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Single-Engine Firefighting Air Tanker Human Factors, R. Small, C. Wickens, A. Sebok, R. Sargent, M. Bickham, C. Kemper

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2011

This paper describes the unique environment and safety challenges for pilots who fly singleengine air tanker (SEAT) firefighting aircraft, and the highlights from a human factors (HF) analysis of SEAT operations conducted in 2009. The HF analysis used the FAA’s Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) because of its broad examination of HF issues and prior use in aviation. We examined operations, training, and the applicable safety reports, and we interviewed or received anonymous surveys from 71 stakeholders – pilots, supervisors, and managers. The analysis yielded 63 recommendations, many of which were adopted for the 2010 fire season. Despite …

System Of Care Implementation, Robert M. Friedman, Paul E. Greenbaum, Wei Wang, Krista Kutash, Roger A. Boothroyd

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

For almost 25 years now, a major policy emphasis in children’s mental health at the federal level and within most states has been the development of community-based systems of care. There have been many meetings and conferences about this, training and technical assistance material has been provided, and written material has been prepared, and a federal grant program, the Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) has now provided funding to over 100 grantees for the development of such systems of care.

Evaluation Of An Intervention For Adolescent Girls With Trauma Related Disorders, Meredith Elzy, Sarah Cobb, Norin Dollard, Teresea Van Alstine, Colleen Clark

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

2009- 2010 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Kathleen Bell, Danetta Bradley, Vacheral M. Carter, Nydia Diaz, Kathryn E. English, Sarah Harrison, Michelle Israel, Christina Macke, Erica Orozco, Pilar Palos, Sandra Ramos, Soraya A. Silverman, Susan Taylor, Sajar Camara, William Mccurdy, Yvonne C. Morris, Maxym V. Myroshnychenko, Ricardo Rios, Monique Sulls, Bremen Vance, Barbara Wallen

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

Alterations In Default Network Connectivity In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Related To Early Life Trauma, Robyn L. Bluhm, Peter C. Williamson, Elizabeth A. Osuch, Paul A. Frewen, Todd K. Stevens, Kristine Boksman, Richard W.J. Neufeld, Jean Théberge, Ruth A. Lanius

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Background: The "default network" consists of a number of brain regions that exhibit correlated low-frequency activity at rest and that have been suggested to be involved in the processing of self-relevant stimuli. Activity in many of these areas has also been shown to be altered in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesized that the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus, part of the default network, would exhibit altered connectivity at rest with other areas of the default network and regions associated with PTSD.

Methods: Seventeen medicated and unmedicated female patients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to early-life trauma …

Resting State Default-Mode Network Connectivity In Early Depression Using A Seed Region-Of-Interest Analysis: Decreased Connectivity With Caudate Nucleus, Robyn Bluhm, Peter Williamson, Ruth Lanius, Jean Théberge, Maria Densmore, Robert Bartha, Richard Neufeld, Elizabeth Osuch

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Aim: Reports on resting brain activity in healthy controls have described a default-mode network (DMN) and important differences in DMN connectivity have emerged for several psychiatric conditions. No study to date, however, has investigated resting-state DMN in relatively early depression before years of medication treatment. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the DMN in patients seeking help from specialized mental health services for the first time for symptoms of depression.

Methods: Fourteen depressed subjects and 15 matched controls were scanned using 4-T functional magnetic resonance imaging while resting with eyes closed. All but one subject was …

Gene–Environment Interactions Across Development: Exploring Drd2 Genotype And Prenatal Smoking Effects On Self-Regulation, Sandra A. Wiebe, Kimberly Andrews Espy, Christian Stopp, Jennifer Respass, Peter Stewart, Travis R. Jameson, David G. Gilbert, Jodi I. Huggenvik

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Genetic factors dynamically interact with both pre- and postnatal environmental influences to shape development. Considerable attention has been devoted to gene–environment interactions (G × E) on important outcomes (A. Caspi & T. E. Moffitt, 2006). It is also important to consider the possibility that these G × E effects may vary across development, particularly for constructs like self-regulation that emerge slowly, depend on brain regions that change qualitatively in different developmental periods, and thus may be manifested differently. To illustrate one approach to exploring such developmental patterns, the relation between variation in the TaqIA polymorphism, related to D2 dopamine receptor …

Daily Negative Mood Affects Fasting Glucose In Type 2 Diabetes, Marilyn M. Skaff, Joseph T. Mullan, David M. Almeida, Lesa Hoffman, Umesh Masharani, David Mohr, Lawrence Fisher

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine the relationship between mood and blood glucose in a 21-day daily diary study.
Design: During a home visit, information was gathered from 206 persons with Type 2 diabetes regarding demographics, disease characteristics and treatment, and depressive symptoms. They had blood drawn at a laboratory, yielding HbA1C. The participants were then telephoned each evening for 21 days and were asked about their positive and negative mood during the past 24 hours. They also tested their blood glucose upon rising in the morning.
Main Outcome Measures: The main outcomes measures were positive and negative affect and fasting glucose.
Results: …

Epistatic Interaction Between Comt And Dat1 Genes On Eating Behavior: A Pilot Study, Samantha L. Hersrud, Scott F. Stoltenberg

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Problems related to food and weight in women may be influenced by the (DA) dopamine system. Catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) and the dopamine transporter (DAT) exert control on concentrations of extracellular DA. High and low functioning alleles of the COMT Val158Met and DAT1 3’ UTR VNTR polymorphisms have been identified, and their associations with reward and cognition suggest a role in the modulation of eating behavior. A sample of undergraduate college women (N = 71) was characterized for binge eating and eating psychopathology and genotyped for the COMT and DAT1 markers. Results revealed a significant epistatic interaction between COMT and DAT1 …

What’S Fair In Foul Weather And Fair? Distributive Justice Across Different Allocation Contexts And Goods, John T. Scott, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Gulf coast hurricanes of a few years ago vividly highlighted important questions concerning the fair distribution of resources that are of continual concern in the more mundane distributive policies of the modern state. We present an experimental study of allocation decisions across two allocation contexts—nonemergency and emergency (flood) conditions—and with regard to qualitatively different goods—money, prescription medicine, and food. Distributive behavior is likely to vary across context and good depending on how individuals weigh distinct and competing allocation principles—merit, need, and equality here—in different circumstances. We find that allocation behavior is complex but structured, with context and good having …

Child Maltreatment History Among Newlywed Couples : A Longitudinal Study Of Marital Outcomes And Mediating Pathways, David Dilillo, James Peugh, Kate Walsh, Jillian Panuzio, Emily Trask, Sarah Evans

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Participants included 202 newlywed couples who reported retrospectively about child maltreatment experiences (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) and whose marital functioning was assessed 3 times over a 2-year period. Decreased marital satisfaction at T1 was predicted by childhood physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect for husbands; only neglect predicted lower satisfaction for wives. Increased maltreatment of various types was also related to T1 difficulties with marital trust and partner aggression. Dyadic growth curve analyses showed that the marital difficulties reported at T1 tended to remain over the course of the study. Further, in several instances, maltreatment exerted …

Repeated Antipsychotic Treatment Progressively Potentiates Inhibition On Phencyclidine-Induced Hyperlocomotion, But Attenuates Inhibition On Amphetamine-Induced Hyperlocomotion: Relevance To Animal Models Of Antipsychotic Drugs, Tao Sun, Gang Hu, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Clinical obervations indicate that antipsychotic action starts early and increases in magnitude with repeated treatment. Animal models that faithfully capture this time course of action are few. Inhibition of hyperlocomotion induced by amphetamine or phencyclidine has been widely used as a screening tool for the antipsychotic activity of a drug. We thus investigated whether repeated antipsychotic treatment could produce an early-onset and progressively increased antagonistic effect on amphetamine or phencyclidine-induced hyperlocomotion as a way of assessing the validity of such models in capturing time course of antipsychotic action. One each of the five consecutive test days, different groups of rats …

Persons As Contexts: Evaluating Between-Person And Within-Person Effects In Longitudinal Analysis, Lesa Hoffman, Robert S. Stawski

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Relationships among multiple variables over time are of interest in many developmental areas and are frequently examined using time-varying predictors in multilevel models. Yet an incomplete specification of time-varying predictors will usually result in biased model effects. Specifically, the impact of constant, between-person sources of variation must be differentiated from the impact of time-specific, within-person sources of variation -that is, persons should be modeled as contexts. The current didactic article expands upon previous work to address why and how to model persons as contexts in longitudinal analysis. An electronic appendix of syntax for estimating these models is also provided.

Tests Of The Dynamic Field Theory And The Spatial Precision Hypothesis: Capturing A Qualitative Developmental Transition In Spatial Working Memory, Anne R. Schutte, John P. Spencer

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study tested a dynamic field theory (DFT) of spatial working memory and an associated spatial precision hypothesis (SPH). Between 3 and 6 years of age, there is a qualitative shift in how children use reference axes to remember locations: 3-year-olds’ spatial recall responses are biased toward reference axes after short memory delays, whereas 6-year-olds’ responses are biased away from reference axes. According to the DFT and the SPH, quantitative improvements over development in the precision of excitatory and inhibitory working memory processes lead to this qualitative shift. Simulations of the DFT in Experiment 1 predict that improvements in precision …

Modeling Cockpit Interface Usage During Lunar Landing Redesignation, Zarrin K. Chua, Laura M. Major, Karen M. Feigh

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Fulfilling NASA’s space exploration objectives requires precision landing to reach lunar sites of interest. During the approach and landing stages, a landing point redesignation (LPR) display will provide information to the crew regarding the characteristics of alternate touchdown points. Building on a previous study which examined crew tasks during LPR but did not account for the specialized behavior of experts, this investigation will present a new task sequence model, specific to expert decision-making. This analysis furthers the development of a predictive task execution model, which is used to test the efficacy of alternate information display and operator actuator design concepts. …

Post-Traumatic Stress In Flight Attendant's Labor, Filipieva Tatiana Phd

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Airline crashes, hijackings, turbulence incidents and other emergencies have the potential for inflicting severe emotional trauma in flight attendants involved either directly or indirectly. A critical incident is a part of the extreme professions in aviation. Although the aviation industry attempted to bring help following an air disaster, post-traumatic stress is still one of the most misdiagnosed and ignored illnesses that can beset an individual. In the article, which is based on the results of Russian and American aviation psychologists’ research, we try to answer the questions: How post-traumatic stress affects cabin crew’s work performance and flight attendants’ life? How …

Adaptation Of Crm Training For The Railway Industry Operational Safety Benefits, Matthew T.S. Tsang, Hans-Juergen Hoermann

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

In aviation, Crew Resource Management (CRM) was developed to address safety issues derived from accident and incident investigations. As CRM has proven its effectiveness by improving teamwork, communication and staff responses to operational hazards, there have been many attempts to expand this concept into other high-risk sectors such as medical, nuclear, or military. Although some work was also conducted to modify CRM for the railway industry, no such experiences yet existed in China or Hong Kong. Having observed the effectiveness of CRM and Line Oriented Training (LOT) in aviation, this paper documents the introduction and initial evaluation of CRM and …

Training To Reduce Aviation Maintenance Error: Assessing Maintenance Resource Management Programs In Commercial Aviation, Erin E. Block, Edward J. Sabin, Manoj S. Patankar

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Maintenance resource management (MRM) training is intended to integrate existing technical skills of maintenance employees with interpersonal skills/human factors knowledge to improve communication effectiveness & maintenance safety. The FAA suggests successful MRM training not only teaches error avoidance, but also the adoption of attitudes that support a safety culture. This coincides with FAA encouragement to incorporate systems theory into MRM training to put human factors issues in larger organizational context. Many programs currently use the MRM/TOQ survey to assess the impact of MRM training & its effectiveness in changing safety-related attitudes.

The Effects Of Success Related Pressure On Information Processing Strategies And Plan Continuation Error, Bourgeon Léonore, Valot Claude, Fauconnet Sophie, Loyau Fanny, Navarro Claude

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

An experiment was conducted to explore whether plan continuation errors could be explained by two types of perseveration behaviours: Perseveration in a wrong Representation do the Situation (PRS) and Perseveration in a risky Plan of Action (PPA). Effects of success-related pressure and flight phase on pilots performance were also examined. Six scenarios were created where expected or unexpected threats had to be managed. Pilots chose between three plans of actions corresponding to PPA, PRS and Flexibility. Results showed that the two types of perseveration could effectively explain plan continuation errors even though PPA characterised cruise phase and PRS was more …

How Differences In Spatial Ability Influence Inexperienced Users In A Visual Perceptual Aviation Task, Michael T. Curtis, Florian G. Jentsch, Crystal Maraj

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

The approach and landing phase of flight is widely recognized as one of the most difficult phases of flight. More specifically, professionals in aviation training report difficulty in training inexperienced pilots on execution of visual approaches. The current paper focuses on our efforts to develop a perceptual skill trainer using a static image discrimination task. From a perceptual standpoint there are a number of documented visual environmental cues that have been found to impact one’s ability to judge distances. These distracting cues can cause individuals to misjudge distance to landing surfaces, and subsequently result in an unstable or unsafe approach. …

Assessing Novel Adaptive Displays Impact On Pilot Performance, Sean L. Guarino, Karen Harper, Emilie Roth, Dahai Liu, Mark Bartosiewicz, Dennis Vincenzi

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Combat aircraft advances have led to a dramatic increase in the operational tempo facing the Navy pilot, increasing the likelihood for Situation Awareness (SA) failures, biased decision-making and information overload. We designed a system for constructing intelligent adaptive displays to address these issues and, within it, designed and evaluated two interfaces targeted at tactical SA challenges: (1) a Weapons Employment Zone (WEZ) Display designed to support awareness of combat geometry; and (2) an Adaptive Boundary Display (ABD) designed to warn pilots of impending border infractions that would compromise Rules of Engagement (ROEs). We tested the ability of these displays to …

Comparing The Accuracy Of Performing Digital And Paper Checklists Using A Feedback Intervention Package During Normal Workload Conditions In Simulated Flight, William G. Rantz Ph.D., Bryan W. Hilton B.S.

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

This study examined whether pilots completed airplane digital and paper checklists more accurately when they received post-flight graphic and verbal feedback. Participants were 6 college student pilots with instrument ratings. The task consisted of flying flight patterns using a Frasca 241 Flight Training Device which emulates the Cirrus SR20. An alternating treatment, multiple baseline design across pairs with reversal was used. Visual inspection and statistical analysis of the data suggests that paper checklist accuracy does not differ significantly from digital checklist accuracy during normal workload conditions. The results also suggest that graphic feedback and praise can be used to increase …

Results From The First Faa Industry Training Standards (Fits) Commercial Pilot Training Course – A Student’S Perspective, Paul A. Craig, Wendy S. Beckman, Mark Callender, Steve Gossett, Wayne Dornan

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

In January 2008, students in the Professional Pilot program at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) began training using an FAA Industry Training Standards (FITS) Commercial Pilot curriculum. The course was accepted as a scenario-based and competency-based curriculum by the FAA as a “Special Curricula.” Students entered the FITS Commercial Pilot course having completed their Private Pilot Certificate and Instrument Rating. Some of the students had completed a FITS accepted and FAA approved combined Private/Instrument course, while others had completed separate Private Pilot and Instrument courses. The first thirty-three students completed the course with lower total flight times than students have …

Control-Force Inputs Obtained From Pilots And Nonpilots (Flight Attendants): Comparison With Established Handbook Distributions Of Performance, Dennis B. Beringer

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Earlier reports in this series (Beringer, 2006-2008) have reported the force that pilots and nonpilots could exert on flight controls. This paper presents a comparison of some well-known tables of human strength with the values from recent samples of women and men pilots and nonpilots in an attempt to determine how closely those distributions fit tabled distributions of human strength. Findings suggest that some other samples may be used to approximate the difficult-to-sample Part 121 female pilots if the data are treated properly. Specifically, yoke-activation tasks for the female pilots could be reasonably well approximated by fractional performance values of …

Knowledge And Skill-Based Evaluation Of Simulated And Live Training – From Evaluation Framework To Field Application, Martin Castor, Jonathan Borgvall, Winston Bennett Jr.

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

In a study, a simulated spin-up exercise and the corresponding large-scale live military flight training exercise was evaluated based on the Alliger et al. augmented taxonomy of Kirkpatrick’s training criteria. The data collection was developed and designed to assess the training from reactions to in-simulator knowledge and skill development to operative training effect. The basis for the evaluation was knowledge and skills identified with the Mission Essential Competencies (MEC) process. Using surveys, quantitative and qualitative data from 14 fighter pilots were collected regarding reactions to training, perceived training value and additional training needs. This paper will present the rationale and …

Effects Of Visual, Seat, And Platform Motion During Flight Simulator Air Transport Pilot Training And Evaluation, Judith Bürki-Cohen, Andrea L. Sparko, Young Jin Jo, Tiauq H. Go

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Access to affordable and effective flight-simulation training devices (FSTDs) is critical to safely train airline crews in aviating, navigating, communicating, making decisions, and managing flightdeck and crew resources. This paper provides an overview of the Federal Aviation Administration- Volpe Center Flight Simulator Human Factors Program examining the requirements for the qualification and use of FSTDs. We will summarize past research investigating the need for a full hexapod-platform motion system, describe regulatory and industry developments, and report on current activities.

Proposing Attitude Indicator Modifications To Aid In Unusual Attitude Recovery, Nathan B. Maertens

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Pilots’ inability to recover from unusual attitudes (UA) is a major factor in loss of control in-flight (LOCIF) accidents, the largest cause of commercial aviation fatalities (Boeing, 2008). One study found 58% of professional pilots and 72% of general aviation pilots were unable to recover from LOCIF upsets (Regional Aviation News, 2008). Statistics also show that LOCIF is the only fatal aviation accident type not to appreciably decrease over a 21 year period ending in 2002 (Sumwalt, 2003a). A revision of the attitude indicator (AI) is proposed to examine if this would reduce the problem by keeping pilots from flying …

Development Of Method For Crm Skills Asessment, Hiroka Tsuda, Tomoko Iijima, Fumio Noda, Kohei Funabiki

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

Crew Resource Management (CRM) is currently considered as one of the most effective methods for avoiding human errors or minimizing their effects. In training, measurement of the level of flight crews’ CRM Skills is necessary in order to evaluate objectively which Skills have been adequately learned and which are lacking. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has developed CRM Skills Behavioral Markers and CRM Skills Measurement Methods that can identify a crew’s level of CRM Skills by which human errors and threats are managed. A series of simulated-LOFT (line oriented flight simulation training) were conducted to examine the applicability of …

Air Traffic Control Crew Resource Management: To Find Truth And Facilitate Change, Skip Grieser M.Ed.

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Organization Office of Safety sponsors a comprehensive and ongoing program of Crew Resource Management (CRM), Human Factors in Air Traffic Control (ATC). CRM begins with a oneday workshop for all field ATC personnel, including management, staff, supervisors, and air traffic controllers. Facilitators present principles and methods in teamwork, individual performance, and Threat and Error Management, and participants discuss and record how they can use those principles and methods in their air traffic operations and safety cultures. Participants identify local safety issues and record their own recommendations, which then are compiled from all the workshops …

Coginitve Task Analysis Of Distributed Network-Centric Information For The Promotion Of Shared Situational Awareness Within Collaborative Uas Operations, Jeffery A. Getzlaff, Allen J. Rowe

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2009

A hybrid model of cognitive task analysis coupled with activity theory and team cognition was evaluated to determine human-computer interface (HCI) design factors that promote Shared Situational Awareness (SSA) within a collaborative unmanned aerial system (UAS). A computer testbed simulation was created for use with participants in a time-sensitive Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and weapons engagement mission testing scenario. A cognitive analysis was performed which consisted of a Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA), Applied Cognitive Task Analysis (ACTA), time-sensitive activity analysis, and coordinated team cognition. Results from testing indicated that the promotion of situational awareness (SA) was enabled by network-centric …