Effect of Feedback on Performance in the Lane-Change Test

The Lane-Change Test (LCT) is an easy-to-use methodological tool that has proven useful for researching dual-task driving situations. This paper examines the effect of feedback on LCT performance. Feedback is important for maintaining the focus of attention on the primary (driving) task and providing motivation for learning. An experiment was conducted in which two driver groups performed the LCT with or without end-of-block summary feedback. Results showed that the presence of feedback significantly improved performance, as revealed by lower overall means and lower standard deviations (with practice) of lateral deviation values. We conclude that feedback can have a positive effect on performance in the LCT and, therefore, it may be critical to include such feedback when using this, as well as similar tasks, to investigate dual-task driving situations

MEASURING DUAL TASK COST USING THE PERFORMANCE OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC: THE EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL WORDS ON ONE'S FUNCTIONAL FIELD OF VIEW

Discusses design elements that should be utilized for optimal measurement of dual task performance, and reviews literature suggesting that these elements are underutilized. Participants seem to be able to effectively "tune out" one or the other task in a dual task paradigm, though traditional analyses and POC analyses converge to inform us that under these experimental conditions (which may not require adequate cognitive load), UFOV performance is not as greatly impacted by concurrent verbal tasks as pilot data and theory suggest. While smaller than expected, these dual task costs have implications in an applied setting, as 19% of subjects exhibited UFOV scores under dual task conditions that would predict more than double the risk of injurious accident. Finally, highly arousing negatively valent verbal stimuli may lead to greatest interference with visual attention performance

Switch choice in applied multi-task management

2014 Summer.Little to date is known concerning how operators make choices in environments where cognitive load is high and they are faced with multiple different tasks to choose from. This dissertation reviewed a large body of voluntary task switching literature concerning basic research into choice in task switching, as well as what literature was available for applied task switching. From this and a prior model, a revised model of task switching choice that takes into account specific task attributes of difficulty, priority, interest and salience, was developed. In the first experiment, it was shown that task difficulty and priority influenced switching behavior. While task attributes were hypothesized to influence switching, a second major influence is time on task. In the second experiment, it was shown that tasks indeed vary in their interruptability over time, and this was related in part to what task was competing for attention as well as the cognitive processing required for the ongoing task performance. In a third experiment, a new methodology was developed to experimentally assess the role of diminishing rate of returns for performing a task. This declining rate was expected (and did result in) a general increase of switching away from an ongoing task over time. In conclusion, while task attributes and time on task play a major role in task switching in the current studies, defining the time period for theorized effects appears to be the next major step toward understanding switching choice behavior. Additionally, though the experiments are novel and certainly make a major contribution, to the extent that behavior is only represented in them, the methodology may miss some amount of `other' task behavior, such as visual sampling

Funding Resilient Infrastructure in New Jersey: Attitudes Following a Natural Disaster

Recent major natural disasters in New Jersey have demonstrated the need to increase the resilience of transportation infrastructure. This research examines public attitudes toward revenue sources that can be dedicated to protecting vulnerable areas, most notably the transportation linkages on which the state depends. A statewide survey was conducted to gather data approximately four months following Superstorm Sandy, the costliest natural disaster in the state’s history. The authors’ objective was to sample public attitudes while the impacts of the disaster were still fresh. They found little support for temporary tax increases to improve resiliency, with the most positive support for taxing visitors (i.e., a hotel and recreational tax) and for a 30-year bond measure (i.e., taxing the future). This observation seemingly contradicts broad support for investing in new infrastructure, as well as maintaining and protecting existing infrastructure. Multivariate analysis to understand the underlying attitudes toward raising revenue found that more left-leaning or communitarian attitudes are associated with more support for gasoline, income, or sales taxes devoted to mitigating vulnerability. Those who supported investment in transit and protecting infrastructure also were more likely to support these taxes. There was no parallel finding of factors associated with taxing visitors or issuing bonds

What is the glue that holds work and family life together? Perceptions of work and family balance among working New Hampshire parents

Using a mixed methods research approach, the current study used data gathered from the Survey of New Hampshire Working Families to assess participants\u27 perceptions of work and family balance. As part of the survey, parents were asked to report the one thing, the glue, that holds work and family life together. Participant responses were analyzed qualitatively using content analysis. As a result, seven glue themes emerged: 1) partner support, 2) work flexibility, 3) support of family, 4) personal strengths, 5) children, 6) income, and 7) religion. Additional research questions were created with the hope of revealing demographic trends among specific glue themes. Implications derived from the findings greatly benefit the work-family field, as they provide employers, policy makers, and researchers, with a better understanding of what working New Hampshire parents need to achieve work and family balance

The Increasing Use of Portable Computing and Communication Devices and its Impact on the Health of EU Workers

[Excerpt] Portable computing and communication devices are widely used by workers from different occupations and their use is steadily increasing. The risks associated with working with portable devices and systems, for which at present no guidelines exist, differ considerably from those associated with working with visual display units at workstations. The latter are covered by the European VDU Directive and governed by a host of guidelines and recommendations within the EU Member States. In the light of the above, the study addresses the following issues: · To what extent are mobile communication devices used by the working population – how is such use growing in absolute terms and which types of workers are using them? · How is the technology behind these devices – hardware and telecommunications – developing, and how is the technology likely to evolve in the future? · Description of the possible hazards arising from the use of portable computing and communication devices and the risks to workers in terms of ill health and accidents. We also consider how the nature and extent of these risks will change in the future in the light of likely developments in technology and its use. · The implications of the use and development of mobile communication and computing devices for occupational health and safety management and for legislation and implementation in the context of European law concerning health and safety at work. · The scope is limited to work carried out in locations and environments that are impossible or difficult for the employer to control

Examination and Assessment of Commercial Anatomical E-Learning Tools: Software Usability, Dual-Task Paradigms and Learning

Technological innovation is changing the landscape of higher education, and the competing interests and responsibilities of today’s learners have propelled the movement of post-secondary courses into the online environment. In the anatomical sciences, commercialized e-learning tools have become a critical component for teaching the intricacies of the human body when physical classroom space and cadaveric resources are limited. This dissertation comparatively assessed the impact of two commercial anatomical e-learning tools (1) a simple 2-dimensional e-learning tool (A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy) and (2) a complex tool that allows for a 3-dimensional perspective (Netter’s 3D Interactive Anatomy). The comparison was then extended to include a traditional visual-kinesthetic method of studying anatomy (i.e. a physical skeleton). Applying cognitive load theory and working memory limitations as guiding principles, a dual-task assessment with cross over design was used to evaluate cognitive load. Students were assessed using baseline knowledge tests, observation task reaction times (a measure of cognitive load), mental rotation test scores (a measure of spatial ability) and anatomy post-tests (a measure of knowledge recall). Results from experiments carried out in this thesis suggest that the value of commercial anatomical e-learning tools cannot be assessed adequately on the basis of an educator’s, or a software developer’s, intuition alone. Despite the delivery benefits offered by e-learning tools and the positive feedback they often receive, this research demonstrates that neither commercial e-learning tool conferred any instructional advantage over textbook images. In fact, later results showed that the visual-kinesthetic experience of physically manipulating a skeleton yielded major positive impacts on knowledge recall that A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy, as a visual only tool, failed to deliver. The results of this dissertation also suggest that the design of e-learning tools can differentially influence students based on their spatial ability. Moreover our results suggest that learners with low spatial ability may also struggle to relate anatomical knowledge if they are examined on contralateral images. By objectively assessing commercial anatomical e-learning tools against traditional, visual-kinesthetic modalities, educators can be confident that the learning tool they select will give their students the best chance to acquire an understanding of human anatomy