Social facilitation effect in search and decision‐making components of visual inspection

This study aimed to examine the effect of social presence on the performance of the search and decision‐making components of visual inspection. A within‐subject design experiment was conducted. Participants performed easy and difficult search and decision‐making tasks in alone and audience‐present conditions with search time, decision time, decision accuracy rates, and subjective arousal level in both components measured. Results indicated that the presence of an audience shortened (lengthened) the response time in easy (difficult) search and decision‐making components but did not influence decision accuracy rates. The social facilitation intensity in the search component was stronger than that in the decision‐making component. For both components, the performance impairment in difficult tasks was stronger than the performance improvement in easy tasks, and arousal was greater in the audience‐present condition than when working alone. The findings helped clarify the influential mechanisms of the social facilitation effect in visual inspection tasks.     

Evaluation of best system performance: Human,automated, and hybrid inspection systems

Recently, 100% inspection with automated systems has seen more frequent application than traditional sampling inspection with human inspectors. Nevertheless, humans still outperform machines in most attribute inspection tasks. Because neither humans nor automation can achieve superior inspection system performance, hybrid inspection systems where humans work cooperatively with machines merit study. In response to this situation, this research was conducted to evaluate three of the following different inspection systems: (1) a human inspection system, (2) a computer search/human decision‐making inspection system, and (3) a human/computer share search/decision‐making inspection system. Results from this study showed that the human/computer share search/decision‐making system achieve the best system performance, suggesting that both should be used in the inspection tasks rather than either alone. Furthermore, this study looked at the interaction between human inspectors and computers, specifically the effect of system response bias on inspection quality performance. These results revealed that the risky system was the best in terms of accuracy measures. Although this study demonstrated how recent advances in computer technology have modified previously prescribed notions about function allocation alternatives in a hybrid inspection environment, the adaptability of humans was again demonstrated, indicating that they will continue to play a vital role in future hybrid systems. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 13: 137–152, 2003.     

Limits to human optimization in inspection performance

As inspection moves from unaided human skills to human-computer hybrid tasks, there is a need for models of the human and the computer which have common parameters. With appropriate models, functions can be allocated to produce optimal designs, and assistance provided to the human inspector via job aids and training. A model was developed of the human in a two-component compound inspection task consisting of search and decision. Optimizing this model showed that the choice of optimal values of parameters in the two submodels was independent. Ten subjects were tested on a two-component inspection task, using components which had earlier been validated separately. Subjects showed some aspects of optimum behaviour, for example sub-model independence, stopping the search after an integral number of scans, and varying their decision criteria to respond to the probability and cost structure. However, in this more complex task, subjects often reverted to simpler decision rules, for example always stopping the search after one scan or accepting (or rejecting) all potential defects detected. The implication for hybrid automation systems is that humans will need help such as job aids or training if they are to perform optimally when given both search and decision tasks.     

A prospective study of maintenance deviations using HFACS-ME

The factors initiating aviation accidents are usually hidden behind various steps, systems, and tasks, and systematic root-cause analysis is required to uncover the initial factor(s). To reduce the risk of unfavourable events, it is more appropriate to study their causal factors. We argue that an in-depth study on maintenance process deviations could assist in uncovering hidden causal factors. We therefore analyse reported maintenance deviations from an aviation organisation using the Human Factor Analysis and Classification System-Maintenance Extension (HFACS-ME) taxonomy to aggregate and map hidden causal factors. We find attention and memory errors and inadequacy of processes and documentation are major causal factors. We argue a well-run organisation can capture hidden causal factors and reduce the risk of incidents and accidents. More specifically, we show how situation awareness (SA) interventions can assist in the mitigation of maintenance deviations and capture hidden causal factors.     

The effects of decision support and task contingencies on model formulation: A cognitive perspective

This paper takes a cognitive cost-benefit approach to understanding model formulation. Work in the behavioral decision literature on the role of effort and accuracy in choice tasks indicates that effort, or cognitive cost, is a key factor in understanding decision behavior. However, the model formulation literature does not discuss how effort interacts with other factors, such as task complexity and decision aids, to influence model formulation. In this paper, based on the work on the cost-benefit theories of cognition, we posit that two types of effort, namely that associated with building or formulating a model and that associated with utilizing that model in the solution of a problem, will influence model formulation. We then examine how the methods used in the behavioral decision making literature and the reported findings concerning the interaction of effort with task and decision aids can be utilized to understand model formulation.     

Adjunct aids and signals support online learning from multiple representations

To achieve deeper understanding when learning from multiple representations, learners should actively select, organize and integrate the relevant information from text and graphics within a coherent mental representation. However, as learners often fail to select and integrate all relevant information, especially from graphics, they need specific instructional support. The current study investigated the effects of instructional support in the form of adjunct aids (i.e. fill-in-the blank tasks) with references to the graphics (e.g. “see Figure X”) on retention and understanding. In our study, 106 learners (N) received multimedia instructional materials about the formation of auroras either with or without adjunct aids – the former with references to graphics (signals), or with none. In line with our hypotheses, adjunct aids with signals led to deeper understanding, as reflected by higher scores in the comprehension test. In contrast, adjunct aids with signals did not lead to higher scores in the retention test. Thus, our results are in line with previous research, showing that instructional support for integrating text and graphics specifically fosters deeper understanding. Possible boundary conditions and implications for future research are discussed.     

Transfer of computer-based training to simulated driving in older adults

As the population of many industrialized countries ages, the number of older drivers on the roads increases. Statistics show that older drivers are at increased risk for involvement in fatal accidents. One explanation for this is the cognitive and motor declines associated with the aging process. As we age, performance on attention, memory and motor control tasks, three important components of driving, declines. In the present study we examined the relationship between performance on component cognitive tasks and the influence of training on these tasks on the simulated driving performance of older adults. More specifically, we assessed performance on and trained older adults on single and dual tasks of attention, working memory and manual control. Regression analyses demonstrated that performance on the single and dual cognitive tasks and improvements in these computer-based tasks with training were predictive of improvements in driving simulator performance across the course of the study. These data suggest that relatively simple single and dual computer-based tasks and modest amounts of training on these tasks can improve driving performance in older adults, thereby extending functional independence.     

The Influence of workspace awareness on group intellective decision effectiveness

Workspace awareness is an understanding of members’ interactions within a shared workspace, and has been a fundamental concern to researchers examining how groups using group support systems can be more effective as they design and develop physical artifacts. We provide theoretical and empirical evidence that workspace awareness can be a significant factor influencing the effectiveness of groups employing group support systems for the development of intangible artifacts, such as decision quality and consensus. The workspace awareness literature typically does not examine causal relationships within awareness. We develop a theoretical model that divides workspace awareness into three elements (presence, behavior, and insight awareness), which are important for group decision tasks, and provide empirical evidence that: (1) understanding the reasons behind group member behaviors (insight awareness) is key to increasing decision quality and consensus; (2) greater insight awareness can be obtained when an individual is better able to track and characterize others’ behaviors (behavior awareness); and (3) behavior awareness depends on an individual's ability to identify and distinguish among the different individuals within the group (presence awareness). Empirical support is derived from a laboratory experiment.     

The influence of information presentation formats on complex task decision-making performance

Understanding the influence of information presentation formats on decision-making effectiveness is an important component of human–computer interaction user interface design. The pervasive nature and ease of use associated with information display formats in widely used personal productivity software suggests that decision-makers are likely to create and/or use documents with both text-based and more visually oriented information displays. Past research has investigated the role of these displays on simple decision tasks; however, empirical research has not extended to more complex tasks, more comparable to the types of tasks decision-makers face every day. Results from the empirical analysis suggest that the relationship between information presentation format and decision performance is moderated by the complexity of the task. More specifically, spatial formats result in superior decision accuracy for simple- and complex-spatial tasks and faster decision time for all tasks except the complex-symbolic task where graphs and tables result in equivalent decision time.     

Guest Editor's Introduction: Getting More Out of Test

The 2006 IEEE International Test Conference (ITC) focused on the theme "Getting More Out of Test." This means ensuring product quality and reliability as cost efficiently as possible. In today's market environment, it also means taking test beyond its traditional role of separating good products from bad. The three articles in this special section, all written by well-received ITC 2006 authors, address ways to get more out of test. The first two articles provide specific examples of techniques for addressing the newly important diagnosis and debugging functions of test. The third article addresses test decision making more generally, and specifically suggests that exploring the psychology that underlies the decisions made by designers, DFT engineers, and test engineers could eventually help to get more out of test.     

Distributed situation awareness in dynamic systems: theoretical development and application of an ergonomics methodology

The purpose of this paper is to propose foundations for a theory of situation awareness based on the analysis of interactions between agents (i.e. both human and non-human) in subsystems. This approach may help to promote a better understanding of technology-mediated interaction in systems, as well as helping in the formulation of hypotheses and predictions concerning distributed situation awareness. It is proposed that agents within a system each hold their own situation awareness, which may be very different from (although compatible with) that of other agents. It is argued that we should not always hope for, or indeed want, sharing of this awareness, as different system agents have different purposes. This view marks situation awareness as a dynamic and collaborative process binding agents together on tasks on a moment-by-moment basis. Implications of this viewpoint for the development of a new theory of, and accompanying methodology for, distributed situation awareness are offered.     

A 3D visualized expert system for maintenance and management of existing building facilities using reliability-based method

Facility maintenance and management (FMM) is an emerging issue in civil engineering. Decisions involving maintenance-related tasks are generally made based on various sources of accumulated historical data, such as design drawings, inspection records, and sensing data. Systems are developed for storing and maintaining such maintenance-related data electronically in a database. However, the data-accessing method of these systems is based mainly on text input in Web form, which is occasionally insufficiently intuitive to interpret retrieved information for decision making. Besides simple data management practices, the feasibility of implementing analysis on FMM-related data to provide estimated or predictive information for decision making should be examined. This paper presents an expert system model for the maintenance and management of existing facilities. A prototype system was developed for concept proofing. A 3D facility model is introduced in the system as the interface for accessing various maintenance-related data intuitively. Various maintenance-related data and analysis results should be presented visually on the model as much as possible to provide users with an intuitive understanding of the facility status in many aspects. Behind the 3D visualized interface is a database that integrates and stores various maintenance-related data systematically. This database information should be accumulated continuously via input from users and sensors in appropriate formats. Moreover, a reliability-based module should analyze the accumulated data periodically to provide predictive forecast information, subsequently facilitating decision making during maintenance.     

Situation awareness and driving performance in a simulated navigation task

The objective of this study was to identify task and vehicle factors that may affect driver situation awareness (SA) and its relationship to performance, particularly in strategic (navigation) tasks. An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of in-vehicle navigation aids and reliability on driver SA and performance in a simulated navigation task. A total of 20 participants drove a virtual car and navigated a large virtual suburb. They were required to follow traffic signs and navigation directions from either a human aid via a mobile phone or an automated aid presented on a laptop. The navigation aids operated under three different levels of information reliability (100%, 80% and 60%). A control condition was used in which each aid presented a telemarketing survey and participants navigated using a map. Results revealed perfect navigation information generally improved driver SA and performance compared to unreliable navigation information and the control condition (task-irrelevant information). In-vehicle automation appears to mediate the relationship of driver SA to performance in terms of operational and strategic (navigation) behaviours. The findings of this work support consideration of driver SA in the design of future vehicle automation for navigation tasks.     

Enhancing information interaction as a means for situation awareness maintenance in mobile field work

Maintenance of situation awareness is of critical importance for the safe and productive execution of mobile field work. However, there is scarcity of research considering maintenance of situation awareness in mobile field work settings. The case study analyses information interaction as a means to maintain situation awareness. The empirical data for the study were collected from security service personnel participating in a pilot of guarding service based on NFC (near field communication) technology. NFC enables ubiquitous and location- and context-aware computing. Interviews, on-site observation and a questionnaire were conducted to define situation awareness requirements and to assess both current user experiences and future scenarios of NFC-based information support for security service work. Results of the study show that information interaction challenges were related to non-value-adding information activities when trying maintain situation awareness. Challenges were related to disturbances in information flow between clients, security service back office and field. It was found that maintaining situation awareness in circuit guarding was more challenging than in local guarding. Future NFC functionalities providing information support in particular for maintenance of short-term situation awareness were assessed as promising.     

Personality,emotional intelligence and work preferences in software engineering: An empirical study

ContextThere is an increasing awareness among Software Engineering (SE) researchers and practitioners that more focus is needed on understanding the engineers developing software. Previous studies show significant associations between the personalities of software engineers and their work preferences.ObjectiveVarious studies on personality in SE have found large, small or no effects and there is no consensus on the importance of psychometric measurements in SE. There is also a lack of studies employing other psychometric instruments or using larger datasets. We aim to evaluate our results in a larger sample, with software engineers in an earlier state of their career, using advanced statistics.MethodAn operational replication study where extensive psychometric data from 279 master level students have been collected in a SE program at a Swedish University. Personality data based on the Five-Factor Model, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and Self-compassion have been collected. Statistical analysis investigated associations between psychometrics and work preferences and the results were compared to our previous findings from 47 SE professionals.ResultsAnalysis confirms existence of two main clusters of software engineers; one with more “intense” personalities than the other. This corroborates our earlier results on SE professionals. The student data also show similar associations between personalities and work preferences. However, for other associations there are differences due to the different population of subjects. We also found connections between the emotional intelligence and work preferences, while no associations were found for self-compassion.ConclusionThe associations can help managers to predict and adapt projects and tasks to available staff. The results also show that the Emotional Intelligence instrument can be predictive. The research methods and analytical tools we employ can detect subtle associations and reflect differences between different groups and populations and thus can be important tools for future research as well as industrial practice.     

风洞油源控制系统的设计

油源系统作为风洞的动力系统,在风洞运行和试验中担当着重要角色,而由于长期处于高油高蚀的环境,其各种部件和机构非常容易老化。文中风洞是国内主力生产型风洞,任务繁重,功能要求高,原油源控制系统已非常老旧,故障频发,维修工作复杂耗时,已不能很好的满足试验需求,因此对风洞油源控制系统的重新设计显得尤为重要。针对这一现状,设计了基于PLC控制的风洞油源控制系统,包括系统硬件设计、下位机PLC软件设计和人机界面设计等,综合部署在风洞测控间和风洞现场,实现了风洞油源系统的机泵组启停控制、油压无级调节、油液冷却控制、油源系统状态监测、本地/远程控制等控制功能和操作方式,具有较高的自动化程度、状态监测和功能拓展能力。     

Contextual Navigation Aids for Two World Wide Web Systems

In spite of the radical enhancement of Web technologies, many users still continue to experience severe difficulties in navigating Web systems. One way to reduce the navigation difficulties is to provide context information that explains the current situation of Web users. In this study, we empirically examined the effects of 2 types of context information, structural and temporal context. In the experiment, we evaluated the effectiveness of the contextual navigation aids in 2 different types of Web systems, an electronic commerce system that has a well-defined structure and a content dissemination system that has an ill-defined structure. In our experiment, participants answered a set of postquestionnaires after performing several searching and browsing tasks. The results of the experiment reveal that the 2 types of contextual navigation aids significantly improved the performance of the given tasks regardless of different Web systems and different task types. Moreover, context information changed the users' navigation patterns and increased their subjective convenience of navigation. This study concludes with implications for understanding the users' searching and browsing patterns and for developing effective navigation systems.     

网络安全态势感知研究综述

网络安全态势感知不同于传统的安全措施,它可以对网络中各种活动的行为进行辨识,从宏观的角度进行意图理解和影响评估,进而提供合理的决策支持,在提高网络的监控能力、应急响应能力及预测网络安全的发展趋势等方面都具有重要的意义。分别对态势感知和网络安全态势感知的定义进行了归纳梳理,对经典的态势感知模型和新发展的网络安全态势感知模型进行了总结与对比;介绍了网络安全态势感知的关键技术,主要分为基于层次化分析、机器学习、免疫系统和博弈论的技术;介绍了近年来网络安全态势感知在因特网、工控网和物联网中的应用;对其未来发展趋势和待解决的问题进行了总结与展望。     

面向无人机风机巡检的光照条件分析方法

在无人机风机巡检作业中, 光照异常会严重影响拍摄到的图像质量, 导致风机叶片在图像中亮度异常, 叶片上的裂纹等细微缺陷无法被有效判定, 影响风机的安全稳定运行. 本文针对此问题, 开展风机巡检中的光照条件分析技术研究, 在巡检前, 根据规划的航迹及太阳的方位进行光照情况预判; 在巡检中, 根据风机叶片及塔筒的分割结果, 针对性地分析关键部位的光照情况, 辅助以基于加权均值的整幅图像光照分析算法, 能够全方位地实现巡检中光照分析, 提升作业效率和准确性.     

Mutual awareness: Enhanced by interface design and improving team performance in incident diagnosis under computerized working environment

Mutual Awareness, which measures understanding of the behaviors and status of other members in a team is supposed to influence team decision-making process in safety-critical tasks/systems. This study aims to explore enhancement of mutual awareness by adding a Mutual Awareness Tool (MAT) on a user interface and examining its effects on team diagnosis performance in emergency situations of a simulated nuclear power plant system. According to the experimental results, the embedded MAT on the operation interface enhanced team mutual awareness significantly, and improved incident diagnosis performance. The results also showed that the increase in mutual awareness led to a reduction of individual situation awareness, possibly due to the limited mental resources.