Lecture 18

Question 1

What does human factors/ergonomics look at?

Answer 1

• Concerned with understanding interactions among humans and other elements of a system
• Looks to optimise human wellbeing and overall system performance

Question 2

What is vigilance?

Answer 2

The ability to maintain attentional focus and remain alert over prolonged periods

Question 3

What are the requirements for a task to be considered a vigilance task?

Answer 3

1. Participants required to monitor at least one formation source
2. For a prolonged period of time

Question 4

What Performance measures are combined to obtain signal detection measures?

Answer 4

HIT and FALSE ALARM

Question 5

What is the performance outcome if there is a target present and the participant responds?

Answer 5

HIT

-number of correct responses worked as a %

Question 6

What is the performance outcome if there is a target present and the participant doesn’t respond?

Answer 6

MISS - Error of Omission

-Target appeared and they didn’t respond

Question 7

What is the performance outcome if there is a distractor present and the participant responds?

Answer 7

FALSE ALARM - Error of Commission

-Made response when they shouldn’t have

Question 8

What is the performance outcome if there is a distractor present and the participant doesn’t respond?

Answer 8

CORRECT REJECTION

-See if people will withhold their response

Question 9

What is perceptual sensitivity a measure of?

Answer 9

Overall sensitivity

Question 10

What is the effect of less frequent occurrence of the actual target?

Answer 10

People are less likely to identify the item as they are unprepared to see it

Question 11

What are ways to reducing miss rates?

Answer 11

1. Increase actual target prevalence - not very feasible
2. False feedback - ‘You missed one’
3. Artificially increase prevalence - fake targets

Question 12

How does time spend doing the task affect detection performance?

Answer 12

Detection performance declines over time on the task

Question 13

When does automation improve vigilance performance?

Answer 13

When it highlights possible targets

1. Direct cue = gives specific location
2. Highly reliable (minimise false alarms)