bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physiological Considerations in the Design of Clothing and Protective Equipment for Extreme Environments and in Modeling Human Heat Exchange
Authors: Koscheyev Victor S.
Published: January 2012

A new era is commencing in which the design of clothing and protective equipment is increasingly taking into account physiological data about human functioning in extreme environments. In these conditions, there is an intensive influence of environmental factors on body systems. Physiological in combination with other types of countermeasures that provide comfort are necessary for stabilizing homeostasis. This approach is extremely important for the design of heavy protective equipment that is widely used in such conditions as space, harsh terrestrial environments, undersea, and in military situations. A physiological overview of the human body for design and modeling purposes is presented, relying on extensive research findings on human thermoregulation and heat exchange using an experimental water circulating plastic tubing garment with the capacity for simultaneous cooling/warming of different body areas. The fingers have great potential as an informative site for providing accurate information about actual body heat status, developing an automatic feedback system between body heat content and the reactivity of the cooling/warming system, and improving modeling approaches.
Human vs. Automation in Responding to Failures: An Expected-Value Analysis
Authors: Sheridan Thomas B. , Parasuraman Raja
Published: January 2012

A simple analytical criterion is provided for deciding whether a human or automation is best for a failure detection task. The method is based on expected value decision theory in much the same way as is signal detection. It requires specification of the probabilities of misses (false negatives) and false alarms (false positives) for both human and automation being considered, as well as factors independent of the choice, namely costs and benefits of incorrect and correct decisions as well as the prior probability of failure. The method can also serve as a basis for comparing different modes of automation. Some limiting cases of application are discussed as well as some decision criteria other than expected value.
Curved Landing Approaches: Where is the Payoff for Pathway?
Authors: Reising John , Snow Michael
Published: January 2012

Air traffic controllers, both civil and military, will soon have the ability to direct pilots to fly complex landing approaches. The imminent replacement of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) with a landing system based on Global Positioning System (GPS) technology at major airports in the United States will allow pilots to fly precision landing approaches with curved segments and varying descent angles in order to avoid noise abatement areas and decrease air traffic congestion. From a military standpoint, flying complex approaches will allow better threat avoidance and increase operational security. This paper reports the findings of an on-going program of research in the Air Force Research Laboratory designed to create and test a next-generation, head-up primary flight reference that will allow pilots to fly such paths regardless of visibility conditions. After briefly reviewing some research utilizing Pathways, the paper discusses specific examples of research that examined the effects on pilot performance of: 1) varying descent angle (7, 5, and 3 degrees), 2) curved vs. straight portions of the approach, and, 3) secondary tasks (frequency changes and resolution of system failures).
Decision and Workload Implications of Free Flight and the Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (Cdti)
Authors: Wickens Christopher D. , Helleberg John , Xu Xidong
Published: January 2012

Twenty-two certified flight instructors flew a general aviation simulator, either actively selecting and flying maneuvers to avoid traffic conflict, using a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) in a free flight scenario, or more passively executing corresponding maneuvers as commanded by a simulated air traffic controller, in a conventional scenario. The maneuvers spontaneously chosen by the pilots in the freeflight scenario were found to be only partially consistent with the maneuvers for traffic avoidance, dictated by current FAA “rules of the road”, with pilots showing a marked preference for making vertical rather than lateral maneuvers, and climbing rather than descending maneuvers. Pilots also preferred to make simpler single axis maneuvers. Visual scanning in both scenarios was measured, revealing that pilots spent a majority of their time fixating on the instrument panel, and in free flight, they distributed their remaining visual attention differentially across the two sources of traffic information, the outside world and the CDTI. In all conditions, they were particularly vulnerable to missing the detection of traffic which was not annunciated on the CDTI, but was visible on the forward view.
Mission Status Graphics: A Quick Look at How You are Doing
Authors: Trujillo Anna C. , Schutte Paul C.
Published: January 2012

The flight deck is an extremely complex environment—especially in busy non-normal situations. In an information rich environment, individual details can become compelling, causing the human to overlook others. In such environments, the operator needs a way to quickly assess the situation and return to dealing with issues that are most critical. Polar-star displays may aid this monitoring and preliminary diagnosis. The first polar star consists of mission oriented parameters and the second polar star consists of system oriented parameters. Commercial glass-cockpit airline-line pilots viewed static pictures of various aircraft configuration that included normal, non-normal, and alert conditions in order to see if the addition of the two polar-star displays aided them in monitoring and making preliminary diagnosis about the flight and aircraft status.
Behavioral Entropy as an Index of Workload
Authors: Boer Erwin R.
Published: January 2012

Attentive well-trained drivers exhibit smooth control behavior with minimal discontinuities under non-taxing driving conditions. As drivers engage in activities different from the low-level driving tasks of lane keeping and car following, discontinuities enter into their control behavior profiles in the form of error corrections or startled responses. These corrective actions are responses to driver's own assessment of the state of the vehicle after attention is redirected back to the primitive' task. These smoothness-reducing discontinuities result in less predictable control behavior. To quantify the effect of drivers' responses to unacceptable vehicle states that build up while not fully attending, an entropy measure is used as an index of behavioral predictability and used to characterize the workload induced by different tasks. Workload is considered high over a given time interval when behavioral entropy is high. Based on data obtained in the Nissan-CBR driving simulator, the entropy measure is demonstrated to clearly and significantly quantify the effect of several tasks.
The Influence of a Perceptual-Motor Training Activity on the Stability of PC-Based Cognitive Test Scores: A Repeated Measures Paradigm
Authors: Bramble William J. , Koonce Jefferson M. , Kennedy Robert S.
Published: January 2012

The authors repeatedly administered four computerized tests to 21 students engaged in a lengthy PC-based flight training simulation as part of their pre-training activities at a professional aviation academy. Test scores were examined for disruption, or evidence of transfer, during intervals in which the tests were expected to correlate with training performance. No significant disruptions were noted for grammatical reasoning, code substitution, or four-choice reaction time. However, the BFITS group experienced significant improvement on one test (air defense maneuvering) during the predicted interval. The effect was not mirrored by either of two control groups (flight instructors and university undergraduates). Implications for performance prediction are discussed.
Effects of Age and Expertise on Pilot Performance: Support for Performance Based Retirement Criteria
Authors: Vincenzi Dennis A. , Mouloua Mustapha , Koonce Jefferson M.
Published: January 2012

At any given chronological age, an individual may appear to be older or younger in various areas or aspects of aging. Ambiguity of age as a reliable indicator of gerontological changes has led to the derivation of the concept of functional age, which accommodates the fact that persons age at different rates along different dimensions (Gerathewohl, 1977; Gerathewohl, 1978a).

Four groups of participants were required to conduct this study; young pilots, young non-pilots, elderly pilots, and elderly non-pilots. Our research found a great deal of variability within all four groups. Although differences due to age clearly exist, the results of this research indicate that experience does matter with regard to pilot performance. Experience as a pilot appears to mediate performance and offset some of the deleterious detriments that occur as a result of aging.
Individual Differences in Task-Induced Stress in Customer Service Personnel
Authors: Matthews Gerald , Falconer Shona
Published: January 2012

Sources of stress during customer service work include the cognitive demands of handling inquiries. This study investigated predictors of individual differences in subjective stress response to a simulation of the customer service ‘task’. 86 trainee operators completed personality and dispositional coping measures, and then performed the simulated task. Stress states and situational appraisals and coping were assessed using validated questionnaires. Results showed that task performance generated stress reactions characterized by increased distress but decreased worry, similar to reactions to working memory tasks. Both dispositional and situational measures predicted stress states. Multiple regressions showed that effects of dispositional measures were mediated by situational appraisal and coping measures, consistent with cognitive, ‘transactional’ theories of stress. Task-induced stress may be a significant real-world problem requiring intervention. Organizations may also select more ‘hardy” operators using the scales employed in this study.
Analysis of Human Error at Electric Utilities
Authors: Gross M. M. , Ayres T. J. , Murray J.
Published: January 2012

Human error is the most-frequently ascribed contributor to incidents and accidents at electric utility generating sites. Such error often reveals the presence of latent errors in the organization or workplace. Identification of the antecedent conditions for human error is expected to help management to select and design effective safety programs and interventions in advance, rather than waiting to implement corrective action after incidents have occurred. The search for these antecedent conditions requires combining error and incident reports with a wide variety of background data sources.
Study of Autonomic Responses Due to the Vehicle Speed Change
Authors: Kim Chul Jung , Min Byung Chan , Chung Soon Cheol , Min Byung Woon , Park Se Jin
Published: January 2012

In this study passenger's sensibility change was investigated by changing vehicle speed in real driving situation. In order to measure human sensibility averaged R-R interval, GSR, and skin temperature, which are not much affected by noise caused while driving were used. The physiological responses were compared with subjective evaluation by self-report method. We report some of preliminary results relating to changes of autonomic responses elicited by varying a vehicle speed (0. 30. 60. 90, 120 km/h) during daytime and nighttime. Healthy human subjects (n=5) were participated in the experiments. Averaged R-R interval values and skin temperature decreased as the speed increased both during daytime and nighttime. The GSR amplitude increased as the speed increased both during daytime and nighttime. All kinds of physiological signals including averaged R-R interval, skin temperature, and GSR, showed the result that the activity of sympathetic nervous system of the ANS increased as the vehicular speed increased.
The Relation between Neuroendocrine Reactivity and Recovery from Different Natures of Work, Subjective need for Recovery, and Health Status
Authors: Sluiter Judith K. , Frings-Dresen Monique H.W. , van der Beek Allard J.
Published: January 2012

A field study was performed to assess the relations between nature of work and work characteristics, neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery, and health status. The urinary excretion of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol was examined in fifty-nine male workers between 25 and 55 years of age during five consecutive days; three working days and two days off-work. The workers differed in the nature of their main work demands, i.e. mental, mental/physical, and physical work. Personal information and subjective perception of work characteristics, need for recovery, and health status were assessed by self-report through validated scales in a questionnaire. Multi-level analyses and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to assess aforementioned relations.

A main effect of nature of work was found in the neuroendocrine reactivity during and recovery from work in which the combined mental/physical group showed the least favourable reactions. Overall, half of the variation in subjective need for recovery and 54% of the variation in the level of health complaints was explained by a model with job demands, social relations at work, BMI, age, as well as by neuroendocrine measures of adrenaline and cortisol.
Influence of “Yukaza” Posture on Physical Stress and Mental Relaxation
Authors: Okada Akira , Yagi Yoshiko , Katsuta Mahomi , Yamashita Kuniko
Published: January 2012

The influence of “Yukaza” posture, a sitting posture on the floor, on the physical stress and the mental relaxation was compared with that of sitting posture with chair. The results of EMGs showed that the levels of static activities in several muscles tended to be slightly higher in “Yukaza” than in the sitting on the chair. But the effects of “Yukaza” on the mental relaxation appeared with EEG and subjective rating, which was thought to be due to not only the posture but also the distance between the eye level and the floor.
Hemodynamic, Performance & Preference Comparisons of Three Commercially Available Office Chairs
Authors: Brand Jay L. , Hohne Jennifer J. , Ku Yu-Tsuan E. , Lee Hank C. , Luna Bernadette , Montgomery Leslie D.
Published: January 2012

This pilot study compared three commercially available office chairs in terms of subjects' hemodynamics, core temperatures, preferences, mental workload, and task performance. With only five subjects, the trends did not converge; rather, one chair resulted in better hemodynamics over time, while another seemed to maintain stable core temperatures and support task performance. In general, subjective preferences and mental workload measures seemed to corroborate the hemodynamics data.
Psychophysiological Differences in a Pilot When Controlling and Not Controlling a Commercial Jet Airliner
Authors: Katoh Zojiro , Saito Shin , Fukuta Yasuaki , Nakashima Yoshio , Yoshihara Shin , Segi Kazuko , Takeuchi Yoshinori
Published: January 2012

We investigated a coefficient of variations in R-R intervals (CVRR) and the distribution of instantaneous heart rate of an airline pilot during flight when he was at the controls (PC) and not at the controls (PNC). The flight was divided into eight segments for analysis. The values of CVRR in six among eight segments were lower under the PNC than the PC condition. The heart rate distribution was higher under the PC than the PNC condition during takeoff. In contrast, it was higher under the PNC condition during the heading-change, descent and landing segments. These results indicate that when a pilot is not at the controls he needs a wider situational attentiveness in order to play such roles as the co-pilot's backup operator, than when he is at the controls.
Prior Exposure, Warning Algorithm Parameters and Driver Response to Imminent Rear-End Collisions on a High-Sfideltiy Simulator
Authors: Lee John D. , McGehee Daniel V. , Brown Timothy L.
Published: January 2012

Rear-end collisions account for over 25% of crashes. Because driver inattention is a contributing factor in more than 60% of these collisions, rear-end collision avoidance systems (RECAS) offer a promising approach to reduce crashes and save lives. This study uses a high-fidelity driving simulator to examine driver response to imminent rear-end collision situations and address two issues. First, the study examines how variations in algorithm parameters affect RECAS effectiveness. The results show an early warning helps drivers react more quickly and avoid more collisions, providing critical data for tradeoff studies of RECAS parameters and nuisance alarm rates. Second, the study investigates how drivers respond to a second collision scenario shortly after their first exposure. The results show drivers react more quickly to the second exposure and avoid more collisions, but that the effect of the second exposure does not interact with other experimental variables or change the fundamental response dynamics. This suggests that multiple exposures to imminent crash situations can generate useful data, forming the basis for more efficient experimental designs of simulator-based studies.
A Study on Driving Detection Performance by Virtual-Environment Technologies
Authors: Uang Shiaw-Tsyr , Liu Cheng-Lie
Published: January 2012

The purpose of the present research was to examine the effects of gender, field dependence and background complexity on driving detection performance to enhance the training efficiency of a driving simulator. The experiment was conducted through the use of virtual-environment technologies to evaluate driving detection performance of 48 subjects (24 males and 24 females). The results not only showed similar main effects of gender, field dependence and background complexity on detection performance as past studies indicated, but also demonstrated strong evidence in those interactions of multiple experimental factors on driving detection performance in different ways. The implications for designing VE simulators and the related training programs were also discussed.
Road Accidents Involving Slow Moving Vehicles in Sweden
Authors: Lundqvist P. , Pinzke S.
Published: January 2012

The slow-moving vehicles (SMVs), mostly farm-vehicles are involved in more than 250 traffic accidents each year on Swedish roads. On average 10 people are being killed, 66 are serious and 267 slightly injured in road traffic accidents involving SMVs each year. To improve the situation actions needs to be taken to make the SMVs even more visible to other road users. It is also important that the driver of the SMV have good overview of the external traffic environment. Further research and development is needed to decrease the number of traffic accidents involving SMVs.
Representing and Visualizing a Dynamically Changing Tactical Situation
Authors: Entin Eileen B.
Published: January 2012

In a research project investigating information requirements for increasing SA in the attack helicopter domain, we examined issues concerned with the presentation of dynamically changing information about a tactical situation. We explored features including an underlying digital map, supplementary unit information, and dynamically updated information about enemy and friendly unit movements. We found that although continuous updating would most accurately represent the current tactical situation, periodic updates were more successful in making subjects aware of the changing enemy and friendly dispositions, thereby supporting higher levels of SA. We found that some features rated as highly useful were not actually invoked during the simulation, suggesting that subjective evaluations of utility of display features may be a misleading indicator of their actual usage.
A Componential Model of Human Interaction with Graphs. V: Using Pie Graphs to Make Comparisons
Authors: Gillan Douglas J.
Published: January 2012

Research and models of graph reading suggest that the reader's task is an important determinant of the perceptual and cognitive processing components that the reader uses. When people read a pie graph to determine the proportional size of a segment, they apply three processing components: selecting the appropriate mental anchor to which to compare the segment (25%, 50%, or 75%), mentally aligning the anchor to the angular position of the segment around the pie, and mentally adjusting the anchor to match the pie segment size. When a pie graph reader faces a different task, e.g., estimating the ratio of two segments or the difference between two segments, does she use the same processing components to estimate the proportions of A and of B (and then divide one estimate into the other) or does she use a more direct method of mentally aligning the two segments to be compared, then mentally overlaying one on the other (for a ratio) or estimating the spatial difference between the pie segments (for a difference). Two experiments supported the Direct models over the Proportion-based models. The component processes of the Direct models suggest that pie graph designs that eliminated the angular difference between segments being compared should improve performance.
Visual Load Induced by in Car Office Applications
Authors: Roessger Peter
Published: January 2012

With the integration of more features, driver-information-systems (DIS) in automobiles are getting more and more complex. The additional integration of online functionality turn DIS into CarPCs. Here the possibilities of the computer-world meet the restrictions of the vehicle-world. The interaction with the systems distracts capacities from driving. Due to inappropriate human machine interface design the visual channel is overloaded while using DIS or CarPCs. A usability study was conducted. The data shows, that the presentation of visual information is critical. A CarPC was developed. The human machine interface was designed under human factors criteria. The use of the system will lead to a reduced visual load of the driver. Further work has to be done.
A Model of Air to Ground Target Acquisition Based on Logistic Regression Analysis
Authors: Elias Bartholomew
Published: January 2012

Logistic regression, a technique for describing relationships between a binary or dichotomous dependent variable and one or more independent variables that can be either discrete or continuous, is demonstrated to be an effective analytical tool for evaluating data collected using psychophysical methods and signal detection procedures. One specific application of logistic regression is the assessment of operational factors on human performance in visual target acquisition. Visual target acquisition data collected using signal detection procedures were reanalyzed using logistic regression techniques. The application of these logistic regression techniques produced empirically derived psychophysical models of target detection capabilities under various conditions. Such models can be used to predict human performance in visual target acquisition under various operational constraints.
Lighting System Preferences for VDT Stands with LCD Screens
Authors: Wolska Agnieszka
Published: January 2012

There are different types of lighting systems suitable for VDT work, which create different interior appearances with respect to the main lighting parameters at the recommended levels at the same time. A new generation of VDT screens, flat panels, which produce the image on the screen in a completely different way, may demand different lighting conditions than CRT screens. The aim of the study was to model different lighting systems for VDT work with LCD screens and their influence on the users' preferences and visual performance. The results of the study showed that the most preferred lighting system for VDT work with LCD screens is direct lighting realized by “dark-light” luminaires.
An Ergonomic Evaluation of the Effects of Veiling Reflection on the Human Visibility
Authors: Park Jae-Min , Lee Sang-Do , Kim Young-Sook
Published: January 2012

Man perceive and react around him through the five senses. Also man give rise to the human sensibility and maintain his emotion.

This study doesn't limit working environment to VDT environment, but considers the universal working environment acquiring information by eyesight stimulation. In this respect, designed and made is experimental equipment such as an external light for veiling reflection, visual target suggesting system, and visual target considered luminance contrast level. And reading the visual target is selected as work after excerpting the editorials from daily newspapers in Korean and Chinese letter and making target for experimental condition. In case of forming an abnormal veiling reflection we consider the form; a vertical (25%, 50%, 75%)and a horizontal (25%, 50%, 75%). The results from the subjective evaluation are analyzed by SD (Semantic Differential) methodology of 5 point scale for visibility and nuisance when an abnormal veiling reflection forms on target. In addition, the results of the objective evaluation are suggested by measuring and analyzing EEG (Electroencephalogram) of bio-signal for visual sensitivity.

The results of this study can apply to basic data which create a guideline of a visual operation. In particular, it can be designed as an illumination environment concerning an ergonomic factor on visual operations, mental stress such as a visual inspection operation, visual information search operation, etc. As a result, we can expect to reduce the visual nuisance and contribute to the improvement of the performance and the uplift of the competitive power.
Human Factors Guidance for Control Room Evaluation
Authors: O'Hara John , Brown William , Stubler William , Higgins James , Wachtel Jerry , Persensky J.J.
Published: January 2012

The Human-System Interface Design Review Guideline (NUREG-0700, Revision 1) was developed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide human factors guidance as a basis for the review of advanced human-system interface technologies. The guidance consists of three components: design review procedures, human factors engineering guidelines, and a software application to provide design review support called the “Design Review Guideline.” Since it was published in June 1996, Rev. 1 to NUREG-0700 has been used successfully by NRC staff, contractors and nuclear industry organizations, as well as by interested organizations outside the nuclear industry. The NRC has committed to the periodic update and improvement of the guidance to ensure that it remains a state-of-the-art design evaluation tool in the face of emerging and rapidly changing technology. This paper addresses the current research to update of NUREG-0700 based on the substantial work that has taken place since the publication of Revision 1.
Work Safety of Release Workers on Farms-an Analysis of a Release-Worker Provision Ring
Authors: Lahin Pia
Published: January 2012

Due to the recent restracturing development in agriculture in Finland, the number of keeping cattle, as well as the number of agricultural release workers has diminished. The number of occupational injuries and illnesses involving release workers has, however, remained unchanged. In this case study the farmers and release workers in one municipality were asked as to what obstacles and preconditions they felt there were as regards the improvement of work safety of release workers on the farms. The main points raised were the following: (i) when a release worker arrives on the farm enough time should be set aside for induction, (ii) the need for feedback discussion between the release worker and the farmer at the end of the job, (iii) the costs of remedial measures, and (iv) the question of farmers getting so used to the shortcomings on their farm that they become blind to them. The centralisation of the release-worker provision activity to rings formed by neighbouring farms reduced the risk of injuries as then the working conditions on the farms became familiar to the release worker.
Stress-Strain-Analysis of Grapevine Pruning with Powered and Non-Powered Hand Tools
Authors: Wakula Jurij , Beckmann Thomas , Hett Michael , Landau Kurt
Published: January 2012

Non-power and power cutting hand tools are mainly used every day in vineyards for grapevines pruning during 5 months (November - March). The grapevines pruning with the help of non-power tools is very stressful for wine growers. Repetitive movements combined with external forces in finger-hand-wrist-system, extreme positions in arm-shoulder-system, climate condition are some of the stress factors. Grapevines pruning with 5 manual prunes produced by 3 different manufacture and 2 power hand tools (electrically and pneumatically) were analysed. The results reveal that grapevines pruning with pneumatic and electric prunes is up to 30% more effective (according to productivity) than cutting with non-powered hand tools. At the same time is grapevines cutting with power tools more stressful as with non-powered one.
Evaluation of an Experimental Testing System for Non-Powered Hand Tools
Authors: Niemelä Tanja , Leppänen Markku , Päivinen Minna , Mattila Markku
Published: January 2012

During the Eurohandtool Project an experimental testing system for non-powered hand tools was developed for laboratory testing. With this system, it is possible to measure simultaneously (1) the EMG activity of two muscles, (2) the opening angle of hand tool blades by means of a potentiometer and, (3) by means of strain gages, the force transmitted to the handle. The first part of evaluation of the system was to determine its time of warming-up, reliability, linearity and repeatability. This paper concentrates on the second part, during which the aim was to test the measurement system by comparing the forces needed to cut wood of a certain diameter, and the actual force required, as measured by a material-testing system. The correlation between forearm flexor muscle activity and the compression force created by the user was investigated. The evaluation of experimental testing system for non-powered hand tools has shown that there are methods to measure force demand, opening angle and EMG-activity simultaneously. However, it is recommended to make some improvements before this measurement system can be taken into widespread use.
Situation Analysis of Occupational Safety and Health in Small-Scale Sugarcane Processing Establishments in Kenya
Authors: Mutuli D.A. , Onyoyo H. A. , Makhonge P.W.
Published: January 2012

In both the agricultural and industrial sectors, working conditions of the workers are far from satisfactory leading to excessive drudgery and a host of occupational injuries and accidents. Workers are forced to endure working environments that lack any consideration in aspects of occupational health, safety and comfort. About 60 per cent of the employed people in Kenya are in small-scale industries. The sugar industry in Kenya has seventy-one (71) small-scale sugarcane processing establishments scattered throughout the Sugar Belt employing labour-intensive techniques and providing essential employment to the rural people. The work environment is unsatisfactory and management is often unaware of the poor working conditions and the types of improvements that can enhance productivity. Given the important role played by these establishments in the rural economy, a qualitative study of these establishments was undertaken with a view to mapping out the occupational safety and health problems afflicting them. This paper, therefore, attempts to analyse the situation and thereby chart out a strategy for improvement designed to enhance productivity while improving safety and health. It concludes by proposing an awareness campaign targeted specifically to the small-scale manufacturing establishments on the importance of occupational safety and health together with the setting up of a scholarship scheme to assist these establishments gain access to the awareness campaigns currently going on in the country.
Perceived Urgency in Speech Warnings
Authors: Weedon B. , Hellier E. , Edworthy J. , Walters K.
Published: January 2012

Two experiments are reported that investigate the effects of acoustics and semantics in verbal warnings. In the first experiment subjects rated the urgency of warning signal words spoken in different presentation styles (URGENT, NON-URGENT, MONOTONE). Significant differences in urgency ratings were found between presentation styles. Acoustic analysis revealed how acoustic parameters differed within these different presentation styles. These acoustic measurements were used to construct synthesised speech warnings that differed in urgency. They were rated in experiment 2 and the predicted differences between the urgency of the words were found. These studies indicate that urgency in natural speech is produced by alterations in a few acoustic parameters and that these alterations can easily be incorporated into synthetic speech to reproduce variations in urgency.
The Effect of Vocal Alarms on Operator Mistrust
Authors: Bliss James P. , Kilpatrick Freida
Published: January 2012

The use of alarms has increased in many operational areas because of increased reliance on automation and the duty to warn about system anomalies. Past research has supported the use of verbal alarms for relaying complex information. However, researchers have not considered the impact of vocal alarms on operator trust. In this research, 56 participants reacted to auditory alarms while performing a complex primary task. Half of the participants experienced vocal alarms, and the others experienced nonvocal alarms. Contrary to expectations, we noted that participants reacted to nonverbal alarms more quickly than verbal alarms. Furthermore, participants responded to verbal alarms more often than verbal alarms. We also noted that verbal alarms interfered with the primary task more than nonverbal alarms. We suggest that alarm designers alter verbal alarm onset algorithms during high operator workload.
The Niche Hypothesis: Implications for Auditory Display Design
Authors: Ballas James A.
Published: January 2012

Bernie Krause has hypothesized that “each creature appears to have its own sonic niche (channel, or space) in the frequency spectrum and/or time slot occupied by no other at that particular moment.” (Krause, 1987). The implication of this hypothesis is that good sound design should produce sounds that have unique spectral properties for a particular context. The semantics of the context also needs to be considered. However, this principal is difficult to satisfy because inexpensive sound generating devices have very limited (and primitive) audio capability.
Making a Business Case for the Human Factors Programs in Aviation Maintenance
Authors: Patankar Manoj S. , Taylor James C.
Published: January 2012

A growing challenge to the developers of human factors training programs today is that of financial justification. Most aviation maintenance personnel in the airline industry are aware of human factors issues; however, supervisors and managers continue to be challenged to make a business case for their human factors programs. This paper presents a model for the development of an integrated human factors business plan with return-on-investment calculations. Organizations that have already conducted the training, will find the return-on-investment calculations useful to measure the financial success of their training efforts.
Human Factors Research at the OECD Halden Reactor Project into the 21st Century
Authors: Holmstroem Conny O. , Green Mark
Published: January 2012

The OECD Halden Reactor Project is a joint undertaking of national nuclear organisations from 20 countries, who together sponsor a research programme under the auspices of the OECD - Nuclear Energy Agency. One of the Projects important research areas addresses human factors in control room design and operation. The simulator-based Halden Man-Machine Laboratory (HAMMLAB) has, since its establishment in 1983, been the main facility for conducting research in this area. It's objective is to provide knowledge for improving today's control rooms, through the introduction and evaluation of computer-based solutions for effective and safe control of the plant, across all process conditions. The laboratory facility will be introduced and the recent major upgrades, involving moving from one nuclear simulator to three full-scale simulators, plus an oil production platform simulator described. The aim of the human factors research programme itself is to provide knowledge about the capabilities and limitations of the human operators within a control room environment. Understanding the impact of new technology on operating personnel is crucial in decision-making concerning safety and efficiency for nuclear power plants. The Halden Project's new three year research programme in this area includes many aspects of human performance. The main elements of this programme will be briefly described in order to provide an overview of the breadth of the research topics currently of interest to the Projects 100 participating nuclear organisations.
Real-Time Human Performance Reliability Assessment
Authors: Kolarik William J. , Woldstad Jeffrey C. , Lu Shuxia
Published: January 2012

This paper describes a real-time conditional human reliability model constructed to predict the likelihood of human performance metrics exceeding critical boundaries in a future time interval. The model is implemented by collecting real-time data from selected performance measures, modeling and forecasting these measures, and then converting the forecast results into reliability measures. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model, a prototype software package has been developed and tested for a simple movement task.
Promoting Employment Opportunities for Older Adults: Opportunities and Chanllenges for Human Factor Engineering
Authors: Czaja Sara J.
Published: January 2012

Current demographic trends underscore the need to focus increased attention on the topic of aging and work. By the year 2030, the number of people aged 65+ years will represent 18% of the population, at the same time that the population of the overall workforce is aging. It is estimated that the annual growth rate of workers over the age of 55 will increase by approximately 4% by 2006. Further, given that people are living longer many older adults are choosing to work longer or rejoin the labor force in pursuit of second career. Thus, this is a need to develop strategies to successfully integrate older people into employment settings. The development of these types of strategies is a natural application area for Human Factors Engineering. This paper will discuss the implications of the aging process for work activities. Potential areas of needed research within the areas of Human Factors will be outlined.
Providing Environmental Support Through the Use of a Visual Channel
Authors: Campbell Regan H. , Rogers Wendy A. , Fisk Arthur D.
Published: January 2012

Many studies have shown that individuals experience more communication difficulties as they age, and that older adults rely on the visual modality to compensate for these difficulties. Therefore, the addition of a visual channel to a pre-existing audio channel could mitigate some of the communication difficulties experienced by older adults. Currently, the use of this video-mediated communication can be found in telemedicine settings. This research was designed to investigate the potential benefits of visual information for younger and older adults when performing an instruction following task in a telemedicine setting. The task was to load a medication organizer. The dependent variables were the time to complete the task, the accuracy of performance, memory for the medication regimen, and subjective mental workload. Results revealed benefits for the video channel in both age groups. However, the benefits were evident only for memory and workload measures, not for task performance. This study is an important contributor to psychological and telemedicine research because it operationalized the construct of environmental support and helped to specify the tasks that can be done using telemedicine technology.
Interaction of Workplace Environment with Worker Demographics and Perceptions in Croatia
Authors: Kaliterna Ljiljana , Larsen Zvjezdana Prizmić , Brkljaĉić Tihana
Published: January 2012

The aim of the study was to investigate chronological and subjective age and gender differences in terms of the physical, mental and social demands of work. Subjects, 88 women and 25 men, were workers in a medical setting who completed the Survey of Health Care Professionals. Subjects' reports of effort required by their work, tiredness resulting from their work, and personal skills needed to complete their work were used to assess the physical, mental and social demands of work. Subjective age measures included cognitive age, desired age and comparative age. Results showed that, compared to men, women reported being more tense as a result of the work. Age differences were found in the physical and mental skills required by the work, and older workers had lower estimates of their own skills than younger workers. In addition, the three measures of subjective age showed different patterns of relationships with aspects of work demands.
Development of a Shopping Service System for the Elderly Using the Nextinfo® Phone Service System
Authors: Hautala T , Kivelä E-M , Tornberg V , Prykäri T , Määttä T , Saajanto E
Published: January 2012

The aim of this research and development project was to develop a telematic application of an automatic phone shopping service system for the elderly. During a two-week field test, twenty-six clients of the social and health care department of the City of Oulu (mean age 78) used the phone service system at home to order their daily groceries. Technically, the phone service system was good. 67% of the elderly evaluated themselves as capable of using the system independently. Some of the elderly said that they would not be able to use the system independently, and some felt they would need more practice to use it, while the others had problems to use the system because of the health reasons, such as post-stroke condition.
A Study of the Intellectual Ability of the Aged - The Relationship between the Degree of Difficulty and Performance -
Authors: Nishiguchi Hiromi , Saito Murako
Published: January 2012

In this study, the intellectual ability of the aged was measured and the relationship between the degree of difficulty and performance of tasks comparatively assessed with the results for younger people. The aged group showed lower performance in both the “rate of achievement” and the “rate of correct answers” given. However, the “rate of correct answers” with the “verbal language comprehension” test in the aged dropped significantly less as the degree of difficulty increased than with the younger group.
Evaluation of Supportive Environments for Older: Nursing Homes in Florianópolis, Brazil
Authors: Ely Vera Helena Moro Bins , Cavalcanti Patricia Biasi
Published: January 2012

Evaluation of supportive environments for older proved that design solutions aiming to improve physical necessities are the ones mostly and easily attempted. To reach good architectonic solutions to improve informational and social necessities it is necessary to understand how design decisions may increase orientation, perception and understanding of the building and enhance social activities.
Posted Warnings, Compliance, and Behavioral Intent
Authors: Smith-Jackson Tonya , Durakq Tolga
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine behavioral compliance with posted warnings varying in design features. Thirty-seven participants performed a chemical mixing task in an environment with no posted warning, a text-only warning, or a warning consisting of design components identified in the warnings literature (i.e., signal word, alert symbol, color). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three direct experience sign conditions. Participants also provided ratings of behavioral intent in conditions involving written scenarios and photographs of the task setting. Although eleven of the participants wore either gloves or goggles or both, none of the participants in the sign conditions looked at the posted warning signs. Ratings of behavioral intent in response to written scenarios revealed significant effects of sign type, and significant differences between ratings of self and ratings of others. Factors relating to research design and sample selection as well as implications for future compliance research are discussed.
Understanding Excellence in Complex, Dynamic Medical Systems
Authors: Carthey Jane , de Leval Marc R. , Reason James T.
Published: January 2012

Human factors research in medicine typically focuses on understanding and controlling those factors which lead to adverse events. However, it is also important to understand the factors that lead to excellence in complex, dynamic medical systems so that clinicians can learn from ‘what goes right’ as well as ‘what goes wrong.’ This paper discusses the application of a framework of surgical excellence, developed from a multi-center UK study on human factors and the outcomes of the arterial switch operation (ASO), to other medical domains (cardiac intensive care unit and hematology/oncology ward).
Redesign of a Qwerty Keyboard Embedded in an Ultrasound Console
Authors: Baeck Aline , McCabe Larry , Militello Laura
Published: January 2012

A critical issue when designing a new ultrasound system is the design of the QWERTY keyboard, which is incorporated into the ultrasound console. The introduction by Acuson of a new system with improved imaging capabilities and an emphasis on the close proximity of frequently used controls was well-received by users. However, as part of Acuson's interest in continuous improvement of the user interface, feedback from field staff identified the QWERTY as having potential for improvement. This paper describes the issues explored in redesigning the QWERTY, an evaluation study to assess the benefits of potential redesign solutions, and the eventual solution implemented. Anecdotal evidence from our customers and field staff indicate a very positive response to the new QWERTY.