Ergonomics Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Effects That Several Design Variables Have On The Accuracy And Precision Of Glass’ Delta And Hedges’ G, Joshua N. Dryer

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Effect size is the standardized effect that some treatment has on a sample of a population. In particular, Hedges' g and Glass delta are mean difference effect size estimators that are used to compute the effect sizes found in an experimental situation. A confidence interval is an interval placed around a point estimate that indicates the precision with which the point estimate can be made. This paper provides an explanation of the concept of effect size estimation and confidence interval calculation, the different methods that can be used to calculate effect sizes and confidence intervals, and applies these methods in …

Variations In Control And Display Gain In A First Control Order Compensatory Manual Tracking Task, Micah N. Morris

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

There exist many factors that contribute to the optimal manual control of a system by a human operator (HO). Two such variables include control gain and display gain. Of particular interest to the following experiment is the contribution of these two variables to the manual tracking performance of any HO conducting a compensatory tracking task while using a first control-order tracking system. Since the optimal level of control gain required for maximal manual control of a tracking device is system dependent, it may be expected that the same holds true of display gain. Regardless, it is the purpose of the …

The Search For The Opto-Kinetic Cervical Reflex And Reduced Roll Reversals In Pilots Viewing A 3-D Perspective Display, John Carl Faust

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Pilots using conventional instrumentation can suffer spatial disorientation (SD) when unexpectedly forced to transition from visual flight to instrument flight during roll maneuvers. This simulator study was conducted to see if a 3-D perspective display could prevent this form of spatial disorientation by eliciting the opto-kinetic cervical reflex (OKCR), an instinctive postural response that humans use to maintain awareness of their spatial orientation. The current research found evidence of the OKCR in pilots viewing both a 3-D perspective display and an electronic attitude indicator. Pilots viewing a standard moving-horizon attitude indicator produced little or no OKCR response. However, pilots still …

Copious Electronic Text On Small Screen Interfaces: A New Method Of Displaying Text On Cell Phones, William Fitzpatrick

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

A modified form of RSVP (rapid serial visual presentation) was presented to 15 male and 15 female undergraduate and graduate students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The participants read 9 short passages electronically presented as 2, 4, or 6 lines of text in rapid sequence on a simulated cell phone display interface, at three speeds. Comprehension of text passages was examined in an attempt to find an ideal method of presenting lengthy text on a small screen interface. The results indicated that as participants were exposed to greater speeds and an increasing number of lines their comprehension of the passages decreased. …

An Experimental Investigation Of The Differences In Subjective Pilot Workload Across Simulated And Real Flight Conditions, Todd V. Denning

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

An investigation was undertaken to determine the difference in workload between simulated and real flight conditions. The results from the Modified Cooper-Harper and NASA-TLX did not show significance, however, the theoretical implications from the NASA-TLX subscales were of interest. As this is the first study comparing these two environments utilizing subjective workload measures, more research needs to take place in order to provide reliable and valid findings.

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 …

The Effect Of Cockpit Noise On Aircraft Pilot Psychomotor Performance, Kelechi (Kc) Nwabeke

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cockpit noise on aircraft pilot psychomotor performance on a simulated tracking task. The performance of thirty-two participants was measured on a vertical and horizontal tracking task. In the control group, eight participants were used in a quiet condition. In the experimental group, eight participants were exposed to low intensity cockpit noise (50 dBA), eight participants were exposed to medium intensity cockpit noise (60 dBA) and eight participants were expose to high intensity cockpit noise (70 dBA). The performance of the control and experimental groups was measured in an advanced …

Effects Of Handedness On Completion Time During Performance Of Multiple Tasks Using “Proper” And “Improper” Tools, Lisnnette M. Nieves Suarez

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Handedness is a very critical factor involving single or multiple tasks that are designed for a specific hand. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of proper tool design. This research identified the dominant hand and measured task completion time between each of two tasks, 1) the use of left and right-handed scissors using the right hand, and 2) Mouse Manipulation Task using the calculator provided by the computer with a left and right-handed mouse using the right hand. Annett’s (1995) 12-item questionnaire was used to identify the preferred hand. This questionnaire consisted of having the participants …

The Effects Of Sound Cue Characteristics On Overcoming Front/Back Localization Errors In A 3-D Auditory Display, Robert J. Ehmann

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance effects of adding an additional sound cue characteristic to a 3-D auditory display sound stimulus to increase localization accuracy. Previous literature has provided evidence that localization accuracy for direct front and direct back regions is significantly worse than that of locations in the periphery for virtual 3-D auditory stimuli. In the study conducted, a highpass filter addition or a lowpass filter addition was compared to a "normal" condition for both the front and back locations. Results of the study showed that the best localization performance for the front location occurred …

An Analysis Of The Influence Of Age And Ionizing Radiation On Cognitive Performance, Elizabeth L. Gerhardt

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This thesis was designed to study whether age has a significant effect on cognitive test results among persons exposed to ionizing radiation. The data for this investigation came from the fourth year of a 1995-98 longitudinal study of subjects exposed to radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear power plant accident. Accuracy and efficiency scores from four cognitive tests taken by 84 Ukrainian volunteers were divided into two age groups and three radiation dosage groups for analysis. The results of this study found that decrements in human performance on tasks involving spatial processing increase with age in persons who have …

General Aviation Aircraft: A Comparative Analysis Of Analog Instrument Display And Conceptual Primary Flight Display, Ungul Laptaned

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects that analog instrument display versus primary flight display (PFD) had on pilot performance. Pilot performance was evaluated by: (a) time, and (b) number of errors. There were twenty subjects with a minimum of a private pilot license selected from the Aeronautical Science department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Three flight conditions (spoiler problem, engine problem, and flap failure) acting as a control group was given to the flight students while flying a traffic pattern. A Silicon Graphics® flight simulation software program and a video camera were used as the data …

The Impact Of The Simulated Digital Data Radio Communication Induced Interference On Voice Radio Communication, Daniela T. Kratchounova

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The transition of air/ground communications, from its present analog structure to a new digital communications architecture, will span a 10-year time frame. Testing to date indicates that the potential for interference from the digital system to the analog system would be critical, especially for General Aviation (GA) aircraft. This type of interference can be described as short, random bursts of noise capable of completely obliterating parts of the voice communication. The subsequent degrading effects on voice radio communications could jeopardize flight safety. The masking of parts of important information would result in distracted attention, debilitated cognitive performance, high level of …

Numeric Keyboard Layouts: An Ergonomic Approach, Tricia S. Lowe

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This study investigated the most effective method of numeric data entry, by means of a numeric keypad. The methods of numeric data entry were (a) two keypads with different numerical configurations, (b) two keypads with identical numerical configurations, and (c) one keypad with only a single numerical configuration. The two configurations utilized were the telephone and the calculator. An experimental design, with focus on the post-test only control group, was utilized. Sixty randomly selected students from the population attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University were assigned to five experimental groups.

The results indicated no significant differences: (a) for the number of errors …