bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Efficiency of Checklists Used to Assess Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders
Authors: Albin Thomas J.
Published: October 2013

Checklists are commonly used to identify jobs considered at-risk for musculoskeletal disorders and to prioritize the identified jobs with regard to remediation. Often an objective criterion for determining the checklist score that indicates a job is at-risk is not known. A poorly drawn criterion score may cause a checklist to perform less effectively at identifying at-risk jobs than guessing. This paper describes a method to objectively determine a minimum score necessary to correctly identify at-risk jobs that is better than randomly guessing. The method incorporates prevalence into the determination of the probability that a positive checklist score truly indicates an at-risk job.
Keeping Up With The Joneses
Authors: Hong Kyung Wha , Kelley Christopher M. , Tembe Rucha , Murphy-Hill Emerson , Mayhorn Christopher B.
Published: October 2013

Most prior research on preventing phishing attacks focuses on technology to identify and prevent the delivery of phishing emails. The current study supports an ongoing effort to develop a user-profile that predicts when phishing attacks will be successful. We sought to identify the behavioral, cognitive and perceptual attributes that make some individuals more vulnerable to phishing attack than others. Fifty-three participants responded to a number of self-report measures ( e.g., dispositional trust) and completed the ‘Bob Jones’ email task that was designed to empirically evaluate phishing susceptibility. Over 92% of participants were to some extent vulnerable to phishing attacks. Additionally, individual differences in gender, trust, and personality were associated with phishing vulnerability. Application and implications for future research are discussed.
How to Successfully Execute Remote Online User Research
Authors: Santiago Eugenio , Resnick Marc L.
Published: October 2013

There are many techniques used in practice to investigate user interaction with web sites, often with the objectives of better understanding the user and of improving the design. This paper presents three methods that target a variety of objectives with complementary strengths and weaknesses. The purpose is not to encompass the wide scope of methods that are available to practitioners, but rather to demonstrate one complementary set that has proven useful for conducting online user research. The three methods described are Prototype Testing, True Intent, and Competitive Assessment. The descriptions outline some of the major issues for implementing the methods. The insights are based on an organization’s use of poststudy quality assessment to continuously improve and build on its remote online user research methods.
The Impact of Advertising Location and User Task on The Emergence of Banner Ad Blindness
Authors: Resnick Marc L. , Albert William
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this study was to explore the emergence of ad banner blindness in the viewing of ecommerce home pages. By using an eye-tracking methodology, the study supported a more granular analysis of user behavior. Building on the literature on inattention blindness and banner blindness, we assess the gaze path of users in goal-directed and free-viewing tasks when viewing pages with advertising banners on the right side of the page or on the top of the page above the main navigation menu. The results support existing literature that banner blindness is strongest for advertising banners on the right side of the page and for goal-directed tasks. The eye-tracking results provide new insight into the cognitive principles underlying these differences.
Sustainability policies and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Authors: Bolis Ivan , Morioka Sandra N. , Brunoro Claudio M. , Sznelwar Laerte I.
Published: October 2013

The growing importance of sustainability in corporate policies represents a great opportunity for workers to gain more consideration, with great benefits to their well being. Sustainable work is believed to be one which improves the organization’s performance and fosters professional development as well as workers’ health. In a multiple case study based on document research, information was sought about work activities and their sustainability or CSR policies, as disseminated by corporations. All the companies devoted attention to work activities and delivered a good amount of information about them. Nevertheless, the information presented was generic; all the actions developed were top-down and there was no information about the impact of changes aimed at sustainability on the workers’ activities. It was found that the companies seemed to be at an early stage. In the future, they need to show more commitment through concrete goals: they must be aware that workers contribute directly to the corporations’ sustainability. This would allow room for Ergonomics and Work Psychodynamics to be incorporated and to be useful for both companies and society, so as to promote and ensure work sustainability.
Music as an Auditory Display
Authors: Ho Anson , Burns Catherine
Published: October 2013

Currently, there are very few guidelines on parameters needed to create an effective auditory display. Auditory displays can be intrusive and may not be used effectively if they are poorly designed. However, music is often in our environments as ambient noise and, instead of being intrusive, can be perceived as making the environment calmer and more productive. We present the initial steps of exploring the option of using music as a medium to develop an auditory display capable of conveying normal state information and warning information. An important feature that may impact the effectiveness of auditory warnings is perceived urgency: the impression of urgency that a sound evokes on a listener. To explore whether music could convey urgency as needed for auditory warnings, we evaluated four different musical phrases that varied in time and key signature as a method of measuring the effects of mode and tempo on perceived urgency. The effectiveness of the study was tested with twenty subjects split into a two by two factorial design: gender (male vs. female) and musical experience (experienced vs. non-experienced). The applications of this research can help develop concrete guidelines when designing effective auditory displays in order to improve users’ performance when dealing with complex interfaces.
Visual and Cognitive Predictors of Visual Enhancement in Noisy Listening Conditions
Authors: Jansen Samantha , Chaparro Alex , Downs David , Palmer Evan , Keebler Joseph
Published: October 2013

Researchers have demonstrated that visual and auditory cues interact, improving speech intelligibility under noisy listening conditions. For instance, recent findings demonstrated that simulated cataracts hinder the ability of listeners to utilize visual cues to understand (i.e., speechread) televised speech sentences. The purpose of this study was to determine which measures of visual, auditory, and cognitive performance predicted participants’ ability to speechread televised spoken messages in the presence of background babble. Specifically, 30 young adults with normal visual acuity and hearing sensitivity completed a battery of visual, auditory, and cognitive assessments. Speech intelligibility was tested under two conditions: auditory-only with no visual input and auditory-visual with normal viewing. Speech intelligibility scores were used to calculate average visual enhancement, or the average benefit participants gained from viewing visual information in addition to auditory information. Regression analyses demonstrated that the best predictors of visual enhancement were measures of contrast sensitivity and executive functioning, including the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and Trail Making Test, part B. These results suggest that audiovisual speech integration is dependent on both low-level sensory information and high-level cognitive processes, particularly those associated with executive functioning.
Visual, Tactile, and Bimodal Presentation of Lateral Drift in Simulated Helicopter
Authors: Oskarsson Per-Anders , Lif Patrik , Hedström Johan , Andersson Peter , Lindahl Björn , Tullberg Anna
Published: October 2013

Helicopter landing and take-off in degraded visibility caused by blowing sand or dust (brown-out) may distort the pilot’s comprehension of the helicopter’s position. This is a serious problem that may lead to unattended lateral drift or descending rate. We have previously shown advantages of redundant tactile and multimodal information a simulated combat vehicle. In order to investigate if lateral drift in a helicopter can be reduced by use of a drift display an experiment with a simulated helicopter was performed. Three types of drift displays were tested: visual, tactile, and bimodal display and compared with the primary display that did not present lateral drift. Compared with the primary display lateral drift was reduced with all three drift display configurations. This indicates the value of a drift display in the helicopter and the possibilities of disengaging the pilot’s vision for parallel tasks by the use of tactile or bimodal drift displays.
Does This Robot Make Me Look Smart? How the Addition of a Robotic Pet Influences First Impressions
Authors: Halse Shane E. , Lum Heather C. , Sims Valerie K. , Winkelbauer Christine A. , Harris Megan A.
Published: October 2013

The current study examined whether the addition of either a robotic cat or a robotic dog to the picture of a male or female model, could affect the participants first impressions of the model. The participants were directed to a website and randomly assigned to a picture. Next, they answered a survey related to their perceptions of the model. Individual differences including participant gender, entity type, and response on robot attitudes scale were found. The results indicate that the items around or with us can be particularly important in public and social settings where first impressions can be the only ones a person gets to make.
Usability and Performance of Tablet Keyboards
Authors: Chaparro Barbara S. , Phan Mikki H. , Jardina Jo R.
Published: October 2013

This study was an evaluation of typing performance and user satisfaction of three tablet keyboards: Surface TouchCover Keyboard, Surface Onscreen Keyboard, and iPad Onscreen Keyboard. Results show that participants typed faster with the Surface TouchCover Keyboard, but also committed more typing errors (e.g., unintended omission of letters and spaces). Users liked the TouchCover standard keyboard layout, but not the lack of sensitivity of the flat keyboard. The results from this study indicate the advantages of a physical keyboard with a standard layout for tablet usage over an onscreen keyboard.
Ecological Interface Design of a Photo Camera Display
Authors: Mazaeva Natalia , Bisantz Ann M.
Published: October 2013

Ecological Interface Design (EID) is a framework for designing computer displays that has been applied predominantly to desktop displays. Extensibility of the framework to small format displays (defined by small physical dimensions of height and width) remains to be demonstrated through design and evaluation. This paper illustrates a specific design approach to the design of small format ecological displays as well as the process of the design, for a tractable but complex system: a manual photo camera. Small format displays present challenges for showing information in parallel. To meet this challenge, two methods based on elements of the EID framework were developed and used to integrate information so that it could be condensed to fit on small displays: one based on system functional relationships and one based on task requirements. The abstraction hierarchy model (AH) was used to guide integration of the system functional information. Requirements drawn from the decision ladder model (DL) were used to guide integration based on task requirements. The detailed description of the design approach and process provided here should help designers create small format ecological displays.
The Impact of Transmission Delays on Mission Control-Space Crew Communication
Authors: Fischer Ute , Mosier Kathleen , Orasanu Judith
Published: October 2013

During long duration missions space-ground communications will involve delays up to 20 minutes one way, a reality that poses a formidable challenge to team communication and task performance. In the present research we examined how transmission delays impacted the interactions between mission controllers and space crews during routine and off-nominal tasks. Method: Four teams of NASA flight controllers and astronauts participated in a space simulation study involving two 2-hour scenarios with transmission delays of 50 sec and 300 sec. Audio-recordings of space - ground communications were transcribed and their structure (turn taking and sequence) and content examined; specifically, whether speakers identified addressees or themselves, and whether listeners confirmed their understanding. Results and Discussion: Transmission delays disrupted the structure of space-ground communications as contributions by flight controllers and astronauts overlapped or were out of sequence. Space crewmembers and flight controllers did not consistently mark the end of their turn; however, our findings suggest that they were more likely to do so under the longer transmission delay. Omissions of identifiers and inadequate listener feedback were observed under both delay conditions. Strategies supportive of grounding processes were also identified.
The Impact of Sudden Events and Spatial Configuration on the Benefits of Prior Information to Situation Awareness and Performance
Authors: Parush Avi , Rustanjaja Nadya
Published: October 2013

Having task-relevant information prior to performing the task can improve performance and situation awareness. This study examined the impact of spatial complexity (apartment vs. office buildings) and the presence of sudden events on the benefits of having information prior to fighting fire in a burning building. Performance of an urban firefighting team (finding victims) and situation awareness (SA) were measured in a lab simulation study. Findings show that having complete prior information did improve SA, performance was better in the office building, and performance deteriorated after a sudden event. However, an in-depth examination of the findings suggests that characteristics of the spatial configuration and the presence of sudden events influence the benefits of having prior information.
Gestural Control of a Remote Robotic Manipulator
Authors: Harden John W. , Bliss James P. , Dischinger Charles
Published: October 2013

Recent technological developments in motion tracking technology have lowered the price of motioncapture devices to the extent that nearly anyone can accurately model the dimensions and movement of the human body. The system described herein was the result of an attempt to capitalize on the aforementioned low-cost motion-capture technology to develop an accurate human-robot interface which relies on translating natural forelimb movement into servo actuation commands to control a robotic arm. Given that most endeavors into robotics are interdisciplinary, this work incorporates input from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and human-robot interface design. This system was specifically designed, in cooperation with NASA, to be used by an operator in a low-gravity environment, but the number of possible applications are substantial. These applications include, but are not limited to, military explosive ordnance disposal, remote maintenance in hostile environments, and safe exploration into hazardous environments.
Online Training for Resilient Communication during Shift Change Handovers
Authors: Patterson Emily S. , Weiss Chad , Woods Zachary , Mount-Campbell Austin F. , Rayo Michael J.
Published: October 2013

Numerous training interventions on patient handoffs have been initiated in the last few years, in part to meet new residency program accreditation requirements. Most of these programs focus on increasing the structure, comprehensiveness, and accuracy of the information conveyed by the outgoing clinician in either verbal or written format. Our team has developed online training that can augment these programs with how to foster resilient communication that increases overall system resilience, and thus reduces unintended patient harm. It is anticipated that improving communication competencies with resilient strategies during real-time verbal exchanges conducted at the shift change will increase the likelihood of detecting and addressing erroneous diagnostic assessments, prognoses, and inappropriate elements of treatment plans.
User Perceptions of Facebook Games
Authors: Phan Mikki H. , Chaparro Barbara S.
Published: October 2013

The popularity of social network sites have helped build and popularize the social (network) game genre. Presently, there are reports that social games are still growing in the established video game industry. This study focused on a giant sector of social games, that is, Facebook games. Particularly, the main goal of this study was to assess the general attitude, habit, and behavior of people who currently or previously played Facebook games. Of the 287 who completed the survey on Facebook games, over 70% indicated that they no longer play games on Facebook (i.e., past Facebook gamers). Respondents reported that the main reasons they stopped playing a Facebook game was due to being bored with the game, the game was too time-consuming, and real-world money and more friends were needed for the game to be fun. When asked what features would be associated with the “ideal” Facebook game, many indicated features such as fast loading time, good graphics, game rewards, and an option to play the game without needing real-world money.
The Impact of Aesthetic Design on Bus Shelter Usability
Authors: Crouch James , Lee Michael , Carswell C. Melody , Patrick Tyler , Seidelman Will , Sublette Michelle
Published: October 2013

Public transportation is an important tool for any city with the population to support it. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) (2012), between 1995 and 2011, public transportation ridership increased by 34%—a growth rate higher than the 17% increase in U.S. population and higher than the 22% growth in the use of the nation’s highways over the same period. However, even a city with the population to support public transportation will not receive all of its benefits if the implementation is not handled successfully. One requirement for bus transit is that the system be equipped with shelters having minimally the following features: support, visibility, security and information access (Ely, 1998). A field study was conducted to ascertain the impact of these design elements as well as aesthetic pleasantness on users’ perceptions of the shelters. Ultimately, our goal is to implement future results in the creation of a needs-based heuristic framework which will aid designers in the formation of functional bus shelters.
Development and Usability Testing of an Online Tool for Intraoperative Assessment of Surgical Residents
Authors: Flinn J. T. , Miller A. , Galloway M. , Lin K. , Watson K. , Hellan M. , Woods R. , Cao C. G. L.
Published: October 2013

Formal intraoperative assessments of surgical residents are often completed with pencil-and-paper forms, leading to a low rate of compliance with residency program guidelines. An online tool was developed for the evaluation of residents by attending physicians in the OR. Usability testing was conducted using two groups of users, one expert and the other naïve, using a newly developed variant of rapid iterative testing methodology called DONE-RITE. The tool was developed and refined over a series of rapid iterations where user interface and domain-specific usability issues were addressed by the naïve and expert user groups, respectively. The end result was the quick development of the online tool, which the expert users agreed was convenient to use in the OR and was likely to improve compliance with resident assessment guidelines.
Increasing Patient Compliance and Satisfaction With Physical Therapy Web-Based Applications
Authors: Ellis Katrina M. , Norman Chad , Van der Merwe Alex , Jeon Myounghoon
Published: October 2013

Performing independent exercises after clinical visits are crucial for patients recovering from injury. However, patients often fail to comply with physical therapist prescriptions due to lack of time and lack of appropriate feedback. The present study investigated the current medium used for prescribed exercises and compared it to mediums used in web-based applications. In Phase I, we surveyed thirteen practicing physical therapists and twenty-two patients of physical therapy. Responses suggested that video instruction of exercises and video-conference meetings between clinic visits would be beneficial to patient rehabilitation. In Phase II, with fifty-eight undergraduate participants, we examined the influence of self-efficacy and format of instructional materials on willingness to comply, satisfaction with information, and anxiety related to completing rehabilitation. We found that video with text instructions were most satisfying to students. Results are discussed with limitations of the present study and future works.
General Self-Reported Health as it Relates to Self-Esteem, Situational Self-Efficacy and Coping among Soldiers
Authors: Boykin Gary L. , Rice Valerie J. B.
Published: October 2013

As an indicator of broad-spectrum health, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance scales frequently use a single question on general self-reported health (GSRH). However, little information exists on whether a single question of GSRH is related to indices of a person’s mental health. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between GSRH and indices of self-esteem, self-efficacy and coping. During their first two weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT), 579 US Army Health Care Specialist Trainees completed demographic and self-report data, including GSRH, the Revised Ways of Coping Checklist (RWCCL), the Situational Self-Efficacy Scale (SSE), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES). Spearman Rho correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data with Stata statistical software (StataCorp, 2005). GSRH was positively correlated with SSE, the SES, and problem focused and social support seeking methods of coping, (p < .05). GSRH was negatively correlated with blaming self, wishful thinking, and avoidance methods of coping (p < .05). Results indicate that, among active duty service members attending medical AIT, a single question on general selfreported health appears to be a good representation of a persons’ perception of his or her self-esteem, selfefficacy and coping skills.
How Well Do People Rate Their Performance With Different Cursor Settings?
Authors: David Tasha Y. , Peres S. Camille , Harper Christy
Published: October 2013

Users have many different reasons to choose one product over another and may not be fully aware of why. Understanding these reasons could help Human Factors professionals enhance the user experience by influencing design. In this study, we compared users’ subjective ratings of their performances to their actual performances to examine their ability to evaluate their performance during a point and click task using a clickpad. We used seven notebook computers and adjusted the cursor speeds in the control panel. The experimental design is within subjects with two within-group cursor speed conditions, slow and fast. Results indicate that participants are not able to accurately rank their performance on this task.
Effects of Age and Gender Stereotypes on Trust in an Anthropomorphic Decision Aid
Authors: Bass Brock , Goodwin Meghan , Brennan Kayla , Pak Richard , McLaughlin Anne
Published: October 2013

Stereotypes are beliefs about the capabilities of another group. Previous research indicates stereotypes can affect how users interact with anthropomorphic computer aids. User perception can be affected by gender and age stereotypes elicited by the appearance of the computer system. Other research has shown that perceptions of automation (e.g., implicit ones such as propensity to trust automation, or perceptions of etiquette) interact with reliability to influence automation trust behavior. The current study built upon these ideas to examine whether implicit beliefs (i.e., stereotypes) about the perceived age and gender of automation interacted with reliability to affect perceptions of trust in automation. We employed a factorial survey where we presented scenarios of automation to younger adults. The anthropomorphized automation had a perceived age and gender, and was stated to be variably reliable.
Effects of Level of Model Control for Implicit Learning of Decision Support Systems
Authors: Covas-Smith Christine M. , Patterson Robert E. , Kunkle Christina L. , Tripp Lisa M.
Published: October 2013

In highly complex, dynamic environments human decision making abilities can be overwhelmed by exceptionally large amounts of data and inherent uncertainty. Under these circumstances, decision support tools can significantly enhance human decision making. This experiment investigated the effect of level of model control on the development of expertise with a decision support tool through implicit learning. Two groups of participants used the decision support tool with different levels of model control (i.e., number of variables the participants are able to manipulate) across twelve training and three test sessions. Results indicated that participants learned to interact with the model for both levels of control. Participants were able to implicitly learn the interactions with no feedback and minimal instruction on the interdependencies present within the decision support model.
Evaluation of the Presence of a Face Search Advantage in Chernoff Faces
Authors: Sivagnanasundaram Navaneethan , Chaparro Alex , Palmer Evan
Published: October 2013

Chernoff faces (Chernoff, 1973) are an early attempt at large scale multivariate data representation and are based on underlying assumptions that have not been empirically tested. This study investigated i) whether data coded as Chernoff faces benefit from face perception, and ii) whether each feature of a Chernoff face is equally salient. We tested four pairs of oppositely coded Chernoff faces (e.g. smile, frown) in an oddball search paradigm with set sizes of 5, 10 and 15. To evaluate whether face perception aided search, we used a control condition with inverted faces, a manipulation known to diminish holistic face processing. Equivalent search efficiencies for upright and inverted Chernoff faces demonstrates that they do not receive any significant benefit from face perception. Additionally, none of the features tested together produced significantly different search efficiencies from one another. It also appears that overall Chernoff faces do not allow for particularly efficient visual search.
Touch Screen Devices and the Effectiveness of User Interface Methods
Authors: Jennings Anthony , Ryser Spencer , Drews Frank
Published: October 2013

This study was designed to examine how several methods for completing tasks (such as scrolling and zooming) differ when using touch screen devices. The goal of this research is to identify which methods produce the least amount of errors, and require the shortest amount of time when trying to accomplish a task. The study also aims to answer whether certain methods are better suited for different screen sizes (i.e., phone sized screen vs. a tablet sized screen). Results indicated that the phone sized device allowed users to complete all tasks more quickly but required greater effort to complete the task than the tablet sized device. Certain methods were identified to reduce the amount of time to accomplish a task, produce fewer errors, and reduce the effort required to accomplish a task.
Development of the Two-Dimensional Biomechanical Hand Model for a Guitar Player
Authors: Sung Kiseok , Chang Joonho , Freivalds Andris , Kong Yong-Ku
Published: October 2013

In this study, a two-dimensional biomechanical hand model predicting tendon loads in the fingers during guitar playing was developed. To estimate tendon forces, joint reaction forces, and force reactions against a given fingertip pressure (external force), a static hand model was developed based on the hand anatomy and static equilibrium conditions. Model inputs included 1) adopted existing anthropometry data, 2) fingertip pressures measured while playing the guitar, and 3) measured joint angles on the fingers. The hand model evaluated four chords: C, E, G7, and Am. G7 required the highest internal tendon force (41.0N), and Am (32.8N), E (30.3N), and C (26.6N) followed it. The index finger was mainly recruited for all four chords while the ring finger showed the worst efficiency, using the external force to internal tendon force ratio. Finally, the quick-and-dirty test showed the simulation result had strong correlation ( R2= 65.1 %) with EMG result (C: 22.9%MVC, E: 22.1%, G7: 34.8%, and Am: 34.3%) on the FDP muscle, a main flexor of the finger.
Impact of Visuospatial Characteristics of Video Games on Improvements in Cognitive Abilities
Authors: Choi HeeSun , Lane Sharolyn A.
Published: October 2013

The current study aimed to understand the effects of playing video games on navigation skills, spatial cognitive abilities and speed of processing, and to examine the characteristics of games and training hours impacting video game training. Participants were assigned to one of four groups; First Person Shooter (FPS) game training group, Third Person Shooter (TPS) game training group, Control puzzle game training group, and control non-training group. Participants in training groups played the selected games for 30 hours in total. Performances in maze tasks, spatial attention, mental rotation and speed of processing were measured at four time points (pretraining, post-10 hours, 20 hours and 30 hours training) to investigate improvements over the time. The results showed the FPS game playing and not the TPS or puzzle game playing enhanced visual attention ability at both 20° and 30° eccentricity. This result indicates viewpoints of video game are important characteristics which may impact differently on cognitive ability. However, no significant improvement was found in navigation skills, suggesting playing FPS game may not improve dynamic and larger-scaled spatial abilities beyond spatial attention.
Drivers’ Beliefs, Habits, and Strategies Regarding High Beam Usage
Authors: Fekety Drea K. , Whetsel Stephanie A. , Sewall Ashley Stafford , Tyrrell Richard A.
Published: October 2013

Research suggests that drivers do not fully understand the visual challenges they face when driving at night, and that drivers typically under-use their high beams. Because little is known about what factors influence drivers’ usage of high beams, this study surveyed 202 undergraduates concerning their beliefs, habits, and strategies in choosing beam settings. Participants completed a 29-question survey asking about their general understanding of headlamp usage and roadway safety. These data reflect what drivers learned about beam usage when they were taught to drive and describe the factors that influence drivers’ selection of high and low beams. The data also describe the participants’ estimates of the frequency with which they use high beams, and quantify drivers’ estimates of the distance at which they can see different objects at night. These data offer insight into drivers’ beliefs about headlights, night vision, and safety. These insights are expected to be useful when designing educational interventions to encourage appropriate usage of high beams.
Examining Drivers’ Perception of Internal and External Distracter Risk and Predictors of These Perceptions
Authors: Gentzler Marc D. , Rupp Michael A. , Schmieder Katherine , Nunez Julissa
Published: October 2013

Although a large number of studies have investigated the effects of distracted driving, relatively few studies have examined the drivers’ perspective of distracter risk. Better understanding of this perspective should help in the important development of road safety instruction. The current study expands on previous research assessing drivers’ distracter risk perception by including a larger number of and more detailed distracters overall, as well as the inclusion of personality measures as possible correlates of distracter risk perception. Results demonstrated a wide difference in risk ratings across the 31 distracters, with internal-to-vehicle dis-tracters overall having a higher risk rating than external-to-vehicle distracters. Mental concentration required for the distracter was significantly correlated with average distracter risk, with more mental concentration corresponding to higher risk ratings in general. Individuals who rated higher on external locus of control rated higher on average external-to-vehicle distracter risk, whereas higher sensation seeking individuals rated lower on average external-to-vehicle distracter risk.
Sadder but Wiser? Effects of Negative Emotions on Risk Perception, Driving Performance, and Perceived Workload
Authors: Jeon Myounghoon , Zhang Wei
Published: October 2013

Traditional affect research has frequently used a valence dimension—positive and negative states. However, these approaches have not discriminated the effects of distinct emotions of the same valence. Recent findings have indicated that different emotions may have different impacts even though they belong to the same valence. The current study consists of a simulated driving experiment with two induced affective states to examine how sadness and anger differently influence driving-related risk perception, driving performance, and perceived workload. Thirty two undergraduates drove under three different road conditions with induced sadness, anger, or neutral emotions. Participants in both affect conditions showed significantly more errors than those in the neutral condition. However, only participants with induced anger reported significantly higher perceived workload than participants with neutral. Results are discussed in terms of affect mechanisms and design directions for the in-vehicle emotion regulation system.
Evaluating the Effect of Smart Parking Technology on Campus Parking System Efficiency using Discrete Event Simulation
Authors: Surpris Glenn , Liu Dahai , Vincenzi Dennis
Published: October 2013

This study investigated the effect of smart parking systems (SPS) on parking search times (PST) in large parking lots. SPSs are systems that disseminate parking spot availability to drivers. The parking lot selected for data collection was a university parking lot with 234 spaces. The data collected included arrival rates, departure rates, the geometric properties of the parking lot, preferred parking search strategies, and driving speeds. Arena 13.9, by Rockwell Automation, Inc, was utilized as the modeling software. The base model was built from observed parking search strategies (PSS) of drivers. The model was validated using a t-test for independent samples to compare the PSTs of the base model and actual parking lot. Once the base model was verified and validated, the logic was altered to reflect (PSS) (IV) with real-time parking availability (i.e. simulating the presence of an SPS). The PSTs (DV) for the base and experimental models were compared using a t-test for independent samples. It was found that SPSs reduce PSTs by an average of only 11 seconds over a 2 week period for a single-lot SPS. However, this shows potential for a multi-lot SPS that might save more time and harmful vehicle emissions.
Investigating Workload Measures for Adaptive Training Systems
Authors: Abich Julian , Reinerman-Jones Lauren , Taylor Grant S.
Published: October 2013

Adaptive training systems have the potential to be tremendously beneficial for both trainees and trainers. The greatest challenge in creating adaptive training systems is the development of methods capable of reliably and unobtrusively monitoring the trainee’s cognitive state throughout the training process. Previous research suggests that eye tracking methods may be capable of supporting this requirement. The present study sought to evaluate the use of eye tracking methods across multiple tasks to identify potential limitations for its future implementation in adaptive training systems. The results suggest that, although eye tracking is capable of detecting fluctuations in operator workload related to the performance of tasks requiring focal vision, it is insensitive to workload fluctuations associated with tasks that can be performed using peripheral vision. This limitation must be considered by developers intending to use this technology within adaptive systems.
Physiological Responses to Events during Training
Authors: Hardy Megan , Wiebe Eric N. , Grafsgaard Joseph F. , Boyer Kristy Elizabeth , Lester James C.
Published: October 2013

Understanding the role of physiological responses within the behavioral, cognitive, and affective domains of a training intervention are an important step towards designing augmented adaptive systems that respond to the learner’s cognitive and affective states. Multiple studies have shown that specific affective states are related to learning (Craig, Graesser, Sullins, & Gholson, 2004; Graesser & D’ Mello, 2011; Kort, Reilly, & Picard, 2001). This paper explores trainees’ skin conductance responses to specific behavioral events and theorized cognitive and affective events, and their relationship to learning during a training session within the programming domain. A series of independent samples t-tests revealed that students who exhibited a skin conductance response (SCR) to the behavioral event of compile begins, as well as to affective events of displays of uncertainty, negative feedback, and minimizations of failure had significantly higher learning gain and post-test scores than students who did not exhibit a SCR to these events. These findings provide a step towards understanding the relationship between the physiological measure of skin conductance and affective experiences of the learner in the course of events during a training session, and inform the design of adaptive training and learning systems.
Subjective Fatigue and Performance Variation Correlation During Simulated Driving Tasks
Authors: Liu ShiXu , Yao Shengji , Spence Allan
Published: October 2013

During prolonged driving tasks, fatigue increases and driving performance becomes impaired. To investigate variation of driver fatigue and driving performance, 14 driving simulator test subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to subjectively quantify fatigue levels. Driver fatigue was estimated in several aspects such as ability to drive safely, drowsiness, and physical fatigue symptoms. Quantitative driving performance was evaluated by measuring steering wheel, lateral position, and speed control parameters. The results showed significant increase in subjective driver fatigue and driving performance impairment following simulated driving sessions. Based on questionnaire scores, a driver fatigue indicator was developed. Analysis of this indicator revealed that subjective fatigue increased rapidly during the first 45 minute session, and more gradually during the remaining two sessions. Short breaks between sessions resulted in temporary fatigue recovery. Increased standard deviations for steering wheel rate, lateral velocity, and average speed indicated similar quantitative driving performance impairment. Comparison of subjective scores with standard deviation of acceleration indicates a possible relationship between the increased subjective fatigue and impaired driving performance.
The Influence of Rapid Serial Visual Presentation on Performance in a Video Game
Authors: Proaps Alexandra B. , Bliss James P.
Published: October 2013

The military has investigated the use of hand held devices and video games for training and mission planning. The purpose of this study was to continue previous research investigating the influence of rapid serial information presentation (RSVP) of intelligence reporting on task speed and reading comprehension. Fifty participants moved through a computer game to find a target as quickly as possible based on intelligence reports. There were two presentation styles (RSVP or traditional) and two intelligence formats (content words or full sentences). There were no between group differences in terms of search task performance within the game. Individuals scored higher on reading comprehension tests in the traditional text presentation group when shown content words and individuals in the traditional text presentation group when shown full sentences. We are conducting further analyses to address specific differences in performances and reading comprehension between groups. The results of this study suggest researchers and trainers should continue to investigate rapid serial information presentation to determine if it can be employed during training for multiple types of tasks.
In What Ways Do Natural Gestures Change Perceptions of Virtual Teamwork?
Authors: Hayes Caroline , Drew Daniel , Clayson Ashley , Cheng Xuan
Published: October 2013

The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of how gesturing over shared drawings and artifacts can change the way in which virtual team members communicate and perceive themselves as part of a team. We investigated these questions by asking pairs of traffic engineers to jointly manage traffic incidents (such as a tanker roll-over on a major highway). They communicated using a virtual collaboration interface allowing each member of the pair to communicate with his or her teammate by speaking, drawing and gesturing over a shared electronic map. We asked participant pairs to manage traffic incidents using three different versions of the interface: 1) face-to-face, where participants sat at the same table, 2) separate, where participants were positioned on opposite sides of a wall, and 3) hand images, e.g. same as 2 but with videos of the other’s hands projected on the map. We found that when participants could gesture to their virtual teammates, they felt more connected and reported stronger team behaviors. Most surprisingly, stronger team behaviors were reported with hand images (#3) than face-toface. These results provide important insights for design of future virtual collaboration tools.
Burden of Malnutrition in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Baguio City
Authors: Dominguez Rosemarie J.
Published: October 2013

The objective of this study is to determine prevalence, risk factors, and prognostic impact of malnutrition. Nutritional state was assessed by Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and body mass index (BMI). Risk factors for malnutrition and effect of malnutrition on morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay were analyzed. Prevalence of malnutrition on admission and on discharge was 73%. Risk factors significantly associated with malnutrition were severity of primary diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.26, 5.18], p < .0001), age ( p < .001), and presence of comorbidities (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = [1.13, 2.46], p < .013). Malnourished patients had longer hospital stay (5.1 ± 4.9 days, p < .0001) and higher risk of dying (OR = 6.38, 95% CI = [1.14, 135.80], p < .030), and were more likely to be confined for more than 7 days (OR = 4.20, 95% CI = [1.89, 9.34], p < .001). The study concludes that malnutrition is prevalent on admission and discharge. Malnourished patients are older, suffer more serious disease, and have comorbidities. Complications risk is higher if malnourished.
Emergency Preparedness for Disasters and Crises in the Hotel Industry
Authors: AlBattat Ahmad Rasmi , Mat Som Ahmad Puad
Published: October 2013

Safety and security are the most important issues to tourist while traveling and the first aspect they consider is to be protected from hazards. Emergency planning and preparedness for a crisis are the most significant components of dealing with disasters. Hospitality practitioners noticed a rising number of natural and man-made crises that harm the hospitality industry, regarding its vulnerability to crisis and internal and external hazards. By using secondary data, this study aims to shed some light on this issue, contributing to knowledge and awareness on emergency preparedness for the hospitality industry. Moreover, the study aims to explain the management’s commitment to adopt, develop, and update emergency plans. The results of this study explain that tourism as an international mobile industry must respond to internal and external hazards such as disease movement and terrorist attacks. Marketing safety is important to promote hotels and tourist destinations to the guests and holiday advisors. Hotels have a long history of being a soft target for terrorist attacks, as can be seen in several accidents that have shaken the hotel industry in the past few decades. Hotels invest a lot to install protective techniques, but terrorists are becoming more organized. Practitioners propose disaster management frameworks using several measurements. Recovery from crisis and learning help business retention that minimizes negative impacts and prevent losses. Finally, evaluation and feedback are very important to overcome the hazards and return to normal, as well as adopting new ideas to deal with emergencies. Single- and double-loop organizational learning should benefit proactive preparedness.
Shoulder contact and gas shielding in titanium friction stir welds
Authors: Feng C. R. , Fonda R. W. , Jones H. N.
Published: October 2013

The effects of inadequate shoulder contact and poor gas shielding were examined in friction stir welds of ATI 425 titanium. Welds with varying oxidation induced surface discolorations due to poor gas shielding and varying amounts of shoulder contact were studied to determine the effects of these parameters on the microstructure, microhardness, and three-point bend test properties of the welds. The effects of these parameters and their effects on the mechanical properties of the resultant weld are discussed.
Subgrain growth in presence of nanosized dispersoids in Al–4·5Zn–1Mg alloy
Authors: Eivani A R , Ahmadi S , Zhou J , Duszczyk J
Published: October 2013

In this paper, an analytical model for subgrain growth in the presence of nanosized dispersoids is presented. The growth rate of subgrains is correlated to the mobility of low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and the net driving force for growth. The driving force is considered as the difference between stored energy, being inversely proportional to the average subgrain size, and the Zener drag pressure. A material dependent constant necessary for the determination of the mobility of LAGBs is estimated by fitting the model predictions into the experimental results. Model predictions of the evolution of subgrain sizes with annealing time at different temperatures show that subgrain growth intensifies with increasing annealing temperature. The magnitude of the Zener drag pressure has a predefined effect on the subgrain growth rate. The model predicts that when the PZ/ γs ratio is smaller than 1 μm−1, the Zener drag pressure has an effect on subgrain size and the subgrain growth rate tends to decrease. However, when the PZ/ γs ratio is larger than 1 μm−1, there is a limit beyond which the subgrain size does not increase with increasing annealing time. The limiting subgrain size is a function of the surface boundary energy and Zener drag pressure.