## 2 Literature Review  
### Guidance Systems and Behavioral Changes in Task Execution  
The use of guidance systems in excavator operations clearly affects operator action, leading to improved efficiency and encouraging more decisive, confident action. Providing clear guidance during the task reduces uncertainty, which has a strong influence on how operators behave. This effect can be explained by several well-known theories that connect information, goals, feedback, and mental workload to performance outcomes. Goal-setting theory [8] states that specific, challenging goals improve performance by focusing attention, increasing effort, and encouraging better planning. Also, self-efficacy, i.e., a person's belief in their ability to reach these goals, promotes confidence and bolder decisions [9]. Machine guidance systems used in excavator operations provide precise targets for excavation depth. This clear definition of goals, representing a key part of goal-setting theory, significantly improves operators' focus and confidence in their own actions, leading to a more assertive approach. Also, feedback intervention theory [10] further explains how timely and specific feedback can direct attention and affect performance. Real-time feedback enhances self-efficacy, enabling people to adjust their actions effectively [9]. Machine guidance systems offer this kind of real-time feedback regarding excavation depth, allowing operators to constantly check their progress against the goals. This continuous feedback loop, as described by feedback intervention theory, enables ongoing adjustments, promotes a more assertive approach to the task, and makes the workflow more efficient. This strengthens the operator's belief in their ability to achieve the desired results, further reinforcing confident actions, as goal-setting theory also suggests. In addition, prospect theory [11] helps us understand how uncertainty affects decision-making. It suggests that people tend to avoid risks when they see potential for gain but are more willing to take risks when facing potential losses. In excavation, the clear and reliable information provided through machine guidance can make a task seem like a potential gain. Reducing uncertainty through the use of accurate data on depth and trajectory, these systems may lessen operators' aversion to potential losses, allowing them to work more confidently and efficiently. Operators can focus on achieving the desired outcome instead of worrying about making mistakes, which encourages more assertive actions. Finally, research on automation and human performance that was carried out by [PERSON] and [PERSON] is relevant to understanding the benefits of machine guidance [12]. They argued that while automation can reduce mental workload and improve efficiency, it can also lead to problems like over-reliance and loss of skill if it is not implemented carefully, and they emphasized that successful automation depends on user trust and system transparency. By providing reliable data, the use of machine guidance systems in excavator operations can support decision-making and reduce the mental effort required. This environment, with a lower cognitive load and better situational awareness, allows operators to perform their tasks with greater precision and confidence, leading to more assertive control inputs and improved efficiency. However, it is important to address the potential downsidesmentioned by [PERSON] and [PERSON] and to make sure that these systems are designed in a way that encourages operator engagement and maintains their skills. Real-time feedback provided by MG systems can significantly modify operator actions during excavation, leading to more systematic bucket-loading patterns, reduced redundancy of movement, and efficient progression through the phases of excavation. These behavioral modifications are quantitatively evidenced by consistent fill factor scores and lower dig counts compared with conventional methods.