Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Oxygen Deprivation On Pilot Performance And Cognitive Processing Skills: A Pilot Study, David Francis Shideler

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, pilots flying above 14,000 ft. are required to use supplemental oxygen. The purpose of this study was to examine how oxygen deprivation below 14,000 ft. affects pilot performance using the Frasca Mentor Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD), and cognitive processing skills using the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM(TM)) cognitive test. The study was conducted in a Normobaric High Altitude Laboratory at simulated altitudes of 5,000 ft. and 14,000 ft. In this pilot study, only five participants were tested; non-significant results of the analysis were anticipated; however, as oxygen levels decreased and time of …

Exploration Of Sensemaking In The Education Of Novices To The Complex Cognitive Work Domain Of Air Traffic Control, Travis J. Wiltshire

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Many current complex business and industry jobs consist primarily of cognitive work; however, current approaches to training may be inadequate for this type of work (Hoffman, Feltovich, Fiore, Klein, & Ziebell, 2009). To try and improve training and education for cognitive work, Klein and Baxter (2006) have proposed cognitive transformation theory (CTT), a learning theory that claims that sensemaking activities are essential for acquiring expertise that is adaptive and thus well suited for cognitive work domains. In the present research, cognitive task analysis methods were used to identify and assess sensemaking support in the instruction and learning of complex concepts …

The Effects Of Expertise And Information Location On Change Blindness Detection Within An Aviation Domain, Dinorah Zárate

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Change blindness is a phenomenon where the viewer fails to detect change in an object or scene during a visual disturbance. During a flight, a pilot samples multiple displays for information about the task at hand. It is imperative that the changes in the displays are being correctly viewed by pilots to ensure a safe flight. However, it is unknown how much change blindness affects pilots or if pilot expertise plays a role in change detection.

A change blindness experiment was performed with twenty four participants divided into two groups based on expertise. Expert pilots were defined as instructor pilots …

The Effects Of Different Optokinetic Drum Rotation Speeds On Motion Sickness Symptoms, Cognitive Performance And Sleep Amount, Wilfredo Rodríguez-Jiménez

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Symptoms of motion sickness can be disruptive to human performance. If vection-induced motion sickness symptoms, sleep amount disruptions, and worsening of cognitive performance can be measured and characterized, there are practical implications for equipment design, especially for virtual reality devices and simulators. The researcher conducted three studies. The first study examined the effects of different rotation speeds (0 RPM, 5 RPM, and 10 RPM) of the optokinetic drum on motion sickness symptoms. Motion sickness symptoms were measured using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). Before exposure to the optokinetic drum, participants were not significantly different from one another in terms of …

Quality And Quantity Of Sleep Study And Its Relationship To The Performance Of Lpga Tour Players, Maria Elena Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The relationship between sleep efficiency and elite level athletic performance that has a definitive and individual measure of performance (like golf, track, & swimming) has never been systematically studied. The extreme and rigorous travel schedules of professional golfers prevent consistent and necessary sleep schedules. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) permitted Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) to ask for volunteers at two tournaments during October of 2010 to complete subjective sleep fatigue logs. Analysis of the sleep fatigue logs revealed a relationship between sleep quality and performance (golf score). Subsequent relationships were also found between subjective fatigue and sleep quality, and …

Assessing Color Discrimination, Joshua R. Maxwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate human color vision discriminability within individuals that have color normal vision and those that have color deficient vision. Combinations of 15 colors were used from a list of colors recommended for computer displays in Air Traffic Control settings, a population with some mildly color vision deficient individuals. After a match to sample test was designed to assess the limits of human color vision discrimination based on color saturation and hue, standard color diagnostic tests were used to categorize college students as having normal or deficient color vision. The results argue that color …

Naturalistic Study Examining The Data/Frame Model Of Sensemaking By Assessing Experts In Complex, Time-Pressured Aviation Domains, Katherine P. Kaste

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Research on expert chess players, radiologists and landmine detection personnel suggests a use of cognitive frameworks, alternatively referred to as schemas, templates, scripts, frames and models, to effectively perceive, interpret, understand, recall, and anticipate information. These experts may use cognitive frameworks to capture past experience in ways that support rapid pattern recognition, adaptive responses and proactivity. The proposed research approach assumes that experienced pilots will similarly rely on cognitive frameworks to handle information and make sense of complex, fast-moving situations experienced in their information-dense environments. Predictions from Klein et al.'s (2006) Data/Frame Model of Sensemaking were used to evaluate event-based …