Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Redesigning Airport Diagrams With Principles Of Cognitive Psychology, Jacob Miller

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The aviation community strives for air travel to be the safest form of transportation. The National Transportation Safety Board published a “Most Wanted” list to acknowledge the most threatening safety issues, and runway safety and runway incursions were at the top of their list. Furthermore, runway incursion statistics by the Federal Aviation Administration show that pilot deviations were the most common cause for runways incursions. Misunderstandings of airport diagrams may be one reason for pilot deviations. While navigating through airport taxiways, pilots refer to their airport diagrams as a map of the airport. Unfortunately, airport diagrams are not designed with …

The Interaction Of Motivational Orientation And Social Context In A Flight Setting, Noelle D. Brunelle

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of motivational orientation and social context on decisions made during flight. Cultural dimensions such as power distance, uncertainty avoidance and individualism have been found to correlate with aviation accident rates. Self-determination theory provides a schedule of social contexts and cues that support, control or thwart individual motivation, with the task-focused properties of intrinsic motivation and the external (group) focus of extrinsic motivation similar to descriptions of the cultural dimensions of individualism and collectivism. In addition, studies have demonstrated contextual cues may be used to prime cognitive goals, behaviors and strategies. …

An Investigation Of Determinism And Chaotic Behavior In Flight Performance Data: A Chaos Theory And Nonlinear Time Series Analysis Approach, Lionel Blankson Amanfu

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Human flight performance data were investigated using non-linear time series analysis methods to determine deterministic chaotic behavior in the data. Using a sequence of steps of non-linear methods, four flight performance data were used to investigate for the existence of deterministic chaotic behavior. Results revealed that flight performance data may exhibit chaotic behavior. Results also showed a consistent low determinism value in all the data examined which is the defining characteristic of chaotic behavior. It was also found that the data originated from non-stationary process. The Maximal Lyapunov Exponent (MLE) value which indicate chaotic behavior exist in the data revealed …

The Effects Of Domain Knowledge And Scene Content On Change Detection Using A Change Blindness Paradigm, Marianne T. Baskin

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This thesis was designed to determine how domain knowledge or scene content affects change detection. Twenty-four participants of medical professionals and non-medical professionals performed a change detection task using a flicker paradigm intended to be similar to saccadic movements or blinks. Each participant viewed 24 pictures on a computer screen, each picture flickering with a blank gray screen alternating between the original and modified version of the picture, and was asked to indicate when a change was detected by depressing a key. Twelve of the pictures were medical X-rays while the other 12 were everyday scenes. Reaction time, number of …

Quantifying The Cognitive, Symptomatic And Neuroendocrine Impact Of The Coriolis Illusion; A Countermeasure For Motion Sickness, Catherine Grandizio

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

When pilots are unable to accurately perceive the position and motion of their bodies, they are spatially disoriented. Spatial disorientation is often induced by aviation illusions, and its consequences include dizziness, confusion, nausea and fatigue. The present research evaluated the severity of cognitive, neuroendocrine and subjective symptoms of the Coriolis illusion, induced by a spatial disorientation flight training device. Also, the research examined the effectiveness of a mild, ground-based countermeasure, similar to the Coriolis illusion, in reducing the occurrence and severity of symptoms. In the early stages of data analysis, there appeared to be a significant impact of the Coriolis …

A Macroscopic Validation Of The Evacuation Simulation Prediction Tool On Highway Travel Times, Kay Fortinberry Borglum

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this applied research study was to test the sensitivity of the Evacuation Simulation Prediction (ESP) tool in predicting travel time during high volume traffic periods. The discrete event-based simulation tool was designed to aid local evacuation planning contingencies. Research of the Florida Department of Transportation traffic count data demonstrated parallel trends in rush hour volume versus hurricane evacuation volume. A model validation was designed to test if the model closely predicted high volume travel on a major interstate. For this macroscopic sensitivity test, volume, travel time and speed were collected to examine the baseline predictability under crash …

Gender Differences In Auditory Perception Of Pure Tone Frequencies And Speech Intelligibility Via Bone Conduction Transducers, Meghan Leigh Hodges

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Two experiments were conducted to see if gender differences exist in bone conduction hearing processes. The first experiment was a pure tone study where hearing thresholds for six pure tone frequencies and four bone conduction skull locations were measured in 15 male and 15 female participants to determine if gender differences exist in auditory signal detection. As frequency of the pure tone signal increased the difference between genders’ hearing thresholds and mean ranks of threshold overall; however, when Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests were performed, significant differences between genders for bone conduction were only found for the mastoid location at 6000-Hz and …

Assessing Reliability Of Expert Ratings Among Judges Responding To A Survey Instrument Developed To Study The Long Term Efficacy Of The Abet Engineering Criteria, Ec2000, Tracy L. Litzinger

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

In today’s assessment processes, especially those evaluations that rely on humans to make subjective judgements, it is necessary to analyze the quality of their ratings. The psychometric issues associated with assessment provide the lens through which researchers interpret results and important decisions are made. Therefore, inter-rater agreement (IRA) and inter-rater reliability (IRR) are pre-requisites for rater-dependent data analysis. A survey instrument cannot provide “good” information if it is not reliable; in other words, reliability is central to the validation of an instrument. When judges cannot be shown to reliably rate a performance, item, or target, the question becomes why the …

The Effect Of Gender Schematicity On The Assessment Of Male And Female Pilots’ Competence Given Identical Scenarios, Jan D. Laplante

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Gender has been identified as one of the top three categories, along with race, and age that are subject to stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination (Fiske, 1998). With the emergence of women in stereotypical male domains, gender research has never been more important. The aviation community is a prime example of one such domain.

This study examined the presence of an existing perception that male pilots are more competent then female pilots. It suggested that there does not appear to be evidence that would explain why there should be a difference in this perception of competence. It also discussed social theories …

Perceived Competence Of Aging Pilots, Laura M. Stelmach

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This study investigated the relationship between age and the perception of competence of pilots by the traveling public. Scenarios were utilized that depicted an airline captain successfully landing an airplane amidst adverse conditions. Scenarios varied only by the age of the Captain: Young, Old, or Unspecified Age and that the Young and Old scenarios included a photo of the captain. Perceived effectiveness, competence, avoidance, blame, and attribution as depicted by the Captain's performance in the scenario were assessed by 180 participants in three age groups (18-34, 35-55, and 56 <). Results showed that pilot age is a factor in perceived competence of pilots as well as participant age.

Using Scenario-Based Training To Teach Single Pilot Resource Management Related To The Use Of The Brs Parachute, Shayna Danielle Strally

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The Ballistic Recovery System is an emergency parachute for single engine aircraft which, when released, lowers the aircraft to the ground to prevent terrain collision. This study sought to examine the effects of scenario-based training on pilot’s use of the BRS. Of particular interest was the point at which the pilot decides to deploy the BRS. Single pilot resource management was included as a training objective, as it encompasses relevant cognitive skills such as decision making and situational awareness. The results showed participants in the scenario-based training condition performed significantly better than participants in a traditional training condition on several …

The Effects Of Gender And Regional Dialect On Performance In Aviation Communication, Erin E. Mccollum

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance effects of gender and regional dialect on air traffic control statement recall. Sixty-one student volunteers participated in the experiment. Thirty-one participants held a pilot’s license and 30 participants had no flight experience. Each participant listened to one CD with 60 ATC statements each representing a male and female voice and New England, Southern, and General American dialect. Participants were asked to recall exactly what they heard. If the participant could not understand what they heard, they requested a repeat. The participant’s performance was recorded to CD and analyzed. Demographic questionnaires …

The Effect Of Crosswind And Turbulence In Mental Workload And Pilot Tracking Performance, Bruno E. Vivaldi

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of crosswind and turbulence on mental workload and pilot tracking performance. Based on previous research, it was believed that as the amount of crosswind and turbulence is increased, mental workload would increase and tracking performance would decrease. The objective was to estimate the impact that crosswind and turbulence, of varying degrees, had on performance and workload. Fifteen full time college student volunteers served as experimental participants in a simulated horizontal and vertical tracking task. Each participant flew twelve instrument approaches, experiencing a different crosswind and turbulence combination during each approach. …

The Effects Of Competition And Perceived Pressure On Performance Of A Visual Scanning Task: A Test Of Cognitive Evaluation Theory, Tanya R. Adkins

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Cognitive Evaluation Theory was developed by Deci & Ryan, (1985) to explain factors that affect intrinsic motivation. This study was done to test this theory by having volunteers engage in direct and indirect competition while working on a simple task in a time-pressured environment. Specifically, it was predicted that task performance would be adversely affected in competition because participants would be focused on the outcome (winning versus losing), while being faced with a deadline for task completion. In addition, a reduction in intrinsic motivation toward the activity was expected. While these hypotheses were not supported, a proposal was made that …

Directing Attentional Resources Toward The Appropriate Information Processing System: A Test Of The Effects Of Processing Preference And Information Presentation Mode, Michael Edward Gosiewski

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Many studies have been interested in how people process information and follow instruction. The current study was developed to add to the existing knowledge about working memory through having participants receive instructions in different presentation mediums. It was further theorized that two processing preferences, need for cognition and need for affect, may moderate the relationship between instructions and performance. These processing constructs represent an individual's motivation to experience cognitive-based earning or emotion. Both the processing preferences and presentation types have been linked to hemispheric specialization. It was also hypothesized that an individual's level of creativity may influence their performance on …

An Analysis Of Intention Formation As A Function Of Prospective Memory In Air Traffic Controllers, Jennifer Nagle

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Prospective memory, or memory for future intents, is an important part of everyone's daily life. Air traffic controllers whose jobs are based in an environment that taxes their memory resources for extended periods of time rely on this type of memory. Controllers objectives often change based on incoming information and the amount of traffic they are controlling. It is important to investigate how controllers form intentions for future events, what processes facilitate retrieval of this information, and establish what influence experience may have. This study proposes to assess controllers in an air traffic scenario by employing a cognitive task analysis …

The Effect Of Testing Location And Task Complexity On Usability Testing Performance And User-Reported Stress Levels, Chris Andrzejczak

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Usability testing is becoming a more important part of the software design process. New methods allow remote usability testing to occur. Remote testing can be less costly and allow more data to be collected in less time in many cases, provided the user can still provide meaningful data. However, little is known about differences in the user experience between the two testing methods. In an effort to find differences in user experience between remote and traditional website usability testing, this study randomly assigned participants into two groups, one completing a usability test in a traditional lab setting, while the other …

Gender Differences In Accurate Route Recall In Novice Drivers Using Landmarks In Electronic Maps, Kimberly K. Brantley

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Past literature has found a link between gender and accuracy of route recall in traditional paper maps using landmarks. Research also suggests that what is already known about wayfinding behavior in the physical world can be applied to computer-generated environments. The goal of this study is to merge these two conclusions to determine if gender and route recall differences remain constant for global, electronic maps. Analysis of gender by accuracy as measured by number of trials showed that males required fewer trials (M = 3.63) than females (M = 4.09), F (1,99) = 7.29, p < .05 and accuracy as measured by number of errors in trial 1 also showed that males had fewer errors (M = 3.33) than females (M = 4.09), F (1,99) = 5.79, p < .05. Analysis of landmarks by accuracy as measured by number of trials showed participants viewing Landmark High Maps required fewer trials (M = 3.64) than those viewing Landmark Low Maps (M = 4.12), F (1,99) = 7.68, p < .05. Accuracy as measured by number of errors in trial 1 showed participants viewing Landmark High Maps had fewer errors in trial 1 (M = 3.16) than those viewing Landmark Low Maps (M = 4.33), F (1,99) = 11.87.

Age Group Differences In Recall Of Relevant And Irrelevant Words, Daniel Jose' Padilla

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Many studies have shown that older adults tend to perform more poorly on memory tasks, when compared to younger people. Conversely, studies have also indicated that there may be ways to combat this decline in age related memory performance by using memory aid techniques. In addition to memory aid techniques, word familiarity may be used to increase memory performance because working memory for familiar words benefits from the availability of long-term phonological memory representations, which act to "clean up" the decaying memory traces of items in the list retrieval stage. This memory study compared word recall performance of younger and …

The Effect Of Age And Advice Accuracy On Compliance With Decision Support, Susan E. Vallance

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This thesis was designed to determine whether age or the accuracy of advice provided significantly effects compliance with a computerized decision support assistant. 48 participants in two groups, aged 20-40 (younger adults) and 41-69 (older adults), performed a monitoring/vigilance task intended to be similar to screening baggage with an X-ray monitor. A decision support assistant was provided to assist participants in choosing one out of four gray circles that had the most contrast with the background screen. Compliance with the decision support assistant's advice was then assessed. Results indicated that the level of advice accuracy did have a significant effect …

Strategy Uses And Study Time: Relationship With Memory Performance In Older Adults, Karen A. S. Doolittle

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The overall purpose of this study was to foster a greater understanding of age-related memory loss as it pertains to the aging workforce's ability to remain productive and effective in a time of complex change, and to recommend some adjustments that can be made to compensate for these memory declines. The specific intent of this current project was to test one premise of Ericsson and Chase's Skilled Memory Theory, namely that memory skill is a skill that can be developed through enhanced encoding and through practice. By introducing participants to the simple mnemonic strategy of chunking and by allowing two …

Gender Differences In Preference For Learning Environment Among Aviation Education Students, Eric M. Moyer

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This study investigated whether differences existed between sex, male and female, for the preference of three different syllabi describing three different learning environments. Learning environments consisted of collaborative, and individual, with the individual sub-divided into competitive, and individual while co-varying participants for credit hours. 264 surveys were administered to students in freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes in order to collect preference, and demographic data. The surveys were presented as three fictional syllabi differing only in class grading format, and a paragraph on the instructional philosophy of the professor. Instructional philosophies described the proposed environment of the class by enforcing …

Situational Context And Personality Influences On Motor Performance: A Test Of Self-Determination Theory, Trena N. Thompson

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This research attempted to predict motor performance through consideration of an individual's personality orientation and the manipulation of motivation through priming a specified situational context. The effect of the personality orientation and situational prime on self-handicapping was also analyzed. Hypotheses were derived from key concepts of self-determination theory, specifically causality orientation theory, and previous work by Hodgins and colleagues (in press). The results of the study indicated that motor performance was not predicted by personality, situational prime, or the interaction of the two variables.

The Effects Of Social Support On Perceived Mood And Perceived Muscle Tension, Ashley B. Karr

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The researcher examined the effects of social support on stress reactivity following a moderate psychological stressor. The first independent variable (IV), social support, had two levels: alone (A) and pairs (P). The participants in the pairs level took part in the study with a friend. Participants in the alone level took part in the study by themselves. The second IV, period, had two levels: pre-stressor (Pre) and post-stressor (Post). Stress was induced with a mental arithmetic serial subtraction task and was measured by perceived mood state with the Perception of Mood States (POMS) and perceived muscle tension with the Nordic …

The Influence Of Warning Label Presentation In Memory Recognition Of Aging Adults, Brian J. Call

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Research indicates that hundreds of thousands of people are injured each year as a result of poor communication between medical personnel, warning label information, and consumers when taking over the counter or prescription medication. Typically, as adult's age, they are increasingly responsible for remembering the hazards of taking medications. If inadequate information exists in memory in regards to side effects, dosage, and other warnings, the likelihood of improper usage will increase. Because aging adults typically have a reduction in cognitive resources, it was hypothesized that older adults would require the aid of additional warning information to assist in the retrieval …

The Performance Effects Of A Low Dose Of Caffeine On A Cognitive Vigilance Task, Suzanne K. Robinson

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance effects of a low and high dose of caffeine on a Bakan cognitive vigilance task. 69 student volunteers participated in the experiment. Participants were randomly distributed among caffeine dosage levels of 0, 20, and 200 mg. The correct response score, which was chosen as the dependent variable, was collected by the vigilance program, however reaction time and false alarm data was also evaluated. These scores were analyzed over time blocks (first, second, third, or fourth ten minute period of the forty minute task). A 3x4 mixed design ANOVA was performed …

The Effectiveness Of An Augmented Reality Learning Paradigm, Brian Valimont

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

For decades the learning and training community has searched for a means that will incorporate the ever-growing body of research into everyday practice. While simulation and virtual reality dominate the community, the lack of real world cues in some systems and expense of others has imposed many limitations on these methods. Augmented reality (AR) incorporates computer-generated images overlaid onto real world objects. Although this technology seems to present distinct advantages over present mediums, it has yet to be determined if AR is effective for intentions of knowledge acquisition. The purpose of this study is to determine if augmented reality is …

The Effects Of An Induced Negative Mood State On Ground- Based Learning In Student Pilots, Angela Sophia Wendell

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Instructors Handbook (D.O.T.) (1999) emphasizes that aviation students must maintain a healthy and positive state of mind in order to succeed at learning. Factors such as worry, lack of interest, physical discomfort, and anxiety are all listed as obstacles to a student's ability to learn successfully during flight instruction. In addition, numerous studies support the idea that a negative mood state will have a detrimental effect on learning. This study attempts to investigate the effects of an induced negative mood state on ground- based learning in student pilots.

Auditory Stimulation And Its Effect On Spatial Temporal Ability, Cynthia G. Edwards

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This thesis was designed to detect the type of spatial ability most effected by auditory stimulation, as described in the Mozart effect. Previous research has shown enhancement of performance on the paper-folding and cutting subtest of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale IV with failures to replicate in research using other measures. Seventy-five college students enrolled in introductory psychology classes were exposed to one of three types of auditory stimulation, followed by two measures of spatial ability. The Purdue Visualization of Developments test correlates with tests of spatial orientation and require analytical processing, while the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test is …

Perception Of Competence In Male And Female Pilots: Between Group Differences, Marianne Paulsen

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This study investigated the relationship between gender and competence as perceived by pilots. Scenarios were utilized that depicted an airline captain successfully landing an airplane amidst adverse conditions. Scenarios varied only by the gender of the Captain: male, female, or unspecified by variance of pilot name. Perceived effectiveness, competence, avoidance, blame, and attribution as depicted by the Captain's performance in the scenario were assessed by 30 male and 30 female certified flight instructors. Results showed that female flight instructors' ratings of avoidance ability and attribution for success differed from male flight instructors. Attribution for blame differences between scenario conditions was …