The Basic Versus Applied Research Dilemma

The timeless basic versus applied research debate continues with what appears as no middle ground. Augmented Cognition researchers, particularly, are faced with the dilemma of merging laboratory results into applicable systems, i.e. developing and applying real-time physiological measures to integrate into human-computer systems. Insight to that disparity might be gleaned by revisiting this age-old debate of whether basic and applied research operate at opposite ends of the spectrum or perhaps on a more narrowed continuum. A few items to be addressed include a solution between the two camps, methods for bridging the gaps between laboratory and field experiments and then to advanced development, and the importance of mediation occurring within knowledge and practice. The panelists are challenged to make recommendations for investigators in augmented cognition and related fields to overcome the limitations of working in a controlled laboratory or a field environment and to achieve the most useful findings. Copyright 2010 by Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. All rights reserved

Detection Tasks In Nuclear Power Plant Operation: Vigilance Decrement And Physiological Workload Monitoring

Nuclear power plant (NPP) operators perform a variety of tasks that differ in mental workload. These include detection tasks that may be vulnerable to vigilance decrement. The present study used a simulation of NPP operation to investigate possible loss of vigilance during detection. Metrics used to assess operator functioning included subjective measures of workload and stress, physiological indices of workload, and objective performance. Detection, checking and response implementation tasks were compared, in the context of a simulated Emergency Operating Procedure (EOP). Study findings suggested three conclusions. First, detection imposed higher subjective workload and distress than other tasks, but physiological data suggested more complex differences between tasks. Second, vigilance decrements in detection performance were observed within 5-min task \u27steps\u27. However, analyses of physiological metrics suggested that multiple temporal processes may operate. Third, there were consistent individual differences in task-induced workload responses. Implications of the findings for evaluating NPP interface designs and monitoring operators are discussed

Toward A Tactile Language For Human-Robot Interaction: Two Studies Of Tacton Learning And Performance

Objective: Two experiments were performed to investigate the feasibility for robot-to-human communication of a tactile language using a lexicon of standardized tactons (tactile icons) within a sentence. Background: Improvements in autonomous systems technology and a growing demand within military operations are spurring interest in communication via vibrotactile displays. Tactile communication may become an important element of humanrobot interaction (HRI), but it requires the development of messaging capabilities approaching the communication power of the speech and visual signals used in the military. Method: In Experiment 1 (N = 38), we trained participants to identify sets of directional, dynamic, and static tactons and tested performance and workload following training. In Experiment 2 (N = 76), we introduced an extended training procedure and tested participants ability to correctly identify two-tacton phrases. We also investigated the impact of multitasking on performance and workload. Individual difference factors were assessed. Results: Experiment 1 showed that participants found dynamic and static tactons difficult to learn, but the enhanced training procedure in Experiment 2 produced competency in performance for all tacton categories. Participants in the latter study also performed well on twotacton phrases and when multitasking. However, some deficits in performance and elevation of workload were observed. Spatial ability predicted some aspects of performance in both studies. Conclusions: Participants may be trained to identify both single tactons and tacton phrases, demonstrating the feasibility of developing a tactile language for HRI. Application: Tactile communication may be incorporated into multi-modal communication systems for HRI. It also has potential for humanhuman communication in challenging environments

Investigating Workload Measures In The Nuclear Domain

Research into human-system interaction, specifically focusing on workload, has intensified in the nuclear domain. Past research on workload in the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) domain has attempted to use both subjective and physiological measures of workload, yet the sensitivity of the workload measures used in past experiments is unknown. This initial experiment will guide future research in the NPP domain by identifying whether the NASA-TLX, EEG, and ECG are sensitive to detecting workload changes in common NPP Main Control Room (MCR) tasks. Results suggest the three workload measures did not reveal expected differences between task types in the NPP MCR context

Psychophysiological Metrics For Workload Are Demand-Sensitive But Multifactorial

Various psychophysiological indices of mental workload exhibit sensitivity to task demand factors, but the psychometrics of indices has been neglected. In particular, the extent to which different metrics converge on a common latent factor is unclear. In the present study, 150 participants performed in four task scenarios based on a simulation of unmanned vehicle operation. Scenarios required threat detection and/or change detection. Both single- and dual-task scenarios were used. Workload metrics were derived from the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), functional Near Infra-Red (fNIR) and eyetracking. Subjective workload was also assessed. Several metrics were appropriately sensitive to the differing levels of task load presented by the four scenarios. However, factor analysis identified multiple factors, each of which was associated with a single response system only, with no general factor. Caution should be used in assessing workload in the individual operator

The Psychometrics Of Mental Workload: Multiple Measures Are Sensitive But Divergent

Objective: A study was run to test the sensitivity of multiple workload indices to the differing cognitive demands of four military monitoring task scenarios and to investigate relationships between indices. Background: Various psychophysiological indices of mental workload exhibit sensitivity to task factors. However, the psychometric properties of multiple indices, including the extent to which they intercorrelate, have not been adequately investigated. Method: One hundred fifty participants performed in four task scenarios based on a simulation of unmanned ground vehicle operation. Scenarios required threat detection and/or change detection. Both single- and dual-task scenarios were used. Workload metrics for each scenario were derived from the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram, transcranial Doppler sonography, functional near infrared, and eye tracking. Subjective workload was also assessed. Results: Several metrics showed sensitivity to the differing demands of the four scenarios. Eye fixation duration and the Task Load Index metric derived from EEG were diagnostic of single-versus dual-task performance. Several other metrics differentiated the two single tasks but were less effective in differentiating single- from dual-task performance. Psychometric analyses confirmed the reliability of individual metrics but failed to identify any general workload factor. An analysis of difference scores between low- and highworkload conditions suggested an effort factor defined by heart rate variability and frontal cortex oxygenation. Conclusions: General workload is not well defined psychometrically, although various individual metrics may satisfy conventional criteria for workload assessment. Application: Practitioners should exercise caution in using multiple metrics that may not correspond well, especially at the level of the individual operator

Impact Of Instructional Strategies On Motivation And Engagement For Simulation-Based Training Of Robot-Aided Isr Tasks

The U.S. Army projects a considerable increase in the number of operational Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS) within the next ten years. There is a need to enhance UGS capabilities to support remote Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) operations involving the identification of High-Value Individuals (HVI). Emerging UGS capability requirements will inevitably result in new or revised training requirements. The U.S. Army identifies Simulation-Based Training (SBT) as a required training platform for robot-aided ISR tasks utilizing UGSs. In order to implement an effective SBT system, there are several factors to consider related to training systems design and trainee needs. Factors addressed in this study include the selection of effective SBT instructional strategies and the impact on trainee motivation and engagement. Results from this study contribute to design and future research recommendations regarding SBT for robot-aided ISR tasks

A Workflow For Network Analysis-Based Structure Discovery In The Assessment Community

When technology opens up new domains or areas of research, such as human-agent teaming, new challenges in assessments emerge. Assessments may not be as systematically conducted as new measures develop, and the research may not be as firmly grounded in theory since theories in newer domains are still being formulated. As a result, research in these domains can be fragmented. To address these, an empirically-driven network approach that is complementary to the traditional theory-driven approach is proposed. The network approach seeks to discover patterns and structure in the assessment metadata (.e.g., constructs and measures) that can provide starting points and direction for future research. This paper outlines the workflow of the network approach which comprises three steps: (1) Data Preparation; (2) Data Analysis; and (3) Structure Discovery. As most of the work has been on Data Preparation, the paper will focus on the complexities and issues encountered in the first step, and include broad overviews of the subsequent steps. Anticipated use and outcomes of the network approach are also discussed

The Functional Fidelity Of Individual Differences Research: The Case For Context-Matching

Applying basic research on individual differences in performance requires a kind of \u27functional fidelity\u27. That is, the laboratory environment must elicit individual differences in cognition and emotion similar to those seen in the operational setting. Studies of conventional personality traits and performance often lack this functional fidelity. Four research directions for enhancing functional fidelity are proposed. First, a greater focus on simulated operational tasks that require cognitive skills is requisite. Second, contexts relevant to specific personality traits, such as social demands, may be simulated in the laboratory. Third, traits linked to a specific performance context, such as vehicle driving, may be developed and validated. Fourth, psychophysiological responses to tasks that reproduce operational cognitive demands may be used as predictors, as exemplified in recent studies of vigilance. Enhancements to functional fidelity will assist human factors practitioners in accommodating the role of individual differences in operator selection, diagnostic monitoring and augmented cognition. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

What To Automate: Addressing The Multidimensionality Of Cognitive Resources Through System Design

The implementation of automation relies on the assumption that automation will reduce the operator\u27s cognitive demand and improve performance. However, accepted models demonstrate the multidimensionality of cognitive resources, suggesting that automation must support an appropriate resource dimension to have an appreciable effect. To evaluate this theory, the present study examined the impact of various types of automation on an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) operator\u27s performance, workload, and stress. The use of a visually demanding task allowed for comparison between an auditory alert (supporting the heavily burdened visual dimension) and a driving aid (supporting action execution, a relatively unburdened cognitive dimension). Static and adaptive (fluctuating based on task demand) levels were implemented for each automation type. Those receiving auditory alerts exhibited better performance and reduced Worry, but also increased Temporal Demand and Effort relative to those receiving driving automation. Adaptive automation reduced workload for those receiving the auditory alerts, and increased workload for those receiving the driving automation. The results from this research demonstrate the need to consider the multidimensionality of the operator\u27s cognitive resources when implementing automation into a system. System designers should consider the type of automation necessary to support the specific cognitive resources burdened by the task. © 2013, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society