Human Factors Psychology Commons^™

An Examination Of Individual Differences In Monitoring For Automation Failures, Holly Devries

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Automation-induced complacency has been documented as a cause or contributing factor in many airplane accidents throughout the last two decades. It is surmised that the condition results when a crew is working in highly reliable automated environments in which they serve as supervisory controllers monitoring system states for occasional automation failures. Although many reports have discussed the dangers of complacency, little empirical research has been produced to substantiate its harmful effects on performance as well as what factors produce complacency. There have been some suggestions, however, that individual characteristics could serve as possible predictors of performance in automated systems.

The …

Levels Of Stress Between Cooperative Education Students On-Placement And Pending Placement, Judy L. Mainzinger-Rathbun

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to see if there was an association between the levels of stress in students who were interviewed for a job and their placement status after the job interview. During the spring 2000 semester, 62 students were sent on interviews with public and private agencies/companies for potential placement in cooperative education positions within the agencies/companies. Out of this total population of 62 interviewed, twenty-three were placed in positions (hereafter referred to as “on-placement”) and thirty-nine were not placed (hereafter referred to as “pending-placement"). For this study, the total population of 62 students was divided into …

Anxiety, Stress And Job Satisfaction Versus Education Levels In Rural Police Officers, Robert D. Newell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Twenty nine police officers from four different departments in rural areas were tested regarding levels of stress or anxiety they experienced from inter-department issues, rules, and regulations. These findings were then compared with the officer’s levels of college education and contrasted with those officers with no college education. Additionally, comparisons were made regarding levels of college education and scores from the Fear of Negative Scale, Job Satisfaction Index, and the Stress Quiz. Further comparisons of the scores were made between officers who had attended college and those who had not and had experienced stress from critical incidents.

While there were …

Using Selective Mmpl-2 Clinical Scales To Predict The Severity Of Prison Infractions For First Degree Murderers In A Maximum Security Prison, Margarita Lynn Pauley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The MMPI-2 was administered to 56 adult male offenders in a maximum-security prison serving a life sentence for first degree murder. This study evaluated the predictive ability of the MMPI-2 scales 4, 6 and 9 to distinguish among groups of inmates with high and low infraction rates. Results indicated that as the weighted infraction rate (WRI) increased above 9, the T score on scale 4 sharply decreased at the same rate of the increase for 0-9 WRI. Results also supported a relationship where as the T score on scale 9 increased the WIR also increased. Inmates who refused to comply …

Occupational Titles And The Perception Of Gender, Cynthia A. Lokey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

First, this study examines the findings of Shinar’s (1975) study on the perception of gender in occupations in comparison to a current population. Second, the answers of a population of college students in WV were compared to their place of origin. Third, current neutral titles were compared to earlier gendered counterparts. Lastly, the answers of male and female respondents were analyzed.

Overall, occupational titles were found to be less gendered but retained their gender when compared to data collected by Shinar in 1975. Those respondents who were native to in WV were not found to be more stereotypical in their …

Communicating With Graphic User Interfaces: A Comparison Of Menu Selection And Menu Bypass Techniques, Monty Lee Hammontree

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted in two phases to determine design tradeoffs relating to command bar menu and bypass code-based techniques for interacting with computers. Forty eight subjects participated. In the first phase of the experiment, mouse-, chorded key-, and function key-based menu selection techniques were compared. It was found that menus were accessed much faster with spatially mapped function keys as compared to chorded key sequences or mouse inputs, and that relative to mouse inputs compatible letter keys lead to faster command selection times. Further, the function key-based technique yielded the fastest combined access and selection times, the fastest …

Validation Of The Human Factors Satisfaction Questionnaire, James Carlopio

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In order to predict behavior in organizations, it is important to understand and to consider both the individual employee and his/her interaction with the physical work environment. The main purpose of this research was to gather evidence of the validity of the Human Factors Satisfaction Questionnaire (HFSQ) in order to provide a tool with which employees' preceptions of several elements of their physical work environments can be measured. The physical work environment and its relationship to both organization theory and motivation theory is discussed. Evidence of the construct validity of the HFSQ was sought through the administration of the HFSQ …

Natural Language Human-Computer Dialogue: Menu-Based Natural Language And Visual Performance, Jeffrey John Hendrickson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted to determine design principles for menu-based natural language (MBNL) interfaces and to provide evidence for the nature of visual search processes with menu-based systems. The effects of window size, window activity, and query length were investigated. Window size was manipulated as a between-subjects variable with three levels representing a sixteen-item window size, an eight-item window size, and a four-item window size. Window activity was manipulated as a within-subjects variable with two levels representing single active and multiple active windows. Query length was manipulated as a within-subjects variable with three levels representing one-, two-, and three-item …

The Development Of A Paper-And-Pencil Measure Of Complex Cognitive-Perceptual Aptitude, Don Michael Mcanulty

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of the present research was a develop a complex aptitude test to assess individual differences in multiple cognitive and perceptual abilities that are required for helicopter pilot training. The paper-and-pencil test was designed to provide measures of both static and dynamic (i.e., learning) ability under different levels of complexity. The secondary research purpose was to develop a battery of eight psychometric tests to assess other abilities that are required for helicopter pilot training. Test prototypes were produced and administered to small samples of subjects. The tests were then revised into an experimental battery that required approximately 7 …

An Error-Dependent Model Of Instrument-Scanning Behavior In Commercial Airline Pilots, Dennis H. Jones

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Since the work of Fitts and his colleagues, researchers have been using eye-movement data to evaluate various aspects of pilot instrument scanning behavior. Although Senders' work indicated that link values and transitional probabilities could be accurately predicted using a random sampling process, several investigators have recently suggested that pilot scanning behavior was deterministic. However, there has been no clear empirical evidence to support a deterministic hypothesis. The present research presents a new flexible model of pilot instrument scanning behavior which assumes that the pilot uses a set of deterministic scanning patterns on (1) the pilot's perception of error in the …

Improving The Accuracy Of Performance Evaluations: A Comparison Of Three Methods Of Performance Appraiser Training, Jerry Willard Hedge

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Researchers in the area of rater training have relied almost exclusively on rater error measures to assess training effectiveness. A reduction in rater tendency to commit these errors subsequent to training is viewed as evidence that these raters have become more accurate in rating their employees. This assumed relationship between rater errors and rating accuracy has recently been questioned. This uncertain relationship between psychometric errors and accuracy was the focus of the current research effort. Supervisory personnel were trained under one of three training programs (psychometric error training, observation training, or decision-making training). Halo, leniency, range restriction and accuracy measures …