bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proactive Office Ergonomics Really Works
Authors: Hedge Alan , Puleio Jonathan
Published: October 2014

Over 200 employees at a software company completed comprehensive surveys before and after moving to a new headquarters building with customized ergonomic workstations. The company has a proactive ergonomics program and all employees received ergonomics training. Questions asked about features of their workstations, workplace environment, work-related musculoskeletal and visual health and well-being (job satisfaction, happiness). Results showed substantial improvements in comfort, health, workstation environment conditions and wellbeing with the ergonomic workstations.
Effects of Environment and Input Technology on Human Working memory for Medical Charting Information
Authors: Spangler Angela , Hedge Alan
Published: October 2014

This study investigated the role of the location updating effect (the memory deficit associated with passing through a doorway) and input technology (paper, a tablet PC or a laptop) on working memory for medical charting information, because in many hospitals physicians and nurses often leave the patient bedside to enter their medical information elsewhere. 48 participants watched medical scenario videos (note taking was allowed) and recalled patient information onto a medical chart presented either as a paper chart or electronically on a tablet, and a laptop, presented in randomized order. Post-video, each P either entered a new room through opening 3 doorways, walked back and forth in the original room for the same duration, or simply waited while seated for the same duration. The items to be recalled included demographic information, narrative information related to medical history, numeric data in the form of vital signs and medication data in a checkbox format. Results show that significantly more items were recalled to paper (13.5) compared to either the laptop (11.8) or tablet (9.7). There was no evidence of a location updating effect.
Human Factors Gone Awry - Why Current Efforts Fail To Adequately Address Suffocation Hazards of Infant Sling Carriers
Authors: Deppa Shelley Waters , Allen Elaine D.
Published: October 2014

Infant sling carriers are hands-free, fabric carrying devices used to secure an upright or reclined infant to a caregiver. With traditional, unstructured slings, safety depends solely on the wearer’s use and knowledge of how to wrap an infant onto the caregiver, since safety is not passively designed into the product. In recent years, semi-structured slings with seemingly simple instructions began being marketed to make slings easier to use. However, infants younger than 4 months of age are suffocating in both unstructured and semi-structured slings. This paper describes research undertaken to identify factors contributing to suffocation, explains why efforts to improve product usability instead created new suffocation hazards, why better warnings and instructions fail to adequately address these hazards, and thus why the government and industry should adopt more effective options to address this deadly hazard.
A Framework for Analyzing Intersection Timing and Red Light Collisions
Authors: Ayres Thomas , Dyrby Chris , Kelkar Rajeev , Kubose Tate
Published: October 2014

It is not surprising that many multi-vehicle collisions occur at intersections, as intersecting streets present potential conflict situations where vehicle paths can cross one another. What does surprise both naïve observers and many professionals involved in accident investigations (e.g., accident reconstructionists, human factors scientists, lawyers) is the explanation that most red light running accidents happen only when the vehicle violating the red light enters the intersection approximately 4 to 6 seconds or more after the light has turned red. This paper provides a framework to study the conditions under which red light running collisions occur. This framework is applied to real-world intersection geometries and red light running collisions captured on video. A comparison of observational and crash data indicates that only a small fraction of red light running results in collisions. The mathematical framework can be used to develop likely timing scenarios in accident investigation, and can be expanded to study motor vehicle collisions with bicyclists or pedestrians.
Usability of Human Factors Standards
Authors: Swaminathan Abhishek , Rantanen Esa
Published: October 2014

Adherence to human factors/ergonomics standards is critical to a good design project. No other resource can provide a designer with specifications based on sound science than a good standards book or info-guide. However, designers usually come up with ideas to solve problems and leave the manufacturing and technical specifications to the engineers. Although they may be aware of the basic user needs, designers rarely look at standards to justify their design thinking and validate their design processes. The two studies reported in this paper investigated the awareness of, accessibility, and usability of human factors/ergonomics standards among college students and their professors in design-oriented programs, as well as among practicing designers. The results are drawn from data obtained through an online survey and a focus group study. Although the participants’ awareness of relevant standards was good, the accessibility of the standards was problematic. The Internet is the dominant means of accessing human factors information today, and online accessibility of human factors standards is imperative if they are to be used in design.
Understanding Contextual Decision Making by Assisted Living Caregivers
Authors: Bowman Sara E. , Rogers Wendy A.
Published: October 2014

Many older adults reside in assisted living communities due to increased difficulty managing health conditions or performing activities of daily living (e.g., bathing, toileting, walking). A primary goal of assisted living communities is to help residents maintain their health and well-being. One method by which this is accomplished is that caregivers continually monitor residents for cues that might signal problems or concerns, and then respond appropriately. However, very little is known about this form of decision making done by caregivers working with assisted living residents, including whether decision making changes with increasing experience. To investigate these questions, direct care workers from assisted living facilities took part in a scenario-based interview during which they responded to hypothetical care situations with older residents. The explanations participants generated for the various scenarios were classified as either general or specific, with the majority of explanations coded as specific. Specific explanations were primarily that the situation was the result of a physical health issue. The type and number of explanations varied widely from scenario to scenario. Lastly, the data from the current study did not reveal consistent differences between the two levels of experience that were examined. This research has implications for the design of future training programs for direct care workers and also highlights the potential need for decision support systems in this domain.
Caregiver Needs from Elder Care Assistive Smart Homes
Authors: Zulas A. Leah , Crandall Aaron S. , Schmitter-Edgecombe Maureen
Published: October 2014

Assistive smart technology is positioned to assist familial caregivers with their elderly relatives, especially in home care situations. These technologies show great promise in providing high quality data to caregivers about their family members. There are many published successes on gathering and modeling data about older adults who need assistance, but little work on effectively delivering this data to caregivers. This research reports on interviews with informal familial caregivers being introduced to these kinds of technologies and what utility it may provide to them in caring for their loved ones. Interviews suggest that nutrition, sleep quality, medication compliance, safety, and general mobility are of central concern. User interface designers need to keep in mind familial caregivers may have very little technical support and will likely need more assistance in learning a new technology than nursing staff. Caregivers also describe a need for catching behavioral edge cases, as every individual has slightly different needs. When designing user-facing tools, extra attention to the needs of caregivers will ensure assistive smart homes will be effective tools in home care.
A Method for Aggregating Strategies Across Individuals
Authors: Gregg Sarah E. , Ferguson Ashley N. , Durso Francis T.
Published: October 2014

Strategies are key to resilience. Operators in dynamic environments use a variety of strategies to accomplish their goals while keeping workload manageable. Research has been conducted to elicit the kinds of strategies operators use to accomplish their goals, but there is currently no method to systematically aggregate strategies to produce composite strategies across multiple operators. The purpose of the present study was to consider multiple approaches to aggregating strategies across operators to arrive at a systematic and reliable methodology. This methodology is then applied to strategies generated by four pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses. These nurses were interviewed on how they would manage the threat of an inability to gain IV access on a patient in an acute situation. The composite strategies the nurses produced are then discussed in detail.
The Work and Work Systems of Patients: A New Frontier for Macroergonomics in Health Care
Authors: Valdez Rupa S. , Holden Richard J. , Hundt Ann S. , Marquard Jenna L. , Montague Enid , Nathan-Roberts Daniel , Or Calvin K.
Published: October 2014

To maintain and improve their health, patients perform many non-paid activities that may be conceptualized as self-care and self-management work. However, within the domain of health care, macroergonomists have almost exclusively focused on analyzing the work and work systems of those employed by the health care system rather than those served by it. This panel will focus on how macroergonomics principles and models originally developed within an institutional context may be adapted for the contexts in which patients are embedded. The discussion will be grounded in specific analyses of patients’ work and work systems within domains such as consumer health information technology design, self-care work performance, transitions of care, and patient safety. During each of these presentations, panelists will focus on lessons related to the conceptual, methodological and practice-related challenges of understanding and affecting patients’ work and work systems that may be applied by other researchers.
Effects of sleep restriction, sleep inertia, and overload on complex cognitive performance before and after workload transition
Authors: Wickens Christopher D. , Laux Lila , Hutchins Shaun , Sebok Angelia
Published: October 2014

We describe performance models and meta-analytic data in a period before and after an unexpected workload transition typical, for example, of a catastrophic automation failure, experienced by a fatigued operator. We first present meta-analytic findings on the effects of sleep restriction and sleep inertia on the complex cognitive performance that might typify such a “failure response”. We then present a workload overload task management model whose parameters are based on meta-analyses, relevant to predicting multi-task performance in the post-transition phase performance (independent of sleep disruption effects). We cite the lack of research intersecting these two areas.
The effects of automation-induced complacency on fault diagnosis and management performance in process control
Authors: Clegg Benjamin A. , Vieane Alex Z. , Wickens Christopher D. , Gutzwiller Robert S. , Sebok Angelia L.
Published: October 2014

Operators of automated systems can develop complacency, impairing their ability to respond in a timely and appropriate fashion when automation fails. This study sought to examine the impact of an instructional manipulation of attentiveness, in terms of engagement and accountability, on fault diagnosis and fault management. Participants trained on the operation of a simulated process control task, with instructions varied to induce higher or lower attentiveness to the task. After several routine faults within the system, a fault occurred along with a failure of a previously available diagnostic and management aid, and shortly after a second failure occurred. The first failure was associated with significant impairment of diagnosis and management, but comparatively few differences between attentiveness groups. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for a model of human-automation interaction.
Cognitive Flexibility and Sustained Attention
Authors: Figueroa Ivonne J. , Youmans Robert J. , Shaw Tyler H.
Published: October 2014

Researchers investigating the relationship between individual differences and sustained attention tasks do not clearly find marked traits and abilities that are predictive of vigilant performance. Yet, this important research is applicable to tasks like driving, TSA monitoring, Air Traffic Control, and even for the Department of Homeland Security’s civilian campaign, “See something, say something.” In this paper, we take an individual differences approach to uncover the relationship between cognitive flexibility and sustained attention. Twenty-nine undergraduate students from George Mason University participated in this study for course credit. The Youmans Cognitive Flexibility Puzzle (Gonzalez, Figueroa, Bellows, Rhodes, & Youmans, 2013) was used to assess cognitive flexibility, and a modified version the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) task (Hitchcock, Warm, Matthews, Dember, Shear, Tripp et al., 2003) measured sustained attention. Mixed ANOVAs were used to analyze performance on the ATC task ( hits, false alarms, reaction times). Highly flexible individuals were faster to respond despite missing signals and committing errors. Implications are discussed.
Individual Differences in Driver Over-Confidence
Authors: Wohleber Ryan W. , Matthews Gerald
Published: October 2014

This study aimed to extend understanding of individual differences in over-confidence in driver safety. First, we discriminated general driving confidence from confidence in coping with impairments such as fatigue and distraction. Second, we discriminated three aspects of overconfidence specified in terms of a recent Bayesian belief updating model of over-confidence (Moore and Healy, 2008): overestimation, overplacement and overprecision. Calibration tasks were used for this purpose. Results showed that the magnitude of overconfidence differed across the various metrics, and different metrics were only modestly intercorrelated. Confidence in handling impairment appears to be distinct from general confidence. Both forms of confidence were negatively related to dislike of driving but related differently to other aspects of driver behavior and stress. Risk factors related to self-estimation (violations, thrill-seeking) may be distinct from factors related to overplacement (aggression). Discrimination of multiple metrics for driving overconfidence may support better matching of safety interventions to the individual driver.
Exploring the Relationship between Planning and Prospective Memory
Authors: Kim Paul Y. , Mayhorn Christopher B.
Published: October 2014

Articulatory suppression / manipulations of working memory (i.e., poetic language) were examined in relation to planning and prospective memory, memory for actions to be performed in the future. Two experiments were conducted to explore these individual difference measures. Experiment 1 required participants to answer 90 trivia questions and complete embedded time- and event-based prospective memory tasks. The 36 participants were divided into three equal groups: no working memory (WM) load, low WM load, and high WM load. Results from that experiment were surprising because prospective memory performance did not vary by type (event-based versus time-based) and WM load did not influence prospective performance. Experiment 2 required participants to do an errand-planning task and complete embedded time- and event-based prospective memory tasks. The 36 participants, who did not participate in Experiment 1, were also divided into three groups that varied by WM load: no WM load, low WM load, and high WM load. One interesting finding was prospective memory performance correlated with a measure of planning: the Tower of Hanoi task. These experiments, their findings, and general implications are discussed.
Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) as a Compensatory Aid for Sensory Loss
Authors: Brill J. Christopher , Lawson Ben D. , Rupert Angus
Published: October 2014

The Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) began as a sensory cue to counteract pilot spatial disorientation. More recent adaptations of TSAS provide feedback for postural instability and spatial cues for persons with hearing loss. This demonstration included a brief presentation on past TSAS developments and recent applications. Attendees experienced an interactive demonstration of the TSAS hover-drift countermeasure for helicopter pilots, as well as recent applications of vibrotactile cues for looming, for postural stability, and for aiding target localization in pilots with noise-induced hearing loss.
Enhancing Spatial Orientation in Novice Pilots
Authors: Gross Alice , Manzey Dietrich
Published: October 2014

Spatial disorientation (SD) is a common factor in aviation accidents, especially in novice pilots. An experiment was carried out to determine which of four different attitude indicator concepts in combination with two different display backgrounds (abstract vs. synthetic landscape) proves to be the most beneficial for novice pilot performance. Inexperienced pilots had to recover from unusual attitudes by using the standard moving-horizon display, a moving-aircraft display, a frequency-separated display, and a “mixed” display, with the latter two representing hybrid concepts with movements of both aircraft symbol and horizon bar. Participants performed the task of recovering from unusual attitudes most efficiently with hybrid display concepts, suggesting that these display concepts prevent figure-ground reversals and associated pilot errors. Outcomes of the study suggest that the implementation of hybrid display concepts as a backup option when unwillingly entering Instrument Flight Conditions could be a solution for preventing SD in novice pilots.
The Effects of Fluorescent versus LED Lighting on Soldier Tasks in Military Tents
Authors: Hawes Breanne K.
Published: October 2014

It has been shown that lighting can have an effect on human health, cognition, perception and behavior. There is a gap in the literature pertaining to the effects of light emitting diode (LED) technology on humans, and a gap on lighting in military living environments. This is especially important considering that current research and design efforts are attempting to distinguish whether newer LED lighting technologies are the best choice for military use. Building on past work, the current study examines effects of LED and fluorescent lighting technologies on military relevant tasks in an attempt to examine how lighting may alleviate certain military stressors (workload, interpersonal conflict, concerns about living conditions). Results of this study add to the research base comparing LED and fluorescent lighting.
Taking Emergency Warnings Seriously
Authors: Kopel Daphne E. , Sims Valerie K. , Chin Matthew G.
Published: October 2014

The purpose of this research was to explore perceptions of emergency alert systems used by universities. After an averted crisis at the University of Central Florida, students were surveyed about how the event changed their perception of the university’s emergency alert system. Students retrospectively rated themselves as not taking the emergency alert system seriously, but after the campus-wide lockdown on March 18th, 2013, students appeared to have a more favorable perception of the service overall. Females were more interested in safety than males. Several personality traits were also related to safety concerns: participants high in Agreeableness take the emergency alert system more seriously and participants high in Neuroticism questioned safety protocol more often. Those who scored high on Locus of Control want to be able to take action towards how the emergency alert system could affect them. Students would not admit that they failed to take the alert system seriously and they also claimed that other students took the system even less seriously than themselves. Future research should continue to explore users’ preferences in order to determine what makes a warning appear more serious than others, as well as investigate university alert systems in areas more susceptible to natural disasters or with a high crime rate.
Performance of a Sonification Task in the Presence of Verbal, Visuospatial, and Auditory Interference Tasks
Authors: Nees Michael A. , Walker Bruce N.
Published: October 2014

An experiment examined performance with sonifications—a general term for nonspeech auditory displays—as a function of working memory encoding and the demands of three different types of interference tasks. Participants encoded the sonifications as verbal representations, visuospatial images, or auditory images. After encoding, participants engaged in brief verbal, visuospatial, or auditory interference tasks before responding to point estimation queries about the sonifications. Results were expected to show selective impact on sonification task performance when the interference task demands matched the working memory encoding strategy, but instead a pattern of general working memory interference emerged in addition to auditory modal interference. In practical applications, results suggested that performance with auditory displays will be impacted by any interference task, though auditory tasks likely will cause more interference than verbal or visuospatial tasks.
USee
Authors: He Jibo , Chaparro Barbara S. , Haskins Christal
Published: October 2014

The rapid increase in mobile devices (such as smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, and Google Glass) has resulted in the need for more usability research of mobile applications and devices. However, tools for usability testing in a mobile environment are lacking. This demonstration introduces a new mobile usability research tool called uSee, which uses Google Glass, a smartphone or tablet, a smartwatch, and a computer for research observation and communication. With uSee, remote observers can view the scenes directly from a camera mounted near the users’ eye, which offers researchers a scene from the users’ point of view. Alternatively, a researcher can wear Google Glass and use the uSee application to record user video and communicate with remote observers. In addition, usability researchers can log important events by simply tapping the Google Glass stem. This demonstration will show how uSee can serve as a tool for mobile usability research as well as discuss the pros and cons of the tool.
A Preliminary Study of Surgeon Stress Measures During Randomized Controlled Trials of 4-port vs. Single Incision Cholecystectomies
Authors: Lowndes B.R. , Bingener-Casey J. , Hallbeck M.S.
Published: October 2014

With various minimally invasive approaches in the field of surgery and new techniques entering rapidly, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these different practices. Information about the impact on both patient and provider can be gained through research investigations. Since the workload placed on the surgeon may influence patient outcomes, this study measured levels of stress and fatigue for the surgeon participating in an NIH randomized control trial of single incision versus 4-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Through the administration of the SURG-TLX for 22 Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies and 24 4-port cholecystectomies, physical workload was the only measure statistically different between 4-port and SILC (P=0.028). There was a significant difference in the duration (P=0.029) based on the procedure that was completed. Mental stress was highly correlated to many of the variables in the Surg-TLX and duration, degree of difficulty, and complexity were all highly correlated. This research shows how the SILC procedure can cause more stress on the surgeon. When the situation is combined with longer surgeries, higher complexity, and a higher degree of difficulty, the patient outcomes may be at risk.
The Impact of Task Skill and Team Familiarity on Shared Knowledge and Collective Efficacy
Authors: Reynolds Rosemarie , Blickensderfer Elizabeth
Published: October 2014

In this paper we addressed one aspect of team cognition, namely shared knowledge, and investigated the relationship between shared knowledge and collective efficacy. The task was doubles tennis; participants were 160 adults, for a total of 80 teams. Data was collected via self-report questionnaires. As we had suspected, there was a strong, positive relationship between collective efficacy and shared knowledge ( r = .5, p < .05). Using hierarchical regression, we also found that team familiarity was positively related to shared knowledge, while both task skill and team familiarity were positively related to collective efficacy
Are you Committed Cathy, Reluctant Rita or Negative Nancy? Defining User Personas for a Technology-Based Wrist-Worn Eating Monitor
Authors: Wilson Michael L. , Salley James N. , Muth Eric R.
Published: October 2014

Self-monitoring of energy intake is a critical element of a successful weight loss plan. However, current methods to monitor energy intake are cumbersome and prone to under reporting. The present study examined how individuals used a new energy intake monitoring tool, the Bite Counter to adjust their eating behavior to a targeted bite limit. Data were collected from 30 female participants examining their compliance with using the device as well as their adherence to eating limits based on bite count. Three distinct compliance personas were developed based on the shared behaviors and traits of device users: Committed Cathy (the rapid adopter, seldom misses tracking eating activities), Reluctant Rita (often forgets device, always has an excuse) and Negative Nancy (will not wear or use the device). These personas will inform future experimenters on how to improve usage instructions in order to increase participant compliance with using technology-based eating behavior monitoring tools.
Assessment of Unmanned Vehicle (UxV) Control Interfaces Using a Holistic Usability Method
Authors: Proaps Alexandra B. , Chancey Eric T. , Bliss James P. , Crane Peter
Published: October 2014

The primary purpose of this project was to objectively assess the usability of two proprietary control interfaces for UxV operation. Interface evaluations frequently rely on subjective measures and (to a lesser degree) operational performance to judge quality and usability. The concept of performance is often multidimensional, particularly in the case of unmanned vehicle (UxV) operation. We adopt a more holistic approach to usability by triangulating physiological, performance, and subjective data to better consider both cognitive and performance attributes of performance. To assess usability and performance aspects associated with the two candidate UxV control interfaces, we have completed multiple efforts. After completing a thorough literature review, a cognitive task analysis, and multiple heuristic evaluations of our data logging software and the interfaces to be evaluated, we pilot tested one interface with novices and experts using our proposed usability method. This paper serves as an overview of our usability testing method which includes subjective, physiological, and performance assessments of error rates, workload, stress, attention, ease of use, and learnability. We present some initial conclusions from our pilot test using expert military UxV and novice operators. Finally, we present initial evidence for the success of our usability approach.
User Experiences with Open Access Knowledge Sharing Platforms
Authors: Park Jongsoon , Gabbard Joseph L
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we present a preliminary study to seek to find user experience implications for encouraging collaborative research cultures in complex data-intensive research fields by placing more design focus on user experience and context of use. One hundred thirty-one participants responded to a number of self-reporting measures. We characterize current user experience in open access knowledge sharing platforms, perceived usefulness and ease of use. We then address areas to further expend in applying user experience design to support complex data-intensive domains. Finally, we discuss opportunities to enhance user experiences and address practical issues faced by UX professionals.
Cognitive Authentication and Narrative Passwords
Authors: Hoover Connor , Werner Steffen , Cohen Rajal
Published: October 2014

The need for secure and usable cognitive password systems has been recognized for many years. While graphical passwords present one promising approach, this study focuses on the use of short stories to create “narrative passwords”. Users are presented with a flash fiction (<1000 words) that contains interchangeable elements randomly selected for their story. These elements form the password to be remembered later, while the remainder of the story serves as a memory context to create a strong binding of the items in memory. The results of an initial pilot study using narrative passwords show that participants can retain a sufficient amount of information over a period greater than a week. The system itself acts as a memory cue, such that recognition memory performance has the potential to increase over time.
Macroergonomics and Sociotechnical Methods Current and Future Directions
Authors: Waterson Patrick , Robertson Michelle M. , Carayon Pascale , Hoonakker Peter , Holden Richard , Hettinger Lawrence , Robertson Michelle M. , Waterson Patrick
Published: October 2014

The development of methods for the design of work environments has a long history within human factors and ergonomics (Hendrick, 1991; Stanton et al., 2013). Recent discussions have centred on the effectiveness of macroergonomic methods in facilitating improvements to workplace design. The aim of the panel will be to summarise these and other debates surrounding methods within HFE. The panel will first discuss the use of mixed methods within macroergonomics and the role these can play in applying a whole systems approach to the design of work (Carayon), as well as validating research findings (Hoonakker). Holden will describe his use of macroergonomic methods with chronically ill patients in community settings. New approaches involving the use of methods to facilitate participatory approaches towards health and safety interventions (Robertson) and simulation (Hettinger) will also be discussed as part of the panel. The panel will conclude with a consideration of the trade-offs between scientific and practice-oriented criteria for assessing the effectiveness of methods (Waterson).
Do Inflammatory Responses to Eccentric Exercise Suggest a Fatigue Failure Process?
Authors: Gallagher Sean , Porter Michael , Almas Patrick , Abulhassan Yousif
Published: October 2014

Recent evidence strongly suggests that force and repetition interact in a consistent manner to affect musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk, likely due to an underlying fatigue failure process in affected tissues. This pilot study evaluated whether a force-repetition interaction was present with respect to inflammatory responses of elbow flexor muscles after eccentric exercise. 24 subjects performed eccentric contractions with 6 assigned to each of 4 force and repetition combinations. Dependent measures included MRI data on edema in the muscle (day 2 versus day 0), relaxed elbow flexion angle, and isometric strength (both obtained days 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 post-exercise). Significant force-repetition interactions were found for relaxed elbow angle at days 2 and 4 post-exercise (p < 0.05), and for days 2 and 4 for isometric strength (p < 0.05).
Ingress and Egress to Utility Trucks – Design of Steps and Stairs
Authors: Saginus Kyle , Marklin Richard , Seeley Patricia , Stone Amy
Published: October 2014

The design of the structures that workers use to enter and exit utility trucks can affect the safety of workers. Workers can access the truck via the cab or via the truck bed on the side or rear. Large vehicles, such as aerial trucks in a utility fleet, can increase the risk of a slip or fall because of its taller height above the ground. The authors conducted a study for EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) that included meas-urements of the steps and stairs of 29 electric fleet vehicles and a review of the standards related to struc-tures for ingress and egress. The authors present design configurations of steps, stairs, and pullout ladders for access to utility trucks from the cab, side, and rear. These examples include specific dimensions of the riser height and tread width, depth of stairs, and stair inclination angle. Design of access to the bucket of an aerial truck is not included. Ergonomists and vehicle designers can use the comparison table of standards along with the design examples to help them design ingress and egress structures for trucks that may reduce the risk of a slip or fall.
Tele-operation Training
Authors: Armstrong Miriam E. , Jones Keith S. , Schmidlin Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2014

Successful tele-operation during Urban Search and Rescue requires tele-operators to make accurate driveability judgments, that is, judgments about whether they can drive a robot through an aperture. No research has yet examined which factors during training are responsible for improvements in driveability judgments. We hypothesized that a condition with exploration during training would lead to higher judgment accuracy than one without. For exploratory purposes, we also included a condition with exploration and feedback, which replicated the procedure of previous tele-operation studies. Participants made driveability judgments in 1 of 3 conditions, which varied participants’ training: Exploration and Feedback, Exploration and No Feedback, and No Exploration and No Feedback. Accuracy in the Exploration and No Feedback condition was higher than in the No Exploration and No Feedback control, and was not different from accuracy in the Exploration and Feedback condition. The results imply that exploration may be necessary and sufficient for improving driveability judgments.
2014 Product Design Technical Group Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award
Authors: Caplan Stan , McMullin Dianne
Published: October 2014

The Product Design Technical Group (PDTG) presented its 13th annual User-Centered Product Design Award at a special session. The award recognized excellence in both product design and in the methods used to specify and achieve the design. This special session consisted of presentation of the award to the winner and the winner’s presentation about the design and development of the product.
Developing a Scoring Matrix to Evaluate the Usability of Consumer Packaging
Authors: Fausset Cara Bailey , Baranak Andrew , Farmer Sarah K. , Mann Elizabeth L. , Harrington Christina N. , Price Chandler E. , Ray Jerry B.
Published: October 2014

The goal of the current study was to test a scoring matrix for evaluating and quantifying the difficulty of use of consumer packaging for an older adult population. Scores range from 0 to 100; the lower the score, the less usable the packaging design. Twelve older adults (9 females, 3 males; Mage = 69.5) completed an online survey in which they evaluated 15 everyday packaging types on frequency of use and difficulty of the functional tasks required for use (e.g., pick up and carry, remove seal, open, dispense, close). Blister packaging scored the lowest ( M = 71.5) and could benefit the most from redesign. Microwave meal packaging scored the highest ( M = 85.8), but this was the only score computed without all participants; only five participants reported using microwave meals. Pull tab cans scored second highest with a mean score of 84.2. In this pilot study, we are laying the groundwork for creating a tool to systematically evaluate and quantify the usability of all packaging types.
Perspectives on the Training of Human Factors Students for the User Experience Industry
Authors: Gonzalez Christian A. , Ghazizadeh Mahtab , Smith Mac
Published: October 2014

We surveyed 140 HFES student members and found that nearly 80% of students were considering a future career in UX. In contrast, only 12% felt that their training has prepared them extremely well for a UX career. An analysis of 40 UX job postings revealed that while these positions required some human factors related skills, 37% of their job requirements emphasized design familiarity and programming skills. Students indicated that gaps in their education and preparation represent the largest challenge they face in entering the UX field. They further identified the broad definition of UX and lack of access to industry positions as other challenges in transitioning to UX professionals. It is recommended to focus on increasing HFES’s relevance to students interested in future UX careers.
Usability of Human Factors Research in Design
Authors: Rantanen Esa , Karn Keith , Wiggermann Neal , Koch Christopher , Lau Michael , Rantanen Alisa
Published: October 2014

There exists a disconnect between users of the science of human factors, that is, designers and practitioners, and producers of the science, that is, human factors researchers. Research results are primarily disseminated by articles published in scientific, peer reviewed journals, that are often targeted to other scientists, not designers or practitioners. Human factors standards and guidelines are intended for designers and human factors practitioners, but finding and accessing standards relevant to specific design problems is difficult as well. We convened this panel in order to focus on designers’ needs for human factors data, standards, and guidelines, and to seek solutions to what appears to be a communication problem between human factors researchers and the users of their results.
A Perceptual Analysis of Standard Safety, Fluorescent, and Neon Colors
Authors: Zielinska Olga A. , Wogalter Michael S. , Mayhorn Christopher B.
Published: October 2014

Twenty-six standard safety colors specified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), International Standards Organization (ISO), and the Federal Highway Association (FHWA) were compared to seven fluorescent and neon colors on perceived hazard and perceived importance. Results indicated that the fluorescent orange, ANSI red, fluorescent yellow, FHWA red, fluorescent yellow green, and ISO red were the highest rated colors on perceived hazard. ANSI red, FHWA red, ISO red, fluorescent orange, fluorescent yellow, and fluorescent yellow green were rated the highest on perceived importance. The implications of these findings and the potential use of fluorescent colors in product warnings are discussed.
Speeded Vibrotactile Navigation with Gestural Control in a Multiple Choice Environment
Authors: Roady Trey , Tippey Kathryn , Ferris Thomas K.
Published: October 2014

Vibrotactile communication technologies are viable candidates for the replacement of more traditional radio communication technologies, particularly in domains where visual and auditory resources are either inconvenient or in high demand. Of particular interest is the potential for improved speeded communications, to allow those directing to directly steer their target rather than describing their intentions. This study evaluated the potential performance of a simple vibrotactile gesture system versus a radio communication control condition, continuing the research paradigm of a previous study by expanding potential response options. However, results indicate faster responses for the control condition, suggesting the need for further modification of the research paradigm to reduce participant awareness of evaluation points and improve communication feedback.
Lane Keeping and Sentence Comprehension Dual-task Performance
Authors: Cao Shi , Liu Yili
Published: October 2014

Globalization in the automotive industry requires human factors research to consider drivers from different countries using different languages. As automotive companies are introducing new in-vehicle technologies to Chinese drivers, an important question is whether the results obtained from previous studies with English-speaking drivers can also be applied to Chinese drivers. The work reported in this paper compared lane keeping and sentence comprehension dual-task performances between drivers recruited from the U.S. and China. The dual-task experiments represented the scenarios of cruise-control driving while comprehending speech generated by in-vehicle auditory devices. The results showed that the Chinese drivers performed better in sentence comprehension than the American drivers in terms of higher correct rate. No significant difference was found between the lane keeping results of the two groups. In addition, a significant age effect on comprehension correct rate and a significant interaction involving gender were also identified. Implications and interpretations are discussed.
Deciphering 140 Characters
Authors: Roberts Shannon C. , Lee John D.
Published: October 2014

Objective: Conduct an exploratory analysis of driver distraction tweets using text mining. Background: Twitter is a popular social networking site with a wealth of data that is both explanatory and predictive of current trends and events. Data from Twitter may also prove useful in understanding the attitudes and opinions surrounding distracted driving. Method: Tweets posted between January 29, 2012 and April 12, 2013 containing the words ‘driver distraction’ or ‘driving distraction’ were collected. Text mining was used to extract patterns from the tweets in terms of timelines, frequencies, and associations. Results: Over 8,000 tweets were collected and contained information about users’ personal experience with driver distraction as well as various news articles about driver distraction. Conclusion: Twitter data provide a real-time snapshot of the attitudes surrounding of distracted driving. Application: Information from social media can complement traditional driving data sources, such as simulator studies, naturalistic studies, and epidemiological data, to create a more holistic picture of distracted driving.
Control Room Design Review Guidance
Authors: O’Hara John , Higgins James , Fleger Stephen
Published: October 2014

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) evaluates the human factors engineering (HFE) of nuclear power plant design and operations to protect public health and safety. The HFE safety reviews encompass both the design process and its products. Detailed guidance for these reviews is provided in two key documents: the HFE Program Review Model (NUREG-0711) and the Human-System Interface Design Review Guidelines (NUREG-0700). The NRC is committed to the periodic update and improvement of the guidance to ensure that they remain state-of-the-art design evaluation tools. In this paper we will describe the guidance development and update methodology and the topics being addressed for both key documents. The guidance update program will improve document usability as well.
Detecting Key Inter-Joint Distances and Anthropometry Effects for Static Gestures Development using Optical Motion Tracking
Authors: Hamilton Michael A. , Quartuccio Jake , Mead Patrick , Nunnally Angela , Lund Rachael , Feild Alexander
Published: October 2014

In the effort to design three-dimensional gestural interfaces for surface ship platforms, this study was conducted to evaluate the critical anthropometric factors that influence developing mutually exclusive static posture recognition algorithms. Using the Microsoft Kinect, 400 inter-joint distances determining critical key joint factors were collected to identify 15 static postures. By using a discriminant analysis, 9 out of 400 possible key inter-joint distances were identified for distinguishing the 15 postures. Comparing the discriminant function model predictions to the actual observed values for the 15 postures resulted in an overall prediction accuracy of 97 percent.
Assessment of a Novel Watchstanding Schedule on an Operational us Navy Vessel
Authors: Shattuck Nita Lewis , Matsangas Panagiotis , Waggoner Lauren
Published: October 2014

One watchstanding schedule used in the US Navy is the modified 6-hr on/18-hr off, a 6-hr watch followed by an 18-hr non-watch period. In this four-section watchbill, rather than standing the same 6-hour period each day, two 3-hr watches are “dogged”, resulting in a day shorter than 24-hrs in length. We assessed the 6-hr on/18-hr off schedule to determine its affordance of rest/sleep and psychomotor vigilance, comparing it to a 3-hr on/9-hr off schedule. Results show the 3-hr on/9-hr off schedule is superior, affording 0.63 more hours of rest daily (p=0.054), 0.89 more hours of sleep daily (p=0.024), and decreased variability in psychomotor vigilance (i.e., reaction time and lapses) compared to the standard schedule (p<0.05). Variability of daily rest and sleep is also reduced (p<0.05). Subjective assessments between the 3-hr on/9-hr off and seven other watch schedules showed that participants preferred the 3-hr on/9-hr off schedule. The 3-hr on/9-hr off schedule yields better sleep hygiene, more stable performance and is well-accepted by crewmembers.
Development of a Human Factors Principles-Based Design Tool for Engineers
Authors: Sebok Angelia , Quesada Stacey , Andre Terence
Published: October 2014

Designing for users involves many challenges, including understanding the situation in which the end users will be working. In a recent NASA Small Business Innovative Research effort, a research team developed a software tool to help engineers and human factors specialists share human factors information and project-specific data. The resulting product was a software tool called the Human Factors Analysis Support Tool (H-FAST). This paper describes a project to provide a proof of concept to extend H-FAST’s capabilities. In this effort, we developed the Automated Guidance Assessment Tool (AGAT). AGAT assesses a control panel design in terms of its adherence to human factors principles, and provides relevant feedback to engineers in the form of targeted recommendations and access to relevant human factors standards.
Beyond the allures of Criminalization: Rethinking the regulation of sex work in India
Authors: Kotiswaran Prabha
Published: October 2014

This article explores the shifting trends in prostitution law and policy in the postcolonial context of India. Indian law has since the 1950s criminalized several aspects of the commercialization of prostitution rather than the sale of sex for money per se. Of late however, following international trends around human trafficking and the relatively popular Swedish model, the Indian state has been keen to criminalize further the demand for sexual services. The competing prerogative of HIV prevention has however powerfully helped counter this trend towards increased criminalization. The Indian sex workers’ movement has also attempted to shift the policy terrain by reframing prostitution as a form of livelihood, in other words, sex work. While the counter-vailing logic of pandemic control has offered sex workers some respite, the article argues that Indian sex workers’ intertwined claims to both recognition and redistribution, to draw on Nancy Fraser, can only be realized by acknowledging the increasing disutility of the policy vocabulary around sex work and reassessing the materiality of law in all its forms, particularly its relationship to the political economy of sex markets.