Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

The Electrooculogram And A New Blink Detection Algorithm, Samantha L. Epling, Matt Middendorf, Michael Hoepf, Christina Gruenwald, Lucas Stork, Scott Galster

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Accurate and efficient real-time cognitive workload assessment has many important applications, and physiological monitoring has proven quite helpful with this assessment. One such physiological signal, the electrooculogram (EOG), can provide blink rate and blink duration measures. In a recent study, we developed and validated a robust blink detection algorithm based on the vertical EOG (VEOG). This algorithm does not require baseline data and is adaptive in the sense that it works for a wide variety of individuals without any experimenter adjustments. The performance of the algorithm is quantified using truth data based on video recordings. The algorithm produced blink rate …

Functional Complexity Failures And Automation Surprises: The Mysterious Case Of Controlled Flight Into Stall (Cfis), Lance Sherry, Robert Mauro

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Nineteen modern airliner Loss of Control (LOC) accidents resulting in aerodynamic stalls were analyzed. These accidents involved structurally and mechanically sound aircraft decelerating through the 1.3VStall buffer to the stall airspeed - i.e. a Controlled Flight into Stall (CFIS). The analysis produced three main observations: First, the accidents were “functional complexity” failures -- the result of a complex sequence of behaviors of the automation functions. There were no consistent: failures that triggered the events (e.g. sensor failures), effects of triggering events on the automation (e.g. mode change), or commands issued by the automation (e.g. thrust setting). Second, the pilots were …

Evaluation Of An Eye Tracking-Based Assessment And Debrief Tool For Training Next Generation Multirole Tactical Aviation Skills, Meredith Carroll, Glenn Surpris, Greg Sidor, Winston Bennett Jr.

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

As tactical aircraft become increasingly complex, pilots’ cognitive resources will become increasingly strained, especially as more critical and multifaceted information is presented on Helmet Mounted Displays (HMDs). Therefore, it is critical to ensure training results in pilots learning optimal strategies for operating in this information-rich environment, including appropriate attention allocation between different dynamic, adjustable displays and efficient scan strategies. To achieve this, a performance assessment and debrief system was developed that incorporates eye tracking technology into an HMD-enabled multirole fighter simulation to capture and process gaze data to aid in diagnosing why a pilot error occurred. The system utilizes eye …

Modeling Task Prioritization Behaivors In A Time-Pressured Multitasking Environment, Takeaki Toma, Kenneth H. Funk Ii

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Cockpit task management (CTM) theory is structurally consistent with cognitive multitasking models. Based on the CTM framework, it is hypothesized that aviation task prioritization behavior in human multitasking may be influenced by importance, urgency, performance status, salience, and workload of tasks in a cockpit. A middle fidelity flight simulation study was conducted to test the above hypotheses. Questionnaire data indicated that the perceived task importance, the perceived task urgency and the perceived task salience had significant relationships with the perceived task priority after taking the individual difference and flight situational difference into account. The perceived task priority was related to …

Open Source Devices For Human Factors Research, Kevin M. Gildea, Nelda J. Milburn

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

The availability of increasingly powerful and versatile open source software and hardware products continues to open new possibilities for the design and development of experimental devices. The declining cost of many proprietary software and hardware solutions has further increased the options available to researchers. These new capabilities have led to an increasing number of people engaging in design and development of devices for research and other purposes. Capabilities that were previously only available to well-funded engineering organizations are now accessible to individuals and small teams with limited resources. The formation and growth of local and online support communities have provided …

Physiological Indicators Of Workload In A Remotely Piloted Aircraft Simulation, Michael Hoepf, Matt Middendorf, Samantha Epling, Scott Galster

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Toward preventing performance decrements associated with mental overload in remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations, the current research investigated the feasibility of using physiological measures to assess cognitive workload. Two RPA operators were interviewed to identify factors that impact workload in target tracking missions. Performance, subjective workload, cortical, cardiac and eye data were collected. One cardiac and several eye measures were sensitive to changes in workload as evidenced by performance and subjective workload data. Potential future applications of this research include closed loop systems that employ advanced augmentation strategies, such as adaptive automation. Thus, by identifying physiological measures well suited for …

Exploring The Mathematical Predictability Of The Advanced Aircraft Training Climate, Preven Naidoo

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Effective pilot training on advanced aircraft is vital in ensuring flight safety, and positive perceptions of the training climate can contribute to the success of the training. Hypothetically, characteristics of the trainee can predict the training climate. Thus far, predictive models have provided little information about the mental viscosity or psychological comfort of the processes of pilot training. The purpose of this study was to develop a mathematical model to predict the psychological comfort of the organisational environment for advanced aircraft pilot transition training using a dichotomous categorical criterion. A predictive model of the phenomena was contemplated from a non-parametric …

Inverting The Human/Automation Equation To Support Situation Awareness And Prevent Loss Of Control, Alez Kirlik, Kasey Ackerman, Ben Seefeldt, Enric Xargay, Donald Talleur, Ronald Carbonari, Naira Hovakimyan, Lui Sha, Anna Trujillo, Irene Gregory

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Despite the contributions of automation to aviation safety and efficiency, the problems associated with technology-centered rather than human-centered automation are well known: decreased pilot situation awareness, deterioration of manual piloting skills, difficulties pilots experience when trying to jump into the loop when needed, and so forth. We present a prototype architecture for human-automation interaction that reverses their traditional roles: in our design, the automation "looks over the shoulder" of the pilot and jumps into the loop when needed rather than the other way around to prevent aircraft loss-of-control (LoC). The architecture exploits the LoC prevention algorithm proposed by Wilborn and …

Reliability Of Instructor Pilots' Non-Technical Skills Ratings, Patrick Gontar, Hans-Juergen Hoermann

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

This paper presents the results of different methods to assess reliability when instructor pilots rate pilots regarding their non-technical skills (NOTECHS). In preparation for a major inter-rater reliability study, this pretest analyzes the rating behavior of two instructor pilots during a full-flight simulator mission. Besides inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability, the pilots’ self-rating (n =12) and the instructors’ point of view is analyzed. Results indicate a wide spread from poor to excellent reliabilities as a function of the different rating dimensions. Regarding inter-rater reliability, it is found that non-technical skills are rated more reliably under high workload conditions than under …

Individual Problem Representations In Distributed Work, Alicia Fernandes, Philip J. Smith, Ken Durham, Mark Evans

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Human-machine interfaces in distributed work systems provide external problem representations that activate the cognitive processes people use to perform their work. Appropriate design of such representations is an important factor in supporting complex work. In air and surface traffic management, problems are typically framed according to airspace constraints even for practitioners whose domain is the airport surface. Constraints are passed from the en route and terminal domains to the surface in the form of airspace constraints, with the displays available to Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) personnel communicating these constraints in airspace terms. However, ATCT personnel use a different mental …

Uas In The Nas Air Traffic Controller Acceptability Study-1: The Effects Of Horizontal Miss Distances On Simulated Uas And Manned Aircraft Encounters, Rania W. Ghatas, James R. Comstock Jr., Maria C. Consiglio, James P. Chamberlain, Keith D. Hoffler

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

This study examined air traffic controller acceptability ratings based on the effects of differing horizontal miss distances (HMDs) for encounters between UAS and manned aircraft. In a simulation of the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) East-side airspace, the CAS-1 experiment at NASA Langley Research Center enlisted fourteen recently retired DFW air traffic controllers to rate well-clear volumes based on differing HMDs that ranged from 0.5 NM to 3.0 NM. The controllers were tasked with rating these HMDs from “too small” to “too excessive” on a defined, 1-5, scale and whether these distances caused any disruptions to the controller and/or to the surrounding …

Computational Simulation Of Authority-Responsibility Mismatches In Air-Ground Function Allocation, Martijn Ijtsma, Amy R. Pritchett, Raunak P. Bhattacharyya

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Authority-responsibility mismatches are created when one agent is authorized (has authority) to perform an activity, but a different agent is responsible for its outcome. An authority-responsibility mismatch demands monitoring by the responsible agent that itself requires additional information transfer and taskload. This paper demonstrates a computational simulation methodology that identifies when mismatches will occur in complex, multi-agent aviation operations, and their implications for information transfer between agents and task demands on each agent. A case study examines 25 authority and responsibility allocations in a NextGen/SESAR scenario in a terminal area where authority and responsibility for activities involving optimal profile descents, …

Development Of The Air Traffic Control Tower Alerts Standard, Edmundo A. Sierra Jr., Michael Buckley

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

FAA HF-STD-008 Air Traffic Control Tower Alerts Standard specifies functional requirements, alarm and alert human interaction characteristics, and threshold levels in systems that use an alert mechanism to capture human attention in air traffic control tower environments. FAA HF-STD-008 was developed to address a shortfall in the general criteria for alerts found in FAA HF-STD-001 Human Factors Design Standard. FAA-HF-STD-008 was developed in three phases: literature review and draft development, subject matter expert working group review and development, and stakeholder comment and adjudication. The results of the work include specific requirements for alerts and additional evidence of a repeatable human …

Contribution Of Multimethodology To Human Factors In Air Navigation Systems, Lisia Maria Espinola Da Silva Pacheco Cabral, Marcos Pereira

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

This article presents a general view of a post-graduation study developed from 2011 to 2014 into some civil Air Navigation contexts of a brazilian public organization, to promote System and Rational Thinking, and Metagovernance, aiming at structuring, understanding and monitoring problems prone to variability, dynamics and unpredictability, to contribute to minimum risks management and opportunities of changes in real work. The study was developed to support TRM (Team Resources Management) behavior abilities, introduced as a Program since 2009, and adopted: a qualitative and collective method;Multimethodology as a predictive methodology, in which Conceptual Map was the central instrument, based on Soft …

Psychological Aspects Of The Organization Of Information At The Instructor’S Flight Simulator Workplace, Tetiana Bondareva

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

This Paper presents a critical analysis of the classical procedure of training pilots on Full Flight Simulators (FFS), and developed new version of the procedure of instructor’s actions during simulator training. The developed procedure will change an instructor’s position as person, who sets parameters before and during performing exercise, to a person as involved participant, who is waiting for a forthcoming training flight circumstances together with the crew. This developed procedure implies a rearrangement of specific operations from the instructor on the software, and also the availability of an alternative monitor, on which the most significant events (selected for specific …

Learning Of Location-Identity Bindings: Development Of Level 1 Situation Awareness In An Air Traffic Control-Like Task, Alexander Nalbandian, Esa Rantanen

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Knowing “what is where” is essential to human perception and performance. This knowledge corresponds to the concept of Situation Awareness (SA), specifically Level 1 SA. The underlying research paradigm concerns tracking of identical objects moving on a screen (Multiple Object Tracking, MOT). This method has been useful to investigate the fundamentals of visual tracking, but it lacks a connection to real-world scenarios. In another paradigm, objects tracked have unique identities (Multiple Identity Tracking, MIT) requiring a combination of peripheral and focal perception in tracking. This model has been used to examine air traffic controllers’ SA. This paper will report results …

Human Span-Of-Control In Cyber Operations: An Experimental Evaluation Of Fan-Out, Vincent F. Mancuso, Gregory J. Funke, Monica B. Eckold, Adam J. Strang

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Modern cyber operations require operators to maintain supervisory control of remote computer agents. A current operational concern is the number of agents an operator can control at once. This issue resonates with similar “span-of-control” research conducted in UAV operations (e.g., Cummings & Mitchel, 2008). One way to identify operator span is via “fan-out,” a numeric calculation that provides a span-of-control estimate based on system and environmental variables. However, fan-out is a mechanical representation that only accounts for task-characteristics and environmental variables, thus providing an upper bound of human performance that does account for cognition, workload, or work interruptions. The present …

Investigating Uas Operator Characteristics Influencing Mission Success, Haydee M. Cuevas, Kristina M. Kendrick, Zane A. Zeigler, David J. Hamilton

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

The two objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate how specific operator characteristics (prior experience in manned and unmanned flight, teamwork, and gaming) influence mission success in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations; and 2) evaluate the potential utility of a performance assessment tool. Mission success was assessed using a modified version of the Situation Awareness Linked Indicators Adapted to Novel Tasks (SALIANT) methodology. Eighteen participants completed a UAS scenario (port security) as part of 9 two-person crews (pilot and sensor operator). Results showed that the SALIANT measure was able to discriminate differences in performance among the UAS crews. Results …

Performance Assessment Methods To Evaluate Discretionary Atc Safety Standards, Julia Pounds, Lisa Galoci

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established the Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service (AOV) in 2005. Its mission is to provide independent oversight of the US air traffic service provider, Air Traffic Organization (ATO). AOV monitors ATO compliance with safety standards and safety management systems (SMS) including the ATO’s policies, procedures, and practices. AOV based its surveillance activities on systematic auditing methods to monitor ATO compliance with required safety controls. However, audits could only be used to monitor required safety controls having objective (strong) evidence of performance available. AOV lacked methods to monitor discretionary (weak) safety controls or safety controls …

Development Of An Alternative Methodology For Implementation Of Sagat During Task Performance, Durant C. Bridges

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Situation awareness (SA) has been linked to performance in a variety of disciplines to date, but originated in the aviation arena. Situation awareness derives from attention and working memory being used toward acquiring and interpreting information from the environment (Endsley, 1995). The most revered objective method of measuring situation awareness is the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT). This technique employs random freezes of participant interfaces during simulations to query participants and assess the level of knowledge of what is happening at the time of the freezes. A discussion of applications using an alternative approach to SAGAT for operators in …

The Smart Cockpit Initiative, Kevin M. Smith, Stephane Larrieu

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Flight deck displays that automatically adapt themselves to changing operational conditions are referred to as mission adaptive displays, or smart cockpits. Most smart-enabling technology is already available in modern aircraft. To be operationally effective, however, mission adaptive displays should: • Present mission critical information when it is most urgently needed. • Be capable of responding to all mission critical events—single and multiple occurrences. • Depict a rising risk profile based upon risk defining criteria. • Utilize abstract clusters to reduce workload in high stress situations. • Contain, whenever appropriate, performance aids so that precise maneuver execution is assured.

A Comprehensive Effort To Arrive At An Optimally Reliable Human Factors Taxonomy, Raymond E. King

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Department of Defense (DoD) members sought to improve the inter-rater reliability of the DoD Human Factors Analysis and Classification System, (DoDHFACS). DoDHFACS differs from the original system developed by Wiegmann and Shappell (2003), based on the work of Reason (1990), by further analyzing mishaps and hazards to a more granular level – arriving at specific “nanocodes.” The steps involved in the effort included determining which of the 147 “nanocodes” were rarely/never used and collapsing nanocodes and rewriting definitions to arrive at 109 nanocodes. Next, a stepwise checklist to guide investigators through consideration of nanocodes was created. Student investigators were guided …

Recent Advances In Tactile Cueing, Angus H. Rupert, Ben D. Lawson

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Flight tests conducted by the Army and Navy have demonstrated the utility of the Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) as an adjunct to visual instruments to improve pilot performance in degraded visual environments or under conditions of high workload. The tactile stimulators (tactors) used in each of the flight tests have been incorporated into aircraft components (seat cushions and shoulder straps) and a torso garment (belt or vest). Current tactors must operate at full magnitude and a very restricted frequency range (240 to 250 Hz) in order to provide consistent and perceptible stimuli in the aviation environment. Fortunately, recent developments …

Near-Future Technological Countermeasures For Spatial Disorientation In Flight, Eric M. Littman, Ben D. Lawson, J. Christopher Brill, Angus H. Rupert

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Spatial Disorientation (SD) is an important cause of deadly aircraft mishaps, despite improvements in night vision, head-up-displays, cockpit automation, etc. This paper explores several technological countermeasures for SD. This report begins by discussing the magnitude of the SD problem and the reasons why technological countermeasures are needed. The authors discuss the three main approaches that are typically used (improved selection, training, or technology) to decrease the incidence of SD, and argue that improved selection and training, although beneficial, are not sufficient by themselves to prevent SD. The authors introduce various technological solutions they are developing, including better models to predict …

Hiroshima And Mass Trauma Today: Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Individuals And Communities, Ashley Martinez

International ResearchScape Journal

At 8:15 am on August 6^th, 1945, the world and the way in which we fight wars changed forever. Immediately following the drop of the Little Boy atomic bomb, the city of Hiroshima was decimated, leaving the surviving citizens to deal with poverty, starvation, loss of loved ones, and utter destruction of their lives. After the bombing, survivors were left with burns, radiation poisoning, and physical scars. Unknown to the survivors of the atomic bombings, or Hibakusha, were the ensuing psychological and emotional damages. In 2014, we know more about traumatic experiences than in 1945. Studies from …

Perceived Harms And Benefits Of Parental Cannabis Use, And Parents’ Reports Regarding Harm-Reduction Strategies, Kathleen J. Donoghue

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research focussed on families in which at least one parent was a long-term cannabis user; I explored family members’ perceptions of the benefits and harms of cannabis use and the strategies parents used to minimise cannabis-related harm to themselves and their children. In depth, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 43 individuals from 13 families, producing a series of family case studies that enabled examination of multiple perspectives within each family. In Study 1, I used an interpretive framework guided by Miles and Huberman’s (1994) thematic content analysis technique to analyse interview data, while study 2 yielded detailed descriptive vignettes …

Life Balance – A Mindfulness-Based Mental Health Promotion Program: Conceptualization, Implementation, Compliance And User Satisfaction In A Field Setting, Lisa Lyssenko, Gerhard Müller, Nikolaus Kleindienst, Christian Schmal, Mathias Berger, Georg Eifert, Alexander Kölle, Siegmar Nesch, Jutta Ommer-Hohl, Michael Wenner, Martin Bohus

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Mental health disorders account for a large percentage of the total burden of illness and constitute a major economic challenge in industrialized countries. Several prevention programs targeted at high-risk or sub-clinical populations have been shown to decrease risk, to increase quality of life, and to be cost-efficient. However, there is a paucity of primary preventive programs aimed at the general adult population. “Life Balance” is a program that employs strategies borrowed from well-established psychotherapeutic approaches, and has been made available to the public in one federal German state by a large health care insurance company. The data presented here …

Asthma-Related Anxiety And Quick-Relief Medication Use In Urban Children With Asthma, Sarah E. Astrab, Robin Everhart

Undergraduate Research Posters

Among children, asthma is the most common chronic illness. Although not curable, asthma is manageable with the use of both daily controller medication and quick relief or rescue medication. Anxiety has been found to increase asthma symptoms in children. Caregivers who are anxious about their child’s asthma symptoms may perceive their child’s asthma as more severe or doubt their ability to manage their child’s asthma, which can result in the misuse of asthma medication. This study focused on the association between asthma-related anxiety and the use of quick-relief asthma medications in a low-income, urban sample in Richmond, Virginia. Child participants …