Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Effects Of Caffeine And Expectancy On Short Term Memory, Sara O'Brien

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Although caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world, research on the effects of caffeine on mental performance tasks (especially short term memory tasks) is inconclusive. One possible explanation for this limited understanding is the lack of studies accounting for participant expectancy surrounding caffeine. This study examined the effects of caffeine dosage (0mg, 200mg, and 400mg) and expectancy related to past caffeine use (positive, negative) on short term memory span task. A two-way Analysis of Variance showed that the two independent variables (caffeine dose and expectancy), did not significantly influence the short term memory span score. However, the …

The Effects Of Observers’ Expectations And The Probability Of A Change Occurring On Change Detection Performance, Robert A. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The change probability effect is a term coined by Beck et al. (2004) and it suggests that changes that are expected or "probable" are detected more easily than changes that are unexpected or "improbable". This research study investigates the change probability effect and the differences between observers who are looking for changes and those who are unaware that changes may exist. The results suggest that observers who are not expecting a change to occur are more likely to detect an improbable change than a probable change. The findings from this study have real world applications and also have implications for …

Investigating Factors Associated With Burglary Crime Analysis Using Logistic Regression Modeling, Daniel Antolos

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study conducted a logistic regression to determine the relationship of factors associated with burglary to determine the variables necessary to predict criminal activity. Predictors utilized in the study; included time of day, day of week, connectors, barriers, and repeat victimization. These predictors were all incorporated to develop a model that would best predict burglary activity as it relates from a determine epicenter of activity. The predictors selected have all be shown, through research to be significant, characteristics of activity as they relate to burglary but have not been incorporated together to develop a significant model. The model compared the …

The Effects Of System Reliability And Time Pressure On Unoccupied Aircraft Systems Operator Performance And Mental Workload, Rania Wageh Ghatas

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) are in the midst of aviation`s next generation. UAS are being utilized at an increasing rate by military and security operations and are becoming widely popular in usage from search and rescue and weather research to homeland security and border patrol. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently working to define acceptable UAS performance standards and procedures for routine access for their use in the National Airspace System (NAS). This study examined the effects of system reliability and time pressure on unoccupied aircraft systems operator performance and mental workload. Twenty-four undergraduate and graduate students, male and …

The Effects Of Eye Gaze Based Control On Operator Performance In Monitoring Multiple Displays, Allison Popola

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study investigated the utility and efficacy of using eye tracking technology as a method for selecting control of a camera within a multiple display configuration. A task analysis with a Keystroke-Level-Model (KLM) was conducted to acquire an estimated time for switching between cameras. KLM estimates suggest that response times are faster using an eye tracker than manual control -indicating a time savings. To confirm these estimates, and test other hypotheses a 2 × 2 within-subjects factorial design was used to examine the effects of Control (Using an eye tracker, or manual) under different Task Loads (Low, High). Dependent variables …

The Distance Between Colors; Using Deltae* To Determine Which Colors Are Compatible, Rosandra N. Abeyta

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The focus of this study was to identify colors that can be easily distinguished from one another by normal color vision and slightly deficient color vision observers, and then test those colors to determine the significance of color separation as an indicator of color discriminability for both types of participants. There were 14 color normal and 9 color deficient individuals whose level of color deficiency were determined using standard diagnostic tests. The colors were selected by avoiding co-linearity in the color confusion line graphs for deuteranopes, protanopes and tritanopes. The difference between each of the colors was then calculated. The …

Optimizing High Volume Traffic Surges Using Discrete Event Simulation, Claire L. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this applied research study is to determine the fidelity of a discrete event simulation tool called the Evacuation Simulation Prediction Tool (ESP) in predicting transit times during a high volume surge in traffic flow. The ESP tool was developed for the purpose of predicting and optimizing large-scale evacuations of counties or regions as an aide in emergency and disaster preparedness planning. The goal of the ESP model is to ascertain the balance of traffic flow capacity by managing the human factor events that impinge upon orderly highway travel without immobilizing the travel route. The objective of this …

Effects Of Interpreter Use On Rapport And Humint Collection, James E. Driskell Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The aim of this research was to examine how the introduction of a third party impacts interviewee rapport in an investigative setting. Prior to this research it has been speculated that a "third person in the communications loop" during an investigative interview may negatively impact critical components of the collection process, including the establishment of rapport. There are several advantages to the approach offered. First, it addresses the current concern of how the use of interpreters affects the quality, quantity, and nature of information collected from human sources. Second, it examines the construct of rapport, a core aspect of the …

Pilot Perception Of Light Emitting Diodes Versus Incandescent Elevated Runway Guard Lights, Hilary Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Pilots must understand and be aware of the purpose of each airport sign, light and marking, for there are numerous. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning on replacing the current incandescent lighting with far more economical LED airport lighting. In preparation for this change, two experiments were conducted for this thesis. Experiment 1 attempted to determine what pilots know about the meaning of the signs, markings and lights on the taxiways and runways through a questionnaire that was developed with the FAA. Experiment 2 evaluated pilot perception of LED lighting compared to current incandescent elevated runway guard lights.

The …