Paradoxical effects of information presentation formats and contextual interference on transfer of a complex cognitive skill

In a 2 × 2 factorial design the effects of (1) information presentation format and (2) contextual interference on training behavior, transfer performance and mental effort were studied for learning troubleshooting skills with a computer-based simulation. Participants studied information about the functioning of an alcohol distillery system (system principles) prior to practicing troubleshooting skills. Regarding the first factor, an expository (Exp) format, in which system principles, examples and a troubleshooting strategy were presented in a textual form, was compared to an inquisitory (Inq) format, in which participants had to predict the behavior of the system after they studied the system principles and in which demonstrations of the troubleshooting strategy were given. With regard to the second factor, a low contextual interference (LCI) condition in which participants practiced to diagnose types of system failures in a blocked schedule was compared to a high contextual interference (HCI) condition, in which different failure types were practiced in a random schedule. The main hypothesis is that the Inq and HCI conditions promote the development of cognitive schemata that enable learners to diagnose a malfunctioning system component by interpreting symptoms in terms of violations of system principles. Hence, they are expected to show higher transfer performance than participants in the traditional Exp and LCI conditions, who are believed to develop schemata containing associations between symptoms and malfunctioning components that are context-bound and less useful for diagnosing new failures. Contrary to the predictions, the traditional conditions (Exp and LCI) showed higher performance on a transfer test two weeks after training. Possible explanations for this result are discussed.     

Virtual vignettes: the acquisition,analysis, and presentation of social network data

Online social networks （OSNs） are immensely important part of the modern, developed society. However digital forensic investigators who have no experience online prevalent and have now become a ubiquitous and online social networks pose significant problems to Data will reside on multiples of servers in multiple countries, across multiple jurisdictions. Capturing it before it is overwritten or deleted is a known problem, mirrored in other cloud based services. In this article, a novel method has been developed for the extraction, analysis, visualization, and comparison of snapshotted user profile data from the online social network Twitter. The research follows a process of design, implementation, simulation, and experimentation. Source code of the tool that was developed to facilitate data extraction has been made available on the Internet.     

Mental models, cognitive dissonance and executive information systems' effectiveness

Abstract. Recently there has been interest in the interaction between executives' mental models and executive information systems (EIS). As stated by Rockart & De Long (1988), 'the most significant effect of computer support for executives may be in the enhanced mental models of the systems' users' (p. 130).
It is proposed that each interaction between the EIS and the executive will induce cognitive dissonance in the executive. The effect of the dissonance on the mental models will depend upon (a) whether the executive is in an exploratory mode or confirmatory mode and (b) whether the dissonance is below, within or above the threshold range.
Cognitive dissonance serves to instil an opportunity for the creation, confirmation, expansion or reconstruction of one's mental model (s). This increases the likelihood of the executive's effectiveness being enhanced by the EIS and thus would enable better decision making. On the other hand, it can also lead to the rejection of the EIS depending on the mode (exploratory or confirmatory) of the executives and the level of their conviction in their mental models.
An understanding of the cognitive dissonance threshold ranges of executives under different modes of operation is important to prevent rejection of the EIS at one extreme and unquestioning acceptance at the other extreme. Continuous learning engendered by cognitive dissonance within the threshold range, whether in the exploratory mode or the confirmatory mode, is essential tor sustaining the symbiotic relationship between the executive and the EIS. Controlling the level of dissonance within certain range limits would allow opportunities for the creation, confirmation, expansion or reconstruction of mental models and thus, through enhanced mental models, enable better decision making by the executive. This better decision making results in increased effectiveness.     

Adaptive,intelligent presentation of information for the museum visitor in PEACH

The study of intelligent user interfaces and user modeling and adaptation is well suited for augmenting educational visits to museums. We have defined a novel integrated framework for museum visits and claim that such a framework is essential in such a vast domain that inherently implies complex interactivity. We found that it requires a significant investment in software and hardware infrastructure, design and implementation of intelligent interfaces, and a systematic and iterative evaluation of the design and functionality of user interfaces, involving actual visitors at every stage. We defined and built a suite of interactive and user-adaptive technologies for museum visitors, which was then evaluated at the Buonconsiglio Castle in Trento, Italy: (1) animated agents that help motivate visitors and focus their attention when necessary, (2) automatically generated, adaptive video documentaries on mobile devices, and (3) automatically generated post-visit summaries that reflect the individual interests of visitors as determined by their behavior and choices during their visit. These components are supported by underlying user modeling and inference mechanisms that allow for adaptivity and personalization. Novel software infrastructure allows for agent connectivity and fusion of multiple positioning data streams in the museum space. We conducted several experiments, focusing on various aspects of PEACH. In one, conducted with 110 visitors, we found evidence that even older users are comfortable interacting with a major component of the system.     

Belief, information acquisition, and trust in multi-agent systems—A modal logic formulation

In this paper, we consider the influence of trust on the assimilation of acquired information into an agent's belief. By use of modal logic, we semantically and axiomatically characterize the relationship among belief, information acquisition and trust. The belief and information acquisition operators are respectively represented by KD45 and KD normal modalities, whereas trust is denoted by a modal operator with minimal semantics. One characteristic axiom of the basic system is if agent i believes that agent j has told him the truth of p and he trusts the judgement of j on p, then he will also believe p. In addition to the basic system, some variants and further axioms for trust and information acquisition are also presented to show the expressive richness of the logic. The applications of the logic to computer security and database reasoning are also suggested by its connection with some previous works.     

A Windows computer application for long term data acquisition, storage and presentation of biological signals

We developed a windows application dedicated to recording, displaying and storing large amounts of biological signals on a standard PC. The application works in Matlab and uses an A/D-converter interface that enables a user to run the same software for signal acquisition, display and processing with different A/D-converter boards. The software program consists of three integrated modules, for setting the protocol for signal acquisition; for commands that can be accessed during data acquisition and for software routines that enable off-line viewing, pre-processing and processing of recorded data. It adapts to different computer hardware configurations by enabling the user to define file size, data resolution and file storage on local and network hard disks during signal acquisition.     

Web log analysis: a review of a decade of studies about information acquisition,inspection and interpretation of user interaction

In the last decade, the importance of analyzing information management systems logs has grown, because log data constitute a relevant aspect in evaluating the quality of such systems. A review of 10 years of research on log analysis is presented in this paper. About 50 papers and posters from five major conferences and about 30 related journal papers have been selected to trace the history of the state-of-the-art in this field. The paper presents an overview of two main themes: Web search engine log analysis and Digital Library System log analysis. The problem of the analysis of different sources of log data and the distribution of data are investigated.     

Modelling of cognitive activity during normal and abnormal situations using Object Petri Nets, application to a supervision system

This article presents a method for the modelling of cognitive activity using Object Petri Nets. The method includes the recognition of the various classes of situation (normal and abnormal) which human operators are likely to meet whilst performing their tasks. Each of these classes is described according to the characteristics of the state of the system. We will present the various mental representations used during the control/command activity according to the main aims set by the operator. The examples given come from a project dealing with the integration of a a supervision system in a railway traffic regulation room.     

Work content influences on cognitive task load,emotional state and performance during a simulated 520-days' Mars mission

In high-risk domains such as human space flight, cognitive performances can be negatively affected by emotional responses to events and conditions in their working environment (e.g., isolation and health incidents). The COgnitive Performance and Error (COPE) model distinguishes effects of work content on cognitive task load and emotional state, and their effect on the professional's performance. This paper examines the relationships between these variables for a simulated Mars-mission. Six volunteers (well-educated and -motivated men) were isolated for 520 days in a simulated spacecraft in which they had to execute a (virtual) mission to Mars. As part of this mission, every other week, several computer tasks were performed. These tasks consisted of a negotiation game, a chat-based learning activity and an entertainment game. Before and after these tasks, and after post-task questionnaires, the participants rated their emotional state consisting of arousal, valence and dominance, and their cognitive task load consisting of level of information processing, time occupied and task-set switches. Results revealed significant differences between cognitive task load and emotional state levels when work content varied. Significant regression models were also found that could explain variation in task performance. These findings contribute to the validation of the COPE model and suggest that differences in appraisals for tasks may bring about different emotional states and task performances.     

The influence of precision requirements and cognitive challenges on upper extremity joint reaction forces,moments and muscle force estimates during prolonged repetitive lifting

Prolonged repetitive lifting is a whole-body exertion. Despite this, the roles and physical exposures of the upper extremities are frequently neglected. The influence of precision requirements and cognitive distractions on upper extremity responses when lifting was evaluated by quantifying several biomechanical upper extremity quantities. Nine participants completed four 30-min lifting tasks with and without simultaneous cognitive distractions and/or precision placement constraints. Specific metrics evaluated were joint reaction forces and moments (wrist, elbow and shoulder) and modelled shoulder muscle forces (38 defined shoulder muscle mechanical elements). The addition of a precision requirement increased several metrics by up to 43%, while the addition of the cognitive distraction task had minimal influence. Furthermore, several metrics decreased by up to 14% after the first 10 min of lifting, suggesting a temporal change of lifting strategy.     

Smart sheet metal forming: importance of data acquisition,preprocessing and transformation on the performance of a multiclass support vector machine for predicting wear states during blanking

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing - In consequence of high cost pressure and the progressive globalization of markets, blanking, which represents the most economical process in the value chain...