Human Factors Psychology Commons^™

A Proposal To Examine Naturally Occurring Mindfulness And Correctional Officer Stress And Burnout, Anthony M. Nasrallah

Undergraduate Theses

Correctional officers (COs) work in institutions characterized by high interpersonal demand, safety risk, and organizational complexity; as a result, they experience elevated rates of occupational stress, burnout, and mental-health disorders relative to the general workforce. At the same time, research in allied helping professions demonstrates that mindfulness and related contemplative practices can reduce stress and improve emotion regulation and well-being. However, little is known about whether COs’ own, pre-existing informal mindfulness practices are associated with lower on-the-job stress or burnout rather than formal training courses. This review integrates findings from qualitative studies, quantitative analyses, and systematic reviews to show what …

Re-Engaging Driver Attention Using Chatgpt: A Multimodal Study On Stress Impact And Driving Performance, Alaa Zaki Elfiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Driving is considered a complex task that requires continuous focus and attention from the driver. Driving performance can also be impacted by changes in the driver’s stress level. However, limited research explores methods to address this challenge. With the current advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) and their ability to engage in human-like interaction, this study investigates the potential of using ChatGPT, designed to speak Egyptian Arabic, in re-engaging driver attention under different driving scenarios for low-stress and high-stress conditions within a virtual reality (VR) environment driving simulator. Drivers were asked to follow a leading car into two scenarios with …

Stress, Coping, And Psychological Growth In Personnel In A High Arctic Weather Station, Jelena Brcic, Patrick Nicoll, Peter Suedfeld, Phyllis Johnson, Lillian Shurgold

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Ideas about positive change following a stressful experience have been of interest to researchers for some time (Antonovsky, 1987; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). A few areas of study have been developed, some with a focus on successful coping such as research on resilience, sense of coherence and hardiness, stress inoculation, posttraumatic growth, and toughening (Tedeschi, Park, and Calhoun, 1998). Suedfeld (2001) has encouraged researchers to focus on the positive effects of work in extreme and unusual environments however, only a few have done so with astronauts, cosmonauts (Ihle et al., 2006: Suedfeld et al., 2012), and high-altitude mountaineers (Smith et …

The Impact Of Time Of Night On Affect And Affective State Type: A Simulated Nightshift Study, June J. Pilcher, Christopher Ply

Publications

Nightshift workers experience circadian misalignment thus negatively impacting many physiological systems which can change subjective states such as affect. The current study examined change in affect and affective state across a simulated first nightshift. Ninety sleep-deprived college students (33% female) completed a series of surveys and tasks across four testing sessions during the night. The participants completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at the beginning of each testing session. Using these affect scores, we derived four affective state types defined by high and low positive and negative affect (Self-actualizing-high positive affect with low negative affect, High affective-high positive affect …

Revisiting The Vigilance Taxonomy: Are Findings Consistent In A Remote Environment?, Grace E. Waldfogle

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Previous research has highlighted key taxonomic factors that have been found to influence human performance on vigilance tasks. However, previous literature has focused on research conducted in laboratory settings but has not examined vigilance tasks in remote environments. The present dissertation addresses this gap in the literature by examining human performance on a remote vigilance task, as well as workload and stress associated with the task. Qualitative data were collected to further understand the environment and distractions that participants experienced. Across three experiments, 372 participants were asked to complete a vigilance task and answer surveys pertaining to stress, workload, and …

Pandemic Pressure: Race, Job Insecurity, And Stress During The Covid-19 Pandemic, David B. Taullahu, Jason S. Snyder, Alyssa R. Minton, Brooke Nyberg, Joseph A. Mikels

DePaul Discoveries

With the ongoing pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, the working world has been drastically altered. Additionally, pandemic related pressures are not evenly distributed across racial groups–with negative outcomes being exacerbated as a byproduct of structural inequities for people of color (Seldan & Berdahl, 2020). Using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), and Job Insecurity Scale (Ashford et al., 1989), we aimed to determine how various work-related factors such as job insecurity, essential worker status, and race relate to overall perceived stress in daily life. Participants (n = 266; M_age = 50.56 years, SD = 7.83; age …

Interactions Of International Pilots' Stress, Fatigue, Symptoms Of Depression, Anxiety, Common Mental Disorders And Wellbeing, Marion Venus, Martin Grosse Holtforth

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Objective

This study Investigates more dimensions than previous studies simultaneously: pilots’ duty rosters, stress, sleep difficulties, fatigue levels, wellbeing, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and common mental disorders (CMD), and how they are interrelated.

Background

Several scientific studies have confirmed that fatigue can pose a significant risk to flight safety. Other studies reported positive depression screening results for more pilots, compared with the general population.

Method

A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 406 international pilots, who reported their duty rosters of the last two months. Pilots also self-assessed their stress-levels, sleep problems, fatigue, wellbeing, and mental health.

Results

Although pilots …

Comparison Of Schedules, Stress, Sleep Problems, Fatigue, Mental Health And Well-Being Of Low Cost And Network Carrier Pilots, Marion Venus

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Objective

This research investigates and compares working-conditions, duty rosters, stress, sleep problems, fatigue levels, mental health, and well-being of pilots working for network (NWCs), and low-cost carriers (LCCs). This study extends previous research by investigating working conditions, pilots’ actual rosters, fatigue and mental health of two groups of pilots flying for LCC or NWC.

Method

A comprehensive cross-sectional online survey was completed by N=338 pilots (185 NWC, 153 LCC pilots). All pilots reported their roster data of the last 2 months during peak flight season, psychosocial and work-related stress (e.g., high job insecurity, less total flight-experience, lower income, more time …

Improving Stress Management For Female College Students, Kelsey Acosta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Although many college students report feeling stress, women may have a unique perspective and experience regarding stress. Gilligan's theory states that women consider their relationships when considering decisions. This decision-making process can create an added layer of the already existing academic stressors that women face. Stress management techniques that acknowledge the unique stressors that women face are essential to improve mental health and provide an optimal college experience.

Cuban Immigrants’ Experience With Acculturation And How They Cope In The United States, Lourdes Araujo

Dissertations

Objective: This research examines how Cuban immigrants experience cope and adapt to the United States. Cuban immigration is associated with specific stressors related to the immigration experience and the necessary process of acculturation and assimilation. These major stressors can result in mental health concerns among Cuban immigrants; however, no studies have examined how acculturation may influence Cuban immigrants’ coping skills and resultant mental health concerns. This unique study is the first to examine the coping skills Cuban immigrants use during acculturation and the effects of these skills on Cuban immigrants’ mental health. Methods: Seventeen participants completed a semistructured interview and …

Covid-19: A New Chapter In The Loneliness Epidemic, Nancy Zhu

Social Space

We live in an era of increasing innovation and connectivity. It's said that we have the world is at our fingertips, with social media granting us the ability to link up quickly and easily with anyone across the globe. Yet the irony is that loneliness is a trusty companion in a modern and interconnected world.

Comparative Examination Of The Empatica E4 To Record Heart Rate Variability Metrics, Andres Rosero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increased accessibility of cyber technology has resulted in advancements in international communications and information sharing never seen in human history. With this new age of digital software comes the proliferation of illegal online activity and cyber terrorism. Repercussions of cyber-attacks have ranged from identity theft to leaks of classified state secrets. To combat this threat, the Department of Defense (DoD) established the Cyber Mission Force (CMF) to head operations in the interests of protecting against cyber-attacks. One of the CMF’s initial projects involves the creation of a Performance Assessment Suite (PAS), a training program designed to improve the training …

Free-To-Play? An Examination Of Intrinsic Motivation And Gaming Behaviors In U.S. Female Mobile Gamers, Margot Goldblum

Dissertations and Theses

The prevalence of U.S. female gamers has skyrocketed in recent years, largely due to the popularity of mobile games; however, this population is underrepresented in academic research. The present study aimed to close this gap in the literature by focusing on the motivations and behaviors of adult female mobile gamers in the U.S. It also aimed to capture changes in gaming motivation and behavior resulting from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online sample of 354 American women 18 to 77 years of age (M = 36.79, SD = 12.38) were surveyed about their motivations for mobile gaming, …

Human Adaptability For Deep Space Missions: An Exploratory Study, Paul T. Bartone, Robert R. Roland, Jocelyn V. Bartone, Gerald P. Krueger, Albert A. Sciarretta, Bjorn Helge Johnsen

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

The present qualitative study conducts in-depth interviews with astronauts and other subject matter experts in order to shed light on human adaptability in extreme environments. Deep space travel will entail a range of highly stressful conditions to which astronauts must adapt. Feelings of isolation will be increased, as the space traveler is farther from Earth for longer periods of time. Daily life will take place in small and confined areas, for durations extending into years. The dangers of the extreme environment of space are ever-present, and failure of critical equipment or components can lead to death. Astronauts will need to …

The Influence Of Technological Reliability And Supervisor Supportiveness On Work Stress, Justin W. Morgan, Jonathan S. Gore

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Despite the prevalence of workplace stress, little research has identified both the social and technological sources of it. In two studies, we examined the role of supervisor support and reliable technology in the alleviation of stress. In Study 1, working adults in Mechanical Turk (n = 225) completed an online survey asking them about their workplace attitudes and opportunities. Results of a regression analysis showed that supportive supervisors and reliable technology were the only predictors of lowered stress, even while accounting for coworkers, pay, promotion opportunities, and everyday workplace tasks. In Study 2, undergraduate students (n = 186) …

Advancing Research On Psychological Stress And Aging With The Health And Retirement Study: Looking Back To Launch The Field Forward, Alexandra D. Crosswell, Madhuvanthi Suresh, Eli Puterman, Tara Gruenewald, Jinkook Lee, Elissa S. Epel

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) was designed as an interdisciplinary study with a strong focus on health, retirement, and socioeconomic environment, to study their dynamic relationships over time in a sample of mid-life adults. The study includes validated self-report measures and individual items that capture the experiences of stressful events (stressor exposures) and subjective assessments of stress (perceived stress) within specific life domains.

Methods

This paper reviews and catalogs the peer-reviewed publications that have used the HRS to examine associations between psychological stress measures and psychological, physical health, and economic outcomes.

Results

We describe the research to date …

Identification Of Resilient Individuals And Those At Risk For Performance Deficits Under Stress., Brent D. Winslow, Meredith B. Carroll, Jonathan W. Martin, Glenn Surpris, George L. Chadderdon

Aeronautics Faculty Publications

Human task performance is affected by exposure to physiological and psychological stress. The ability to measure the physiological response to stressors and correlate that to task performance could be used to identify resilient individuals or those at risk for stress-related performance decrements. Accomplishing this prior to performance under severe stress or the development of clinical stress disorders could facilitate focused preparation such as tailoring training to individual needs. Here we measure the effects of stress on physiological response and performance through behavior, physiological sensors, and subjective ratings, and identify which individuals are at risk for stress-related performance decrements. Participants performed …

Workload Transitions And Stress: Changes Over Time, Erik G. Prytz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Workload transitions are situations where operators are suddenly confronted with levels of workload substantially different from previously established levels. Workload transitions may affect the operators' state of stress and coping behaviors but previous research has not conclusively demonstrated the nature of those. The first goal of the current work was to investigate the discrepant findings of the previous literature. Two experiments were conducted where participants were asked to perform a digit detection task that suddenly shifted between low and high event rates (i.e., low and high workload, respectively). The first experiment used a large magnitude transition that resulted in a …

The Effect Of Improvisations And Observations On Standardized Patient Encounters, Subjective Workload And Stress, Elizabeth T. Newlin-Canzone

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Standardized patients (SPs) are people trained to present a medical case for teaching and assessing medical students and they simultaneously perform several demanding tasks including portraying the patient, assessing the learner, and providing feedback. This study investigated the effect of improvisations and multiple task performance on the ability to observe another's nonverbal (NV) behaviors and rate their communication skills. Subjective reports of mental workload and stress were also obtained. The first study involved undergraduates interviewing for a job. Type of interview (rote and improvisational) and type of observation (passive and active) were manipulated within groups. Based on theories of attention …

The Role Of Alcohol And Stress On Measures Of Depression And Anxiety Among College Students, Jeffrey F. Porter

Masters Theses

In clinical literature regarding the effects of regular alcohol use, psychological benefits of moderate consumption have been suggested (Neff & Husaini, 1982; Neff, 1984; Neff & Husaini, 1985; Neff, 1985; Neff, 1986; Neff, 1993, Lipton, 1994). Despite the diverse groups with which this theory has been examined, no published studies have lookeq specifically at the high-risk group of college undergraduates. Subjects were surveyed to assess their typical drinking behavior, the number of stressful events they had experienced within the past 12 months, their perceived social support, and depressive and anxiety symptoms they experienced within the seven days leading up to …