaluations are conducted in a laboratory and therefore do not compare display performances relative to the intended end user. Even though this approach is cost-effective because the physical attributes of the display can be tailored to maximize readability, it does not consider the effect of the displayed information beyond the properties of the human visual system. Therefore, it would be desirable to develop an experimental methodology for evaluating flat-panel display technologies based upon human information processing capabilities. This requires using the information in cognitive task loadings equivalent to those experienced in the user environment.

Studies comparing LCDs and Plasma display technologies were designed to construct a cognitive-perceptual model for usability assessment in the retail POS environment. A secondary task methodology was used to predict mental workload associated with each display. A Choice Reaction Time (CRT) paradigm proved to be an effective method for exploring cognitive-behavioral problems associated with the displays beyond those considered in the traditional methods of display evaluation.
A Computer Simulation of Visual Recognition Performance
Authors: Gawron Valerie J. , Laughery K. Ronald , Jorgensen Charles C. , Polito Joseph
Published: January 2012

As part of an ongoing program to develop computer models of human performance (MOPADS, Model of Operator Performance in Air Defense Systems), a computer model of visual recognition performance was developed. The model predicts the probability of an observer detecting and recognizing a target as a function of several independent variables. The values of these variables can be defined by the user (e.g., number of observers, observer's time on task) or be provided from an ongoing simulation of an air defense scenario (e.g., distance to target, target speed).
Hand Torque Strength with Cylindrical Handles
Authors: Replogle Joe O.
Published: January 2012

The relationship between the diameter of a smooth cylindrical handle and the torque that can be applied by the human hand has been analyzed. An analytical model has been derived for the maximum torque that can be developed before the hand slips on the handle. The model has been tentatively verified by torque measurements on 20 subjects using a series of smooth phenolic fiber cylinders ranging in diameter from 0.95 to 8.89 cm.

The results of the analysis are:

(1) Torque increases as the square of the handle diameter up to the point where the fingers and palm just touch without overlapping. This “grip-span diameter” is approximately 2.5 centimeters. (2) For larger diameters the torque continues to increase, but at a decreasing rate and reaches a maximum when the diameter is approximately 5 centimeters. (3) The maximum torque is approximately one and one-half times the torque obtainable at the grip-span diameter. (4) Female torque capability is about 40 percent of that of males. (5) The grip-span and maximum-torque diameters do not vary greatly between males and females.

The analytical model is derived and discussed.
User Preference for Instructional Formats: An Evaluation of Performance
Authors: Petrun Craig J. , Henry Suzanne , MacDonald Marian , Torrey Robert , Anderson Eric
Published: January 2012

Three studies were performed to determine the effect of different formats on user preferences and performance. In Studies 1 and 2, operators were presented instructional formats which differed on the following variables: 1) the use of graphic illustrations, 2) the amount and use of color, 3) the type of blocking used to separate the information on each page. The results of both studies indicated that operator preferences were significantly affected by the use of graphics, random blocking, and amount of color. Study 3 examined the impact of preferred and non-preferred formats on operator performance and their preferences after using a given format. The results showed that there were no significant performance differences between the formats. The preference data, however, demonstrated that formats containing color, random blocking, and graphics were still the most preferred variables.
Control Systems Development Logic
Authors: Rogers Jon G.
Published: January 2012

A control systems development logic is described which proved useful as a communications aid in assuring human factors input in the design development process. The flow chart format begins with an examination of mission objectives and works the control problem to the final configuration. The procedure is thorough, systematic, and assures attention to basic human factors criteria and standards.
Crew System Assessment Methods Applied to Derivative Fighter Cockpits
Authors: Kuperman Gilbert G. , Moss Richard W. , Bondurant Robert A.
Published: January 2012

Representatives from five Air Force Laboratories were tasked to perform an assessment of conceptual cockpit designs being considered for a derviative, dual role fighter weapon system. An in-cockpit “role playing” exercise, demonstrating the tasks of a composite weapon system mission scenario, was employed in obtaining expert subject opinion data.
A Mathematical Model for Predicing Speed of Alphanumeric Data Entry on Small Keypads
Authors: Brown S.L. , Goodman D.
Published: January 2012

A mathematical model for predicting speed of alphanumeric data entry on small keypads was developed using systems engineering principles. The model included factors for the number of keypresses, the length and direction of each movement, key press and release time, and mental preparation time preceding each character. The model was validated with actual performance data collected from six subjects each using one of three small multifunction keypads based on the touch telephone keyset. Total time to complete the task was predicted reasonably well, but the model failed to correctly differentiate between keypads. The assumptions of the model are discussed in light of the difficulty of modelling the cognitive component of performance.
Stress as a Function of the Rate at Which Information is Presented on a Video Display Terminal
Authors: Barfield Woodrow , West Bill , Robertson Mica , Taylor F. Lynne , Tamplin Nelson
Published: January 2012

The increasing use of computers in the work environment has resulted in the need to develop human factors principles that improve human-computer interaction. Systems which are incompatible with the information processing capabilities of the user may lead to information overload or underload and to stress. The following experiment examines the relationship between stress and performance by varying rates of information and density levels on a VDT.

Ten subjects (Ss) performed a visual search task on a VDT as information was “scrolled” across the screen. Ss stopped the scrolling mode by pushing the skip bar when they identified the target. This resulted either in a correct detection, Type I error (identifying the wrong target), or Type II error (missing the target). Results revealed that high rates of information presentation lead to increased errors as well as increased subjective reports of stress (Feeling Tone Checklist). Recommendations for system design are discussed.
An Evaluation of Expertise in a File Search Environment
Authors: Elkerton Jay , Williges Robert C.
Published: January 2012

The evaluation of expertise is an important activity that should be undertaken when human-computer systems are designed. This activity is extremely critical in systems which automatically provide assistance to inexperienced users. However, the representation of expertise is of equal importance in automated assistance systems. An experiment was designed to address the issues of representation and evaluation of expertise in a file search environment using expert and novice subjects. A target profile methodology was used for developing a file search assistant based on expert behavior. The model of expertise generated from this methodology proved to be capable of capturing expert search strategies. It also was capable of providing a framework for the development of an interactive file search assistant. The investigation points to further research in diagnostic and remedial variables in assistance, as well as adaptive assistance.
Complex Design Projects for Teaching System Design
Authors: Boyd Stephen P. , McCloy Thomas M.
Published: January 2012

Frequently, undergraduates are exposed only to principles and concepts of HF engineering. However, the application of published guidelines will not answer all design questions. An HF course has been introduced at the USAF Academy which attempts to give the students design experience as well as exposing them to the complexities of design integration. The course is structured to parallel the design process and culminates in a final design project. Each class selected a major human-machine system. Then, each selected a subsystem for his/her individual project. First, students optimized the design of the selected subsystems. The second part of the project addressed the problem of system integration. Each class, as a group, evaluated trade-offs between subsystems to develop a coherent overall design. This type of exercise is recommended for educators trying to bridge the gap between the classroom and the reality of system design.
Human Factor Engineering - Agent of Change
Authors: Kobylak Richard F.
Published: January 2012

Often, organizations within a large corporation require restructuring for more efficient operations. Human Factors personnel are increasingly becoming the “Agent of Change” when reorganization or restructuring is required. The present paper describes a two-year reorganization process that resulted in the standardization of manual workflow, electronic data processing enhancement, increased work efficiency, and improvements in the quality of the work environment of an engineering organization with a major corporation.
Development of a Naval Aviation Anthropometry Cockpit Compatibility Program
Authors: Moroney William F. , Hughes Robert E.
Published: January 2012

The present cockpit assignability program assumes that (1) the individual's anthropometric data are correct and (2) that the visual and reach requirements for each cockpit have been correctly defined. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case. The three-pronged effort to resolve this problem includes: (1) improving the quantity and quality of individual anthropometric data; (2) standardizing cockpit measurement techniques; and (3) combining the data from both of the above into a decision making model. The end result of these actions should be more appropriate assignments to aircraft cockpits and better data for use in analysis of accidents and ejections.
Stair Safety and Handrail Studies: Methods, Findings and Applications to Building Codes and Standards
Authors: Pauls Jake L.
Published: January 2012

Background information is provided on the problem of stair accidents and the solutions being recommended as a result of research into stair use and design. Stair accidents are the leading cause of injuries in buildings. Stair safety research dating from 1967, with special attention to human factors, has been conducted in Britain, Canada, Japan, Sweden and the United States. Some design recommendations resulting from this work were published in 1974; many more were published about five years later. Resulting changes in building codes and standards began appearing in 1980; more extensive changes are now being discussed and will appear between 1984 and 1990.
Human Engineering Analysis for the Battle Group Tactical Trainer Recommended Software Features
Authors: McDonald L. Bruce , Waldrop Grace P. , Lambert Elizabeth Y. , Ogus L. Robert
Published: January 2012

The U.S. Navy is currently developing a Battle Group Tactical Trainer (BGTT) which provides experiential war gaming exercises to Naval Officers engaged in tactical decision making and planning courses. A major design goal for the program is to simplify the man-computer interface such that players and controllers with little or no computer training can interact extensively with the BGTT data base. One step in the design process was to conduct a human engineering analysis of the BGTT's objectives, system functions, information flow, information processing requirements and user requirements and to make hardware and software recommendations that would assist in the achievement of this goal. This paper discusses the recommended software features required to simplify operator interface with the training system.
Programming via Example-Solutions can Result in Fewer Errors
Authors: Connelly Edward M.
Published: January 2012

Use of an inductive processor to convert example-solutions into implied logic resulted in errors of omission no different from that which occurs with use of program code; however, such a technique provided a significant reduction in errors of commission. Feedback-aids in conjunction with example-solutions enabled the programmer to engage in more complex problems with few errors of commission; those aids, to be most useful, need to include the implied logic explicity presented to the user.

Two participant groups (programmers and bookkeepers/accountants) working with three levels of problem complexity and three levels of processor complexity were used. The experimental task employed in this study required specification of a logic for solution of a Navy task force problem. This task involved choosing ships from a ship list which identified the ship type, the transiting time (the time required for the ship to get from its present position to the desired site), and stationing time (the number of days the ship can remain on station with available provisions). In addition to this specification of ship combinations the participants had to specify by the example-solution the range of transiting and stationing times required. In another related experiment, participants developed FORTRAN IV code to solve the same problems.

In the population of programmers who participated in these experiments (professional programmers), years of experience, years of higher education (in software), number of programs written and number of application areas experienced did not have as significant an effect on performance as did the number of programming languages known and the number of operating systems used. The number of programming languages and number of operating systems were found to explain essentially different variance and these are considered to be independent factors for performance prediction. The results suggest that the ability to consider a problem from multiple viewpoints is an important factor in producing error free software.
The Effect of Bicycle TOE Clips and Seat Modifications
Authors: Ramachandran Prabhakar , Konz Stephan , Marcello John , Reid Jack
Published: January 2012

Two experiments were performed.

Experiment 1 had 12 subjects pedal on a stationary bicycle vs a constant load for 12 min twice in each of three conditions: a) standard bicycle seat and no toe clips, b) experimental web seat and toe clips, and c) experimental web seat and no toe clips. The criteria were heart rate (12 min work + 18 min recovery), Borg vote, and a semantic-differential vote. Heart rate was 105.3 for condition a, 110.2 for condition b, and 110.5 for condition c. Condition a was significantly lower than b and c; b and c did not differ significantly. Borg vote and semantic-differential vote gave similar results.

Experiment 2 had 10 subjects pedal for 10 min once in each of 12 conditions. The 12 conditions were all combinations of: a) toe clips vs no toe clips, b) seat horizontal vs seat tilted 7° down, and c) center of seat at a 19, 25, or 31° angle vs vertical and hub centerline. The criteria were heart rate, Borg vote, and a semantic-differential vote. Toe clips reduced heart rate by 3.5% during exercise. Seat location was better at 25° than 19°; the difference between 25° and 31° was non-significant. Although tilt did not affect heart rate, the subjects preferred no tilt.
Human Performance in Monitoring and Controlling Hierarchical Large Scale Systems
Authors: Henneman Richard L. , Rouse William B.
Published: January 2012

Human performance in monitoring and controlling activities in a hierarchical large scale network, such as a communications system, is considered. A scenario is described that is used in an experiment to examine three factors affecting humans functioning as network supervisor: cluster size (number of elements per display page), number of levels of pages in the hierarchy, and failure rate per element. Results indicate that increasing cluster size improves performance, increasing number of levels degrades performance, and failure rate affects only subjects' strategies.
A Model of Human Problem Solving in Dynamic Environments
Authors: Knaeuper Annette , Rouse William B.
Published: January 2012

Human problem solving is considered in terms of the effects of the environment being dynamic. For example, the impact of having to operate a system while also trying to diagnose failures is discussed as well as several related issues. A general structure is proposed for modeling human problem solving in such environments. A realization of this general structure within a particular rule-based computer program is discussed. Results are presented from applying this program to modeling human problem solving in a process control task.
A Model of the Contribution of Work Stress to Industrial Accidents
Authors: Carter F.A. , Corlett E.N.
Published: January 2012

A study of the aetiology of accidents led to the development of two linked models: an interactive model of accident causation and an accident analysis procedure. The aim of the latter model was to identify relevant performance degradation areas with which to pinpoint the factors in the former model which lead to increased risk of accidents. An extensive literature search has identified cause-effect relationships between a range of industrial stressors (e.g. heat, noise and sleep loss) and the performance changes which occur. This information now allows the models to be used to explore particular situations.
Increasing Productivity in Computer Software Development by Environmental Modification
Authors: Komatsubara Akinori , Yokomizo Yoshimi , Honda Katsumi , Azuma Motoei , Isaki Hiroyuki , Noro Kageyu
Published: January 2012

In this paper, we deal with the computer software development task which is completely new in the researches of human factors. In order to increase productivity in software development, environmental modification in a software office was carried out: At first, we proposed the procedure for environmental modification in software offices, by taking into consideration the processes involved in system design. An actual work environment was, then, modified by using this procedure. Finally, we obtained the guidelines on environmental modification in software offices.
Self-Separation in Terminal Areas Using CDTI
Authors: Williams David H.
Published: January 2012

The Langley Research Center is participating in a joint NASA/FAA program designed to explore the potential benefits and liabilities of Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) for a broad range of applications. As a part of this effort, part-task piloted simulations have been conducted to determine the effect of various display parameters and separation criteria on terminal area in-trail following using CDTI. Current experiments are evaluating cockpit procedures and crew workload aspects of self-separation tasks in a simulated full-system terminal area environment. This paper will summarize the results of the part-task terminal area experiments and discuss the current full-system simulation experiments involving active self-separation tasks.
Human-Computer Interaction in an Address-Indexed Information System
Authors: Hawkins Patricia R.
Published: January 2012

This presentation will describe the process by which the interface was designed for an information system that's accessed by means of an address. An address-indexed system is used when service is being established for a specific address and there is no account number to use to access records associated with the address. It is necessary to verify that the address is accurate and to know what service or facilities already exist there. The system I'm going to describe is for the telephone company but it could as easily serve the needs of any company or organization which provides service and equipment at specific addresses such as the gas company, cable television company, or a municipal government.

The design of this system posed some special human-computer interaction problems. Access to records by means of an address is not as straightforward as access by means of an account number or even a customer name. Addresses are highly variable. In some communities the same street may be known by more than one name and both may be acceptable to the Post Office. In rural areas there are frequently no house numbers and often there are not even street names. One approach to handling address variability is to provide prompting and to design a highly interactive system. Another approach is to create some type of standardization and attempt to impose it on your users. Our design provides both and both will be described.

Naturally, the interface had to be designed within a set of constraints. The system was to be on a single centralized large mainframe computer. It would be used by service representatives who would be talking to customers on the telephone at the same time they were accessing the system. We needed fast response time. During busy hours during peak periods of the month there might be thousands of service representatives accessing the system at the same time. There are many components of end user response time. Transaction volume is one of them. This meant that in designing this interactive system we had to keep the number of transactions down, that is, minimize the number of interactions.

This presentation will describe how these problems have been resolved in the five years that this system has been evolving. Examples of the challenges and oddities we've encountered will be drawn from our experiences in mechanizing rural addresses and multi-family residences. The process described includes some prototyping, experimentation where possible, and a lot of trial and error with frequent field evaluations. The process also includes a lot of teamwork between the software designers and the human factors designers.