Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Military personnel have focused their efforts on delegating dangerous duties to robots and other ... more Military personnel have focused their efforts on delegating dangerous duties to robots and other automated devices. Such duties include complex tasks such as peacekeeping. The current study explores the use of robotic peacekeepers across different cultures wielding non-lethal weapons (NLWs) in a virtual environment. We predicted that weapon acceptability would differ as a function of culture, compliance rate, and citizenship (native vs. expatriate). Results showed that participants complied significantly more often when the robotic peacekeeper requested an item that was not a weapon than when the item itself was a weapon. Further, Chinese and Americans reported highest weapons approval. Implications for future research are discussed.
This thesis is dedicated to my family and friends who supported me through graduate school (speci... more This thesis is dedicated to my family and friends who supported me through graduate school (special thanks to William Brock Jr. for your unwavering support). This thesis is also dedicated to all of the members of the US Armed Forces that spend their days protecting the rights and freedoms of the American people. One member, specifically, made this thesis possible. Thank you. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge my friends, family, and the wonderful people in the ODU Psychology Department that contributed to my academic voyage. I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Jim Bliss, for his support and guidance during the most difficult journey in my life (thus far). Special thanks to committee members Dr. Chris Brill and Dr. Lau-Baracco for their valuable insight and advice that has greatly improved the quality of the work presented here. Thank you to members of the R.E.A.C.T.S. lab for your unwavering support and all of your help; your friendship will never be forgotten. vi
The purpose of this report is to provide a literature review of the cognitive and learning scienc... more The purpose of this report is to provide a literature review of the cognitive and learning science research that is relevant to defining an effective after action review (AAR) process. The goal of this review is to assemble research sources that apply to the design and conduct of after action reviews. Therefore, this report provides a synopsis of research that exists, identifies notable researchers who have addressed the problem, presents results of both military and non-military investigations or implementations of the AAR technique, highlights existing theories that may contribute to the advancement of AARs, and isolates specific areas that demand further work. The findings are a distillation of what is known about the AAR process. As such, they would be of interest to researchers who wish to acquire or update their knowledge of the area. The findings would also be of interest to those who train AAR facilitators as a comprehensive foundation of AAR research.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
This study was a subset of a larger investigation on the role of task load on IB occurrences in t... more This study was a subset of a larger investigation on the role of task load on IB occurrences in the context of driving. The focus of this study was the relationship between mental demand and inattentional blindness (IB) occurrences for a critical stimulus that is directly relevant to primary task performance. Forty-four undergraduates followed a series of auditory directives in a simulated driving environment to reach a destination. The final directive instructed participants to turn left at an intersection clearly marked with a “no left turn” sign. Of the total number of participants in this study, 79.5% (35 of 44) failed to detect the “no-left turn” road sign critical stimulus. Results revealed that individuals who detected the “no left turn” sign had significantly higher scores on the mental demand component of the NASA-TLX compared to those who failed to detect the sign. The negative relationship between IB occurrences and the subjective mental demand ratings suggest another fac...
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Page 1. PROCEEDINGS of the HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 40th ANNUAL MEETING-1996 DUAL-TAS... more Page 1. PROCEEDINGS of the HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 40th ANNUAL MEETING-1996 DUAL-TASK PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF INDIVIDUAL ALARM VALIDITY AND ALARM SYSTEM RELIABILITY INFORMATION ...
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
This paper describes an experiment to evaluate a procedure for measuring distance perception in i... more This paper describes an experiment to evaluate a procedure for measuring distance perception in immersive VEs. Forty-eight subjects viewed a VE with a Head Mounted Display (HMD), a Binocular Omni-Oriented Monitor (BOOM), or a computer monitor. Subjects estimated the distance to a figure of known height that was initially 40 ft away. As the figure moved forward, subjects indicated when the figure was perceived to be 30, 20, 10, 5, and 2.5 ft away. A separate group of 36 subjects performed the task in a real-world setting roughly comparable to the VE. VE distance estimation was highly variable across subjects. For distance perception involving a moving figure, in the VE conditions most subjects called out before the figure had closed to the specified distances. Distance estimation was least accurate with the monitor. In the real world, most subjects called out after the figure had closed to or passed the specified distances. Ways to improve the procedure are discussed.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Technological advances in visual and auditory alarm systems have enabled these systems to be easi... more Technological advances in visual and auditory alarm systems have enabled these systems to be easily implemented. Frequently, the resulting increase in alarm sensitivity is accompanied by an increase in false alarms, which may have potentially disastrous implications for complex task performance. Previous research has examined the nature of the cry-wolf effect in a dual-task paradigm and noted the influence of alarm criticality on alarm response performance. The goals of this research were to supplement that effort by examining the effect of primary task criticality on alarm responses. Seventy-eight undergraduate students performed the Manikin test from the DELTA battery while being presented alarms, 75% of which were true. A series of oneway ANOVAs assessed the effects of increasing primary task criticality on alarm responses. The results supported our hypotheses, indicating that as primary task criticality increased, participants’ responses to alarms were degraded. The results are ...
Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting
Three tank gunnery trainers were studied to determine learning transfer over repeated trails. Dev... more Three tank gunnery trainers were studied to determine learning transfer over repeated trails. Devices included the TOPGUN trainer, a part-task, reduced-fidelity tank gunnery trainer; the Videodisk Gunnery Trainer (VIGS), another part-task, limited-fidelity trainer; and the Conduct-of-Fire Trainer (COFT), a full-fidelity trainer. The objective was to determine the degree of gunnery skills transfer between the part-task gunnery trainers and the full-fidelity simulator. COFT criterion performances were examined for two pretraining groups (either TOPGUN first, then VIGS, or VIGS first, then TOPGUN) and a control group in order to determine which pretraining sequence leads to better performance. Each training group, composed of 20 subjects, received two multiple-mission engagement trials on four consecutive days (2 VIGS-2 TOPGUN, or vice versa) before COFT transfer. Results showed significant Group and Trial effects for transfer between TOPGUN and VIGS and significant transfer to COFT pe...
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
As roadways become more congested, there is greater potential for automobile accidents and incide... more As roadways become more congested, there is greater potential for automobile accidents and incidents. Several governmental agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration, have recently developed and implemented the Intelligent Transportation System, a global effort to better manage vehicles and highway systems. As part of this effort, automobile manufacturers are now designing collision avoidance warning systems; yet, there has been little investigation of alarm reliability and spatial signal location. This study focused on measuring driving and alarm reaction performances to spatial and console emitted alarms of various reliability levels. Seventy participants operated a driving simulator while being presented with alarms. From previous research (Breznitz 1983; Bliss 1993), it was expected that drivers would perform better following reliable alarms than unreliable alarms. It was also expected that drivers would perform better following spatial alarms than central alarms. Results indicated that drivers avoided collisions better following spatial alarms, but made more appropriate driving reactions following console-generated alarms. Alarm response frequency and driving reaction appropriateness was higher for reliable alarms. These results suggest that alarm designers should strive to maximize alarm reliability, and that spatial alarms may potentially reduce collision rates. Future researchers should replicate these findings in simulated situations of higher fidelity.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Immersive Virtual Environment (VE) technology, also known as virtual reality, is being touted as ... more Immersive Virtual Environment (VE) technology, also known as virtual reality, is being touted as an important new medium for education and training. Other potential applications involve communications, medicine, architecture, astronomy, data handling, teleoperation, and entertainment. A threat to the successful application of this technology is that some users of VE systems suffer unwanted side effects and aftereffects similar to, but not limited to, symptoms of motion sickness. These effects may degrade training effectiveness and jeopardize user safety and well-being. This paper describes the incidence and severity of symptoms we recorded during four different experiments which examined VE training applications. The experiments involved a variety of tasks, simulated environments, and VE systems. We administered a 28 item questionnaire that addressed symptoms related to nausea, eye strain, and dizziness. Significant variation was observed across individuals. In each experiment some ...
This report presents a research effort to investigate After Action Review (AAR) practices, releva... more This report presents a research effort to investigate After Action Review (AAR) practices, relevant science-based principles and theories, and develop actionable conclusions. The effort investigated theoretical foundations, doctrinal guidance, and the perceptions of Army personnel regarding the importance of AAR to training effectiveness. The key findings from this research show that AAR is a fundamental part of the Army training culture with recognized value at the trainer and trainee level. A reference model, the Integrated Theory of AAR (ITAAR) is described together with educational and information dissemination recommendations that will strengthen Army-wide expertise and enhance the practice of AAR as a key methodology for supporting the training process.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 00140130802120234, Sep 18, 2008
The present study investigated the effects of sonification pulse rate and sensor reliability on o... more The present study investigated the effects of sonification pulse rate and sensor reliability on operator trust and mental workload. Processing resources and operator trust were sensitive to both pulse rate and sensor reliability. These findings suggest that setting pulse rates to 60 pulses per min may have considerable benefits in critical task environments.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Military personnel have focused their efforts on delegating dangerous duties to robots and other ... more Military personnel have focused their efforts on delegating dangerous duties to robots and other automated devices. Such duties include complex tasks such as peacekeeping. The current study explores the use of robotic peacekeepers across different cultures wielding non-lethal weapons (NLWs) in a virtual environment. We predicted that weapon acceptability would differ as a function of culture, compliance rate, and citizenship (native vs. expatriate). Results showed that participants complied significantly more often when the robotic peacekeeper requested an item that was not a weapon than when the item itself was a weapon. Further, Chinese and Americans reported highest weapons approval. Implications for future research are discussed.
This thesis is dedicated to my family and friends who supported me through graduate school (speci... more This thesis is dedicated to my family and friends who supported me through graduate school (special thanks to William Brock Jr. for your unwavering support). This thesis is also dedicated to all of the members of the US Armed Forces that spend their days protecting the rights and freedoms of the American people. One member, specifically, made this thesis possible. Thank you. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge my friends, family, and the wonderful people in the ODU Psychology Department that contributed to my academic voyage. I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Jim Bliss, for his support and guidance during the most difficult journey in my life (thus far). Special thanks to committee members Dr. Chris Brill and Dr. Lau-Baracco for their valuable insight and advice that has greatly improved the quality of the work presented here. Thank you to members of the R.E.A.C.T.S. lab for your unwavering support and all of your help; your friendship will never be forgotten. vi
The purpose of this report is to provide a literature review of the cognitive and learning scienc... more The purpose of this report is to provide a literature review of the cognitive and learning science research that is relevant to defining an effective after action review (AAR) process. The goal of this review is to assemble research sources that apply to the design and conduct of after action reviews. Therefore, this report provides a synopsis of research that exists, identifies notable researchers who have addressed the problem, presents results of both military and non-military investigations or implementations of the AAR technique, highlights existing theories that may contribute to the advancement of AARs, and isolates specific areas that demand further work. The findings are a distillation of what is known about the AAR process. As such, they would be of interest to researchers who wish to acquire or update their knowledge of the area. The findings would also be of interest to those who train AAR facilitators as a comprehensive foundation of AAR research.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
This study was a subset of a larger investigation on the role of task load on IB occurrences in t... more This study was a subset of a larger investigation on the role of task load on IB occurrences in the context of driving. The focus of this study was the relationship between mental demand and inattentional blindness (IB) occurrences for a critical stimulus that is directly relevant to primary task performance. Forty-four undergraduates followed a series of auditory directives in a simulated driving environment to reach a destination. The final directive instructed participants to turn left at an intersection clearly marked with a “no left turn” sign. Of the total number of participants in this study, 79.5% (35 of 44) failed to detect the “no-left turn” road sign critical stimulus. Results revealed that individuals who detected the “no left turn” sign had significantly higher scores on the mental demand component of the NASA-TLX compared to those who failed to detect the sign. The negative relationship between IB occurrences and the subjective mental demand ratings suggest another fac...
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Page 1. PROCEEDINGS of the HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 40th ANNUAL MEETING-1996 DUAL-TAS... more Page 1. PROCEEDINGS of the HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 40th ANNUAL MEETING-1996 DUAL-TASK PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF INDIVIDUAL ALARM VALIDITY AND ALARM SYSTEM RELIABILITY INFORMATION ...
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
This paper describes an experiment to evaluate a procedure for measuring distance perception in i... more This paper describes an experiment to evaluate a procedure for measuring distance perception in immersive VEs. Forty-eight subjects viewed a VE with a Head Mounted Display (HMD), a Binocular Omni-Oriented Monitor (BOOM), or a computer monitor. Subjects estimated the distance to a figure of known height that was initially 40 ft away. As the figure moved forward, subjects indicated when the figure was perceived to be 30, 20, 10, 5, and 2.5 ft away. A separate group of 36 subjects performed the task in a real-world setting roughly comparable to the VE. VE distance estimation was highly variable across subjects. For distance perception involving a moving figure, in the VE conditions most subjects called out before the figure had closed to the specified distances. Distance estimation was least accurate with the monitor. In the real world, most subjects called out after the figure had closed to or passed the specified distances. Ways to improve the procedure are discussed.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Technological advances in visual and auditory alarm systems have enabled these systems to be easi... more Technological advances in visual and auditory alarm systems have enabled these systems to be easily implemented. Frequently, the resulting increase in alarm sensitivity is accompanied by an increase in false alarms, which may have potentially disastrous implications for complex task performance. Previous research has examined the nature of the cry-wolf effect in a dual-task paradigm and noted the influence of alarm criticality on alarm response performance. The goals of this research were to supplement that effort by examining the effect of primary task criticality on alarm responses. Seventy-eight undergraduate students performed the Manikin test from the DELTA battery while being presented alarms, 75% of which were true. A series of oneway ANOVAs assessed the effects of increasing primary task criticality on alarm responses. The results supported our hypotheses, indicating that as primary task criticality increased, participants’ responses to alarms were degraded. The results are ...
Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting
Three tank gunnery trainers were studied to determine learning transfer over repeated trails. Dev... more Three tank gunnery trainers were studied to determine learning transfer over repeated trails. Devices included the TOPGUN trainer, a part-task, reduced-fidelity tank gunnery trainer; the Videodisk Gunnery Trainer (VIGS), another part-task, limited-fidelity trainer; and the Conduct-of-Fire Trainer (COFT), a full-fidelity trainer. The objective was to determine the degree of gunnery skills transfer between the part-task gunnery trainers and the full-fidelity simulator. COFT criterion performances were examined for two pretraining groups (either TOPGUN first, then VIGS, or VIGS first, then TOPGUN) and a control group in order to determine which pretraining sequence leads to better performance. Each training group, composed of 20 subjects, received two multiple-mission engagement trials on four consecutive days (2 VIGS-2 TOPGUN, or vice versa) before COFT transfer. Results showed significant Group and Trial effects for transfer between TOPGUN and VIGS and significant transfer to COFT pe...
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
As roadways become more congested, there is greater potential for automobile accidents and incide... more As roadways become more congested, there is greater potential for automobile accidents and incidents. Several governmental agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration, have recently developed and implemented the Intelligent Transportation System, a global effort to better manage vehicles and highway systems. As part of this effort, automobile manufacturers are now designing collision avoidance warning systems; yet, there has been little investigation of alarm reliability and spatial signal location. This study focused on measuring driving and alarm reaction performances to spatial and console emitted alarms of various reliability levels. Seventy participants operated a driving simulator while being presented with alarms. From previous research (Breznitz 1983; Bliss 1993), it was expected that drivers would perform better following reliable alarms than unreliable alarms. It was also expected that drivers would perform better following spatial alarms than central alarms. Results indicated that drivers avoided collisions better following spatial alarms, but made more appropriate driving reactions following console-generated alarms. Alarm response frequency and driving reaction appropriateness was higher for reliable alarms. These results suggest that alarm designers should strive to maximize alarm reliability, and that spatial alarms may potentially reduce collision rates. Future researchers should replicate these findings in simulated situations of higher fidelity.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Immersive Virtual Environment (VE) technology, also known as virtual reality, is being touted as ... more Immersive Virtual Environment (VE) technology, also known as virtual reality, is being touted as an important new medium for education and training. Other potential applications involve communications, medicine, architecture, astronomy, data handling, teleoperation, and entertainment. A threat to the successful application of this technology is that some users of VE systems suffer unwanted side effects and aftereffects similar to, but not limited to, symptoms of motion sickness. These effects may degrade training effectiveness and jeopardize user safety and well-being. This paper describes the incidence and severity of symptoms we recorded during four different experiments which examined VE training applications. The experiments involved a variety of tasks, simulated environments, and VE systems. We administered a 28 item questionnaire that addressed symptoms related to nausea, eye strain, and dizziness. Significant variation was observed across individuals. In each experiment some ...
This report presents a research effort to investigate After Action Review (AAR) practices, releva... more This report presents a research effort to investigate After Action Review (AAR) practices, relevant science-based principles and theories, and develop actionable conclusions. The effort investigated theoretical foundations, doctrinal guidance, and the perceptions of Army personnel regarding the importance of AAR to training effectiveness. The key findings from this research show that AAR is a fundamental part of the Army training culture with recognized value at the trainer and trainee level. A reference model, the Integrated Theory of AAR (ITAAR) is described together with educational and information dissemination recommendations that will strengthen Army-wide expertise and enhance the practice of AAR as a key methodology for supporting the training process.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 00140130802120234, Sep 18, 2008
The present study investigated the effects of sonification pulse rate and sensor reliability on o... more The present study investigated the effects of sonification pulse rate and sensor reliability on operator trust and mental workload. Processing resources and operator trust were sensitive to both pulse rate and sensor reliability. These findings suggest that setting pulse rates to 60 pulses per min may have considerable benefits in critical task environments.
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Papers by James Bliss