bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stability Limits in Extreme Postures: Effects of Load Positioning and Foot Placement
Authors: Holbein M.A. , Chaffin D.B.
Published: January 2012

Although injuries related to postural stability are prevalent, ergonomic job analyses have traditionally not addressed stability issues. In this research, functional stability limits are quantified for persons standing in extreme postures under various external load and foot positioning conditions. Six subjects were tested while standing unladen and while holding a 5.2 kg load. The foot positions, or bases of support (BOS), were varied in width of the stance and sagittal separation of the feet. They were asked to lean and displace their center of gravity (COG) as far as possible in eight directions to the sides and front of the body. Stability measures based on these COG displacements were calculated. All controlled variables significantly affected the stability measures. When standing unladen, subjects extended their COG to within 99% of their BOS limit. Movement was much more restricted when leaning while handling a load (89%), especially holding it with one hand on the shoulder (84%). On average, increased separation of the feet in a particular direction resulted in larger COG displacements in that direction. The results are discussed relative to their effects on balance and stability modeling.
Ergonomics Applied to Product and Process Design Achieves Immediate, Measurable Cost Savings
Authors: Marcotte Andrew J. , Marvin Sheri , Lagemann Troy
Published: January 2012

Two case studies are used to demonstrate how one company achieved immediate improvements to employee safety and manufacturing profitability by integrating ergonomics assessment and design practices into current product and process improvement efforts. One case study shows how a product design change resulted in a reduction of hand trimming tasks on a molded plastic part, and a cost savings of $0.11 per part. The other case study shows how integration of process performance criteria into an ergonomics assessment method identified a process change which, when implemented, resulted in the elimination of the most stressful materials handling task on the assembly line and a cost savings of $0.10 per part.
Estimating the Anthropometry of International Populations Using the Scaling Ratio Method
Authors: Resnick Marc
Published: January 2012

Appropriate anthropometric data is a critical ingredient to good ergonomic design. For many populations, the available anthropometric data is severely limited; often just weight and stature is available. This study measured twenty key dimensions of the Colombian population to establish preliminary anthropometric measures in anticipation of a wider study, and evaluated the ability of the Scaling Ratio method to predict these data from anthropometric data of other populations. Results suggested that prediction errors are generally small when the reference population is similar in age, size, and ethnicity to the target population. However, the errors of some dimensions will be sufficiently large to prescribe that caution must be exercised in the use of any estimated data. The Colombian data was also compared to the U.S. civilian data which is currently used to design Colombian products (when anthropometric criteria are used at all). In terms of stature, when designing for ninety percent of the US population, only fifty-eight percent of the Colombian male population and sixty-eight percent of the Colombian female populations will be accommodated.
Psychophysical Measures of Exertion. Are They Muscle Group Dependent?
Authors: Chin Anpin ‘Max» , Bishu Ram R. , Hallbeck Susan
Published: January 2012

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the applicability of the RPE (CR-10) scale for a number of physical exertions which employ only the upper limb with a variety of muscle group sizes and exertion levels. Ten female and ten male subjects performed pinch and pulling tasks in which four different muscle groups were engaged employing the finger, wrist, forearm and the whole arm. MVC (maximum voluntary contraction) exertion levels, RPE (Borg's CR-10 scale) value, and accuracy of the subjective assessment were measured. The results indicate that the accuracy of psychophysical measures are not muscle dependent although force generating capability is dependent on the muscle group involved. Female subjects were found more accurate in their perception of perceived exertion at lower levels of exertion than male subjects. It also appears that the RPE rating can be used to assess a variety of exertion levels accurately for a range of tasks, involving a range of muscle group sizes and location.
Assessment of Validity of Applying the Revised NIOSH Weight Limit of Lifts to Korean Young, Male Population: Psychophysical Approach
Authors: Lee Kwan S. , Park Hee S.
Published: January 2012

This investigation was aimed to study using the psychophysical method if the revised weight limit of lifts recommended by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can be used as a limit for the Korean workers. College students and field workers, all of whom were young males, participated in the experiment. The psychophysical experiment and the validation experiment were performed in sagittal plane where lifting frequency and lifting height varied. Main results showed the load constant obtained in this study was about the same as the one recommended in the NIOSH equation, which means that young, healthy, male Korean population can be well protected by the NIOSH equation.
A Cognitive task Analysis of Nicu Nurses' Patient Assessment Skills
Authors: Militello Laura
Published: January 2012

A study is presented utilizing cognitive task analysis (CTA) methods to elicit knowledge from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses regarding the assessment of infants at risk for Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). Researchers were successful in eliciting knowledge not available in current nursing texts. Knowledge elicited includes a framework for considering NEC and problem-solving strategies used by experienced nurses. Implications for nurse instruction and potential applications of this information for decision support are discussed.
Access to Computer Systems with Graphical User Interface by Touch: Haptic Discrimination of Icons
Authors: Lee Seongil
Published: January 2012

The inherently visual nature of graphical user interfaces often makes it difficult for visually impaired or blind people to access current information systems. The purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of using haptic modality for “blind access” to graphical information systems by examining haptic discrimination performance of icons under geometrically transformed conditions. Seven sighted and five congenitally blind subjects discriminated ten icons by touch using the raised line drawings and the Optacon. Two haptic tasks were performed for each subject: 1) naming the icons, and 2) matching the icons under geometrical transformations. The performance in haptic discrimination of icons was dependent on display type and transformation. No significant difference in accuracy and latency between sighted and blind subjects could be found for the two-dimensional tactile displays employed in the study. The results of this study may have implications in the design of tactile communication systems.
Mental Fatigue and the Temporal Structuring of Working Times
Authors: Meijman Theo F.
Published: January 2012

The performance and mental effort in a memory search task were studied in relation to length of preceding working times and the scheduling of intermittent rest pauses during work. Performance was measured by reaction time and percentage of missed signals. Mental effort was measured by means of the 0.10 Hz component in the spectral analysis of the heart rhythm signal. It was found that subjects protected their performance by spending more effort in the more unfavourable conditions: after several hours of work and after continuous work without breaks. In the most unfavourable condition, after 8 hours of work combined with sleep loss, the efficiency of the information processing was broken down. Performance was no longer protected by effort. This phenomenon is interpreted as a serious sign of mental fatigue.
Organizational Issues in the Implementation of High Involvement Ergonomics
Authors: Brown Ogden
Published: January 2012

High involvement ergonomics (HIE) has been proposed as a new approach to the use of participation in organizational systems. Recent publications have argued that work organizations need to move toward a more involved or ‘commitment’ approach to the design and management of the organization. Six major organizational considerations or issues in the implementation of high involvement ergonomics are presented which must be addressed by top management if participation and involvement practices are to succeed. Solutions and recommendations for each of these issues are discussed.
Differential Effects of ‘Noise’ Stress and Workload on Salience and Hemispace Bias in a Screen-Based Target Acquisition Task
Authors: Stokes Alan F. , Pharmer James A. , Belger Aysenil
Published: January 2012

Attentional biases in stressed or overworked radar operators (airborne or in Combat Information Centers, etc.) may have important operational implications. This study examined the effects of workload and non-workload-related stress on salience bias in a screen-based target selection and engagement task. Results in the control condition confirmed that appreciable baseline salience bias existed. Moreover, in the non-task-related stress condition (noise/anxiety), a significant increase in salience bias was observed. Elevated workload, in contrast, was associated with no significant changes in salience bias. Overall, the results showed stable individual differences in salience bias and suggested that non-workload related stress influenced ‘high bias’ individuals proportionately more than ‘low bias’ individuals-an outcome with potential implications for selection. Subjects were also significantly biased toward the left hemispace, a powerful effect that remained even after the experiment was repeated using subjects’ left instead of right hands.
Individual Differences in Metacognitive Decision Making and Situation Assessment
Authors: Federico Pat-Anthony
Published: January 2012

28 senior naval officers (experts) and 48 junior naval officers (novices) (1) categorized tactical situations, (2) performed pairwise similarity ratings of them, and (3) represented their metacognitive models of tactical decision making as graphic weighted networks. Multidimensional scaling was conducted employing subjects’ pairwise similarity ratings of tactical situations. Using classification measures and multidimensional weights as dependent variables and salient metacognitive link weights as independent variables, two one-way multivariate analyses of covariance between experts and novices and associated statistics were computed. Some of the results of canonical and regression analyses and product-moment correlations validated an important aspect of a metacognitive model of naturalistic schema-driven tactical decision making. They established significant associations of the two link weights connecting event sequence and similarity recognition to situation assessment with actual performances on the two experimental tasks requiring situation assessment. These findings demonstrated (1) the importance of event sequence and similarity recognition as necessary input to situation assessment, and (2) these two metacognitive links are significantly associated with the recognition of similar scenarios. Experts and novices did not differ significantly in (1) the number of categories, scenarios per category, and times to classify the tactical situations during sorting and resorting, and (2) their derived weights along the two dimensions, warfare tempo and reaction time, of the multidimensional scaling solution.
Hazard Associations of Warning Header Components
Authors: Wogalter Michael S. , Magurno Amy B. , Carter Ann W. , Swindell Julie A. , Vigilante William J. , Daurity Jason G.
Published: January 2012

There has been relatively little warnings research directed at systematically examining the component features comprising existing warning signs as specified in standards (ANSI Z535) and guidelines (e.g., FMC, 1985; Westinghouse, 1981). This research examines several elemental features found in real-world warning signs to determine their individual as well as their combined effects on people's hazard perceptions. Various colors, signal words, shapes and configurations—both individually and in combination — comprising existing warning headers as well as newly developed constituents were evaluated in a series of rating and ranking tasks. The results confirmed several existing published recommendations (e.g., the color red is perceived to connote more hazard than other solid colors), but also showed instances where people's perceptions differed from those assumed in design standards and guidelines. Some newly-developed header configurations (e.g., having a skull icon to the right of the signal world) show promise as alternatives for signaling hazardous conditions.
The Effect of Collateral Alarms on Primary Response Behavior
Authors: McDonald Daniel P. , Gilson Richard D. , Mouloua Mustapha , Deaton John E.
Published: January 2012

The growing complexity of aircraft systems has increased the likelihood for false alarms as well as multiple alarm occurrences. Understanding patterns of diagnostic and response behaviors to these alarms is important for system efficiency and safety. The present study was designed to examine whether inexperienced operators will utilize collateral alarms as a confirmation about the validity a given alarm, while ignoring the base rate probability for that alarm being true. Two experiments were conducted to determine whether participants’ confidence levels in a 50% true alarm would vary as a function of the number of collateral alarms. The procedures were similar for both experiments, in that zero to five collateral alarms were presented to participants along with a given 50% true alarm. However, while the first experiment was a repeated-measures design, the second experiment was conducted as a between-subjects design to insure that results of the first experiment were not an artifact of design. Both experiments yielded similar results, showing that inexperienced operators, when reporting their confidence in the validity of a given alarm, are influenced by the presence of other alarms. Moreover, overconfidence occurred when several collateral alarms were present, whereas under-confidence occurred when a minimum number were present. These findings indicate that collateral alarms may be used as a confirmation for alarm diagnostics by inexperienced operators, thereby they are assuming that multiple alarms are systematically related. Practical implications for training and effective alarm system design are discussed.
Workload Assessment of IN-CAB Text Message System and Cellular Phone Use by Heavy Vehicle Drivers on the Road
Authors: Tijerina Louis , Kiger Steven M. , Rockwell Thomas H. , Tornow Carina
Published: January 2012

This study assessed the driver workload imposed by a text messaging system and cellular phone on heavy vehicle drivers under various driving conditions. Sixteen (16) professional commercial vehicle operation (CVO) licensed drivers drove an instrumented heavy truck over a 4-hour period on public roads under various conditions of ambient lighting (day or night), traffic density (light or heavy), and road type (divided or undivided). Within driving condition combinations, various levels of text message reading, cellular phone dialing, radio tuning, and communications dialogue were completed by the driver. Continuous measures were taken of visual allocation, steering and accelerator activity, speed maintenance and lane-keeping performance. Results of in-vehicle device use are presented and provide insights into useful workload measures and methods, as well as a contribution to the literature on cellular phone and in-vehicle text messaging system ergonomics.
A Meta-Analysis of Driver Eye-Scanning Behavior While Navigating
Authors: Dingus Thomas A.
Published: January 2012

A meta-comparison of link analyses was performed using two eye scanning studies. One study was an analysis of the Etak navigator performed by Antin, Dingus, Hulse and Wierwille, (1990). Antin and his associates compared the Etak system to a paper map control condition and a memorized route baseline condition. The second study was an evaluation of the TravTek system performed by Dingus, McGehee, Hulse, Jahns, Natarajan, Mollenhauer and Fleischman (1995). The TravTek Camera Car Evaluation tested six different navigation conditions (a TravTek visual display of a full, heading-up route map with voice guidance, the same TravTek route map without voice guidance, a TravTek visual display showing a graphic representation of static turn-by-turn information, the same turn-by-turn screens without voice guidance, a textual paper direction list with large legible font, and a conventional paper map).

The eye glance data shown in the comparison of these two studies revealed several interesting findings. In all conditions, scanning of instruments, mirrors and signs/ landmarks was a low frequency occurrence and largely constant. Increases in visual attention by a navigation condition draws attention from forward, left and right roadway scanning resources. Thus, navigating draws upon potentially valuable accident avoidance resources in some circumstances. The eye scanning results also shared the relative benefits of the addition of a highlighted route to a moving map display, the simplification of a visual display from a full map to a turn-by-turn graphic, and the addition of a voice supplement to a navigation aid.
Using Operator Role Theory to Guide Function Allocation in System Development
Authors: Folds Dennis J. , Mitta Deborah A.
Published: January 2012

Operator role theory provides a conceptual framework for guiding function allocation during the system design process, and for analyzing the allocation of functions in an existing or proposed design. The present paper describes the basic tenets of operator role theory and presents a method for using those tenets in the processes of system analysis and design. Operator role theory holds that there are four generic operator roles that are possible in a given function. These four roles ( Direct Performer, Manual Controller, Supervisory Controller, and Executive Controller) describe different relationships between humans and automation. The concepts and methods have been used and proven useful in system analysis and design for two helicopter cockpit systems, a computer control system interface, and a traffic management center.
SWAT: Do We Need Conjoint Measurement?
Authors: Biers David W.
Published: January 2012

The present study sought to determine the utility of the unweighted sum as an alternative to conjoint measurement in forming a workload composite measure with the Subjective Workload Assessment Technique (SWAT). The data from a simulator study designed to identify pilot workload associated with alternative cockpit configurations in a night air interdiction mission were reanalyzed using a percentage measure (SUMPCT) based on the unweighted sum of the three SWAT rating scales. Results indicated that the CONJOINT and SUMPCT workload composites were highly correlated and were equally sensitive to detecting differences in the independent variables. The reasons for the equal sensitivity of the two composite measures are discussed. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that one can form a composite measure of workload using the SWAT rating scales without the necessity of having to conduct the time-consuming card sort.
Decision-Centered Training
Authors: Klein Gary , Wolf Steve
Published: January 2012

What can the Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) perspective tell us about training people to make better decisions? The NDM framework offers four guidelines for training. (i) Build expertise, rather than teaching generic analytical strategies; (ii) Support, rather than replace, the strategies people use; (iii) Make the decision requirements specific to the task context; (iv) Model the cognitive processes of subject-matter experts. Training can be implemented using better scenarios and through cognitive modeling.

A recent project is described, in which decision-centered training was used at the National Emergency Training Center to revise a set of course materials. The revisions emphasized opportunities to improve situation awareness skills through better specification of critical cues and patterns, and recommendations about using the debriefs following exercises to probe for cognitive processes underlying judgments and decisions.
Effects of Demand Transitions on Vigilance Performance and Perceived Workload
Authors: Moroney Brian W. , Warm Joel S. , Dember William N.
Published: January 2012

This study examined the effects of transitions in task demand on vigilance performance and perceived mental workload. Task demand was manipulated through variations in background event rate–the rate of cascade of neutral events which must be monitored in order to detect critical signals. As is typical in vigilance research, overall performance varied inversely with event rate in all phases of the study. The post-transition performance of observers shifted from a fast-to-slow event rate (high-to-low task demand) remained below that of their continuous slow event rate controls, and was thus unaffected by the shift. In contrast, the post-transition performance of monitors shifted in the opposite direction, slow-to-fast event rate, was affected by the shift. In this case, the performance of the shifted observers fell below that of their continuous fast event rate controls. These results challenge prior findings indicating that psychophysical contrast is the representative outcome of shifts in information-processing demand in vigilance tasks (Krulewitz, Warm, & Wohl, 1975).

Consistent with previous findings, workload scores, as indexed by the NASA-TLX, fell at the mid-to-upper level of the scale. Shifted observers who experienced both high and low levels of task demand during the vigil showed differences in composite ratings on the Mental Demand subscale. These results serve to caution that workload measurements obtained through the NASA-TLX at the end of an experimental session containing variations in task demand do not simply reflect an averaging of the observer's demand experiences.
Capture of Attention by Visual Onsets
Authors: Martin-Emerson Robin , Kramer Arthur F.
Published: January 2012

The appearance of a new object within a multiple item display has been shown to capture attention in a stimulus-driven manner. Capture may be either beneficial or detrimental to performance depending on whether the new object is a target or distractor. In the present study we show that the ability of new objects to capture attention is mediated by the number of objects that change or morph. This finding establishes a boundary condition of the phenomena of attentional capture and has implications for the design of complex displays.
Changing Technology in Control Room Design: Is One Graphical Interface Worth 1000 Indicators?
Authors: Segal Leon D. , Andre Anthony D.
Published: January 2012

This paper presents a review of human factors (HF) efforts toward the introduction of a graphical user interface (GUI) designed for operators in the control room of the world's largest wind tunnel at NASA's Ames Research Center, located in Moffett Field, California. Design of GUIs for the control room of this facility involved application of HF principles at many different levels of the design program: the design process itself, the environmental context for design, and the actual content of the graphical interface. This paper presents the particular challenges associated with transforming a control room from analog to digital, as well as the specific advantages and drawbacks of using GUIs in the context of large, multi-operator, environments.
Empirical Validation of the Prediction of Operator Performance (POP) Model
Authors: Jordan CS. , Farmer E.W. , Belyavin A.J. , Selcon S.J. , Bunting A.J. , Shanks C.R. , Newman P.
Published: January 2012

This paper describes an experiment conducted to validate the Prediction of Operator Performance (POP) model in a flight simulation context. The POP model uses subjective ratings of the demand imposed by single tasks to predict both the demand and performance associated with concurrent tasks. Previous experiments on the POP model have investigated a wide range of experimental tasks including tracking and verbal reasoning. In this experiment eight subjects performed flight control, threat assessment and threat identification tasks singly and in combination. Performance measures and POP scores were collected at the completion of each task condition. The results demonstrated performance decrements in the dual task conditions that were consistent with the predictions. The implications for the POP model are discussed in terms of workload modelling and human performance modelling within the context of the Integrated Performance Modelling Environment (IPME) currently being developed within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
Clutter and Display Conformality: Changes in Cognitive Capture
Authors: Boston Brittisha N. , Braun Curt C.
Published: January 2012

HUD technology has provided pilots with a variety of performance advantages over traditional head-down cockpit displays. Reduced visual switching times, increased situational awareness, and a variety of flight performance improvements have all been associated with HUDs. Despite these advantages, research has identified some possible HUD shortcomings. Objective and subjective data suggest HUDs increase the difficulty associated with switching one's attention among stimuli within the same visual space, causing pilots to inappropriately fixate on the display, a state termed cognitive capture. Possible factors that might affect cognitive capture include display conformality, clutter, and perceptual separation. The present research used reaction time data to assess the effects of these factors on cognitive capture. Sixty participants completed a simulated ship navigation task using either a conformal or non-conformal HUD. Each of four trials was factorial for display clutter (low, high) and obstacle probability (low, high). Reaction time data showed a performance advantage for conformal displays particularly in the high clutter condition. Subjective data revealed that the conformal display was less distracting, appeared to depict fewer instruments, and required less effort to attend to the environment than the non-conformal display. Findings concerning perceptual separation were inconclusive.
Attention Distribution and Situation Awareness in Air Traffic Control
Authors: Endsley Mica R. , Rodgers Mark D.
Published: January 2012

A study was conducted to investigate the way in which controllers deploy their attention in processing information in en route air traffic control scenarios. Actual air traffic control scenarios in which operational errors occurred were re-created using SATORI and displayed to twenty active air traffic control specialists. SAGAT was used to measure the subjects' ongoing understanding of the scenarios along pertinent situation awareness requirements. The data revealed an interesting pattern of attention distribution in processing the displays that can be linked to prior findings regarding operational errors in air traffic control.
Symposium: Decision Making in Free Flight
Authors: Smith Kip , Hancock Peter , Scallen Stephen
Published: January 2012

In its web-page introduction to free flight, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) describes free flight as “an innovative concept to improve the efficiency of the National Airspace System [in which] pilots operating under instrument flight rules will be able to select the aircraft's course, speed, and altitude in real time” (FAA, 1996). This symposium presents the results of experimental and theoretic investigations on (1) the ability of pilots and air traffic managers to master the demands of free flight and (2) the design of technology and decision aids tailored to need those demands.
A Dynamic Conflict Probe and Index of Collision Risk
Authors: Knecht William , Smith Kip , Hancock P.A.
Published: January 2012

We present a mathematical index of colllision risk and propose it as a candidate conflict probe for use in free flight. The index can be used to aid and measure ATC and pilot performance during simulated or real flight. The instantaneous value of the index is a relative (ordinal) measure of global situational risk. When the value of the index is graphed over time, conflicts can be easily identified and their severity estimated. Peak values indicate approximate times and degree of risk associated with the minimum separation of aircraft.
Automation Bias, Accountability, and Verification Behaviors
Authors: Mosier Kathleen L. , Skitka Linda J. , Burdick Mark D. , Heers Susan T.
Published: January 2012

Automated procedural and decision aids may in some cases have the paradoxical effect of increasing errors rather than eliminating them. Results of recent research investigating the use of automated systems have indicated the presence automation bias, a term describing errors made when decision makers rely on automated cues as a heuristic replacement for vigilant information seeking and processing (Mosier & Skitka, in press). Automation commission errors, i.e., errors made when decision makers take inappropriate action because they over-attend to automated information or directives, and automation omission errors, i.e., errors made when decision makers do not take appropriate action because they are not informed of an imminent problem or situation by automated aids, can result from this tendency.

A wide body of social psychological research has found that many cognitive biases and resultant errors can be ameliorated by imposing pre-decisional accountability, which sensitizes decision makers to the need to construct compelling justifications for their choices and how they make them. To what extent these effects generalize to performance situations has yet to be empirically established. The two studies presented represent concurrent efforts, with student and “glass cockpit” pilot samples, to determine the effects of accountability pressures on automation bias and on verification of the accurate functioning of automated aids. Students (Experiment 1) and commercial pilots (Experiment 2) performed simulated flight tasks using automated aids. In both studies, participants who perceived themselves “accountable” for their strategies of interaction with the automation were significantly more likely to verify its correct functioning, and committed significantly fewer automation-related errors than those who did not report this perception.
Computers and Telecommunications in the Year 2000 - Viewing the Future, Empowering People, and Internationalizing User Interfaces
Authors: Lund Arnold , Laux Lila , Aykin Nuray
Published: January 2012

In this, the first of three sets of position papers for the CTG-CSTG co-sponsored symposium on Computers and Telecommunications in the Year 2000, Arnold Lund describes a view of the future, based on technologies available today which, however, have yet to be integrated. Following his presentation, Lila Laux provides a paper reminding us that computers and telecommunications in the future will need to accommodate a wider variety of users, if we are to ensure that the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and other technology users with special needs are not to become an information-poor underclass in our world. Finally, Nuray Aykin discusses the problems and challenges we face in internationalizing and localizing user interfaces so that software developed in the United States can be successfully marketed abroad.
Computers and Telecommunications in the Year 2000-Multi-Modal Interfaces, Miniaturisation, and Portability
Authors: Kaufman Leah S. , Stewart Jim , Thomas Bruce , Deffner Gerhard
Published: January 2012

In this, the second of three sets of position papers for the CTG-CSTG co-sponsored symposium on Computers and Telecommunications in the Year 2000, we begin with a paper by Leah Kaufman and Jim Stewart on the human factors challenges involved in creating an effective multimodal communications environment. Bruce Thomas continues with a position paper outlining the advantages and disadvantages of technology miniaturisation, and how these advantages and disadvantages impact our approaches to user interface design. In the final paper in this set, Gerhard Deffner describes the portability-functionality dilemma, in which designers are confronted with two distinct user goals that are difficult to meet simultaneously.
Impact of New Input Technology on Design of Chair Armrests: Investigation on Keyboard and Mouse
Authors: Paul Rajendra , Lueder Rani , Selner Allen , Limaye Jayant
Published: January 2012

This study investigated the effects of addition of a mouse input device on the design of chair armrests. Eleven subjects performed a VDT task for four hours sitting in a chair under three armrest conditions: 1) no armrests, 2) height adjustable armrests, and 3) height and rotation adjustable armrests. The VDT task consisted of 90 minutes of graphics work using a mouse and 60 minutes of keying. The three experimental conditions were performed on three separate days in a random sequence. Muscle fatigue in the forearm (flexor and extensor) and neck-shoulder(trapezius) muscles was measured using surface electromyography. Subjects' working posture was measured using a SVHS camera and postural analysis was conducted using the Ariel Digitizing System. Discomfort and subjective preferences were recorded using the Corlett Scale and other questionnaires. The results suggest that height-adjustable armrests did not provide effective forearm support during mouse use; while the height and rotation adjustable armrests provided superior arm support. For keyboard work, both armrests reduced neck and shoulder fatigue measured in terms of the frequency shift. These results highlight the need for proactive research to tailor workplace design to match the demands imposed by new office technologies.
High Touch: Human Factors in New Product Design
Authors: Lee Myun W. , Yun Myung Hwan , Lee Jong Soo
Published: January 2012

In designing a new consumer product, integration of human factors principles is greatly emphasized. However, relatively few attempts have been made to systematically include ergonomic design in the conceptual design phase. High Touch is a product design strategy that uses existing technology systematically to design a new consumer product emphasizing user-friendliness and customer satisfaction. To realize this objective, High Touch design uses several analysis scheme such as identification of implicit needs, realization of potential demand and systematic application of ergonomic considerations into product design. Hierarchical analysis of human variables, product functions and technology attributes is the basic tool of the High Touch design. In this paper, High Touch design process is introduced and a series of new products developed using High Touch design process is demonstrated.
Identifying Customer Expectation of Power Window Sound Quality
Authors: Zhang Lijian , Huang Sharon , Du Jiaming , Vertiz Alicia
Published: January 2012

Sound quality has become an increasingly demanding request in product design. A study was conducted to identify customer requests of power window sound quality and the primary factors that contribute to customer perception and preference of power window sound. Sound samples were recorded from current production vehicles using a binaural recording system in an acoustic chamber. The sounds were then played back to the evaluation panel in a quiet room to rate perceived sound quality using a semantic differential scale. 48 subjects participated in this study. Factor Analysis results of the ratings found three factors: intensity, pitch variation and sharpness. Variables in the intensity factor correlated well to overall preference of the sound, while pitch variation and sharpness were secondary in contributing to the overall perception of power window sound quality.
Impact of Scanning Technololgy and Package Design on the Ergonomics of Scanning at the Checkout
Authors: Hoffman Mark S.
Published: January 2012

The design of bar code scanners has steadily improved scanning performances over the past twenty years. Changes in scan patterns, improvements in decode algorithms, and design features of the hardware user interface have resulted in scanners that are ergonomically superior both in biomechanics and overall performance. This study reviewed scanner performance and technological developments, and compare these to changes in packaging designs. The results showed that future innovations in scanner design will have minimal impact on improving throughput and the accuracy of data captured because of package design and bar code placement.
Multi-Year, Multi-University Projects Provide Real Human Factors Experience to Undergraduates
Authors: Resnick Marc L. , Stuart John A. , Tsihrintzis Vassilios A. , Pittenger Elizabeth S.
Published: January 2012

Human Factors professionals rarely work in isolation. The success of any product is contingent upon many other groups, including engineers, industrial designers, marketers and salespeople. Formal human factors education rarely includes interaction with members of these groups, and only considers their concerns in passing. Florida International University, as a member of the National Science Foundation Gateway Coalition, has recently created the Multi-Year, Multi-University Projects (MYMUP) group as an experimental program to investigate interdisciplinary training at the undergraduate level. Student project teams from human factors, civil and environmental engineering, and architecture and design collaborated on a project entitled “Smart Streets.” The project involved the creation of kiosks in heavily trafficked urban areas to support tourism and way-finding through interactive computer systems and vending. Each student team communicated with teams in other departments and at other universities through telephone, electronic mail, desktop videoconferencing and the internet. The final design incorporated the constraints and ideas of each discipline, simulating the corporate design process. Team interaction followed the model seen in today's virtual corporation.
Reactions to Use of a Computer Screen Glare Filter
Authors: Hedge Alan , McCrobie Daniel , Corbett Simone
Published: January 2012

Results from three surveys of almost 200 computer workers are described. An initial survey asked about office lighting and screen glare problems, and results served as a baseline. A second survey was conducted about one-month after two thirds of the workers received a grounded, glass screen glare filter, the rest served as a control group. The final survey was conducted about one month after the remaining control group workers received their screen glare filters. Measures of illuminance and screen luminance contrast were taken at 117 workstations. Results showed that various screen image attributes and visual health measures were substantially improved with the screen glare filter. The filter minimized electrostatic shocks to workers. Most workers liked the screen glare filter and reported improved productivity.
Admissibility of Human Factors Expert Testimony in Light of Daubert
Authors: Kurke Martin I.
Published: January 2012

The 1993 Supreme Court decision in Daubert v Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. created new, more stringent rules for admissibility of expert witness testimony based upon “scientific” knowledge as opposed to expert testimony based upon “technical or other specialized” knowledge. Because human factors professionals may testify on the basis of either of the two categories, they should be aware of the requirements for admissibility of both categories. Each time one is engaged as a potential expert witness, the human factors-ergonomics professional needs to determine the basis of the testimony he/she is about to provide and to notify the client attorney accordingly. This lecture describes the evolution of requirements for admissibility of both kinds of expert testimony. It also discusses the implications of additional requirements imposed upon all expert witnesses by the 1993 amendment of Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Comparative Risk Perception of Common Activities
Authors: Vredenburgh Alison G. , Zackowitz Ilene B. , Cohen H. Harvey
Published: January 2012

Research on risk perception has been motivated by a variety of practical and theoretical interests, from public policy making and consumer product litigation to psychophysics and cognitive psychology. This paper examines risk perception data for activities that are directly related to public safety. Vredenburgh and Cohen (1993, 1995) have conducted several studies in which subjects responded to risk questionnaires about recreational and work related activities. This paper provides analyses of the risk perception data not included in the previous reports from these studies. The perceived-risk ranks for the recreational and diverse activities are given. Subjects regarded hang gliding as the most dangerous activity and water-skiing as the least dangerous of these sports. Although the full 7-point scale was used by at least some subjects, the means all begin at the middle of the scale and ran towards the high-risk end. Taken at face value, the results of these questionnaires have direct applications to policy and legal issues.
Physical Training and Manual-Material Handling: Literature and Military Applications
Authors: Knapik Joseph J.
Published: January 2012

Manual material handling (MMH) is performed in 83% of all U.S. Army enlisted military occupations. Studies that have examined the influence of physical training on MMH can be separated into two types: those that use the same task for testing and training (task-specific training studies) and those that do not (general training studies). Reported relative improvements in maximal symmetric lifting and repetitive lifting are 26% to 99% in task-specific training studies and 16% to 23% in general training studies. Psychomotor learning probably accounts for a large proportion of performance gains in task-specific training while both psychomotor learning and muscle hypertrophy account for gains in general training studies. While both types of training are effective and currently practiced in the military, general training may be useful for improving a wide range of MMH tasks while task-specific training results in larger gains in targeted MMH tasks.
Telemedicine Applications: Evaluation Methodologies for Clinical Intervention, Consultation, and Home Health Care
Authors: Birkmire Deborah P. , Whitaker Leslie A. , Peters Leslie J. , Brink Linda , Bogner Marilyn Sue
Published: January 2012

Telemedicine is a method that uses current telecommunications and information technologies to deliver health care to individuals at a distance. This encompasses the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and education of patients using systems that allow access to expert advice and patient information regardless of the patient, provider or information location. Telemedicine systems have been implemented for the past 25 years with marginal success. The integration of their technological and human components has seldom been satisfactorily evaluated. The purpose of this panel is to encourage a forum for the discussion of the panel's and the audience's experiences in telemedicine. The goal is to establish a dialogue that can continue during the development of telemedicine evaluation methodologies. Toward this end, the five panel speakers will briefly discuss their experiences in the field, followed by audience discussion of their own experiences, and closing with a summary of this discussion by the panel chair.
Responsibility for Product Safety in the Work Environment
Authors: Lowoll David R. , Laughery Kenneth R. , McQuilkin Meredith L. , Wogalter Michael S.
Published: January 2012

A study was carried out exploring how people allocate responsibility for the safe use of products in the work environment. Products typically used in different work environments were named and subjects apportioned safety responsibility to the manufacturer of the product, the distributor/retailer, the employer, and the employee using the product. The mean percent responsibility allocated to these four choices was 41%, 11%, 22% and 26% respectively. A significant interaction between the products and the four alternatives indicated that the allocation varied across products. Allocations to manufacturers and employees differed to a large extent between products, but the allocations to retailers and employers remained relatively constant. Additional questions assessed the subjects' perceptions of and familiarity with the products. The results indicated that those products subjects viewed as having newer or more novel risks were also the products for which subjects allocated more responsibility to the manufacturer. For products viewed as having more open and obvious hazards greater responsibility was allocated to the employee.
Spatial Proximity of Multiple Alarms and the Cry-Wolf Phenomenon
Authors: McDonald Daniel P. , Gilson Richard D. , Mouloua Mustapha
Published: January 2012

In modern complex systems the role of the human operator has shifted from that of a system controller to more of a system supervisor. It is suggested that errors associated with these systems are often a result of technology-centered designs, which neglect the human element. Research shows that people do not always use classical decision making strategies in operational settings. This study investigated whether people, when faced with uncertainty, will employ naturalistic strategies within multiple alarm contexts. Thirty undergraduate students participated in this study, which showed that both the number and spatial proximity of multiple alarms will affect confidence in a given alarm with a known validity probability of 50%. Results suggest that presentational factors such as proximity or number of alarms may influence perceived alarm relationships, thus having both training and design implications.
Autonomous Route Guidance System Field Test
Authors: Foley James P. , Hudak Michael J.
Published: January 2012

Eight vehicles equipped with an autonomous Route Guidance System (RGS) were deployed in two geographical areas for a field test. The RGS provided the driver with turn-by-turn instructions to a selected destination using graphics presented on a monochromatic screen and verbal instructions through a dedicated speaker. Each of 45 participants drove a vehicle for approximately one month and reported their experiences in a post-drive debriefing. The debriefing consisted of both a questionnaire and a structured interview.

The emphasis of the field test was to evaluate the driver interface. The results indicated that the participants were generally satisfied with the performance and usefulness of this implementation of a route guidance system. They liked the accuracy of the system and the ease of guidance to destinations. Implications for future system design improvements are discussed.