Cognitive Engineering Approach Research Articles

Utilizing a cognitive engineering approach to conduct a hierarchical task analysis to understand complex older adult decision-making during over-the-counter medication selection.

Adults aged 65+ (older adults) disproportionately consume 30% of over-the-counter (OTC) medications and are largely responsible for making OTC treatment decisions because providers lack awareness of their consumption. These treatment decisions are complex: older adults must navigate age-related body/cognitive changes, developed comorbidities, and complex medication regimens when selecting the right OTC. Yet little is known about how older adults make such decisions. This study characterizes older adults' cognitive decision-making process when seeking to self-medicate with OTCs from their community pharmacy, and demonstrates how hierarchical task analysis (HTA) can be used to evaluate a pharmacy intervention's impact on their decision-making. A pre-/post-implementation approach, using a think-aloud interview process, was conducted with older adults within a community pharmacy setting as they completed a hypothetical scenario to treat either pain, sleep, or cough/cold/allergy symptoms. HTA developed a conceptualization of older adult decision-making regarding OTC selection and use before/after Senior Section implementation. An HTA constructed from 12 purposefully-selected interviews (pre-n=9/post-n=3), consisting of 8 goals/15 sub-goals. While selecting an OTC, older adults considered quantity, cost, form, regimen, safety, strength, appropriateness of OTC safety, generic/name-brand, past experiences, and ingredients. The intervention reduced by half the number of factors considered. Older adult decision-making is more complex than just selecting OTC medication from a pharmacy shelf. HTA-informed decision profiles can provide pharmacists critical insights into safety issues that older adults may not be considering (e.g., factors related to safety, strength, or appropriateness of OTC for symptoms) so that pharmacists can support their decision-making.

Recent developments towards enhancing process safety: Inherent safety and cognitive engineering

Safety is paramount aspect of any chemical plant. In this paper various approaches to enhance process safety are evaluated. The specific enhancements include process design methodologies for improving inherent safety and cognitive engineering to reduce human errors. Their aim is to reduce the number and the consequences of possible deviation events, which depends predominantly on quality of the equipment and human error potential. The consequences are linked to the substances and their inventories. An inherent safety index is used to assess the properties of substances and process units while the potential for human error is characterized using various physiological measures. Our research indicates that application of process synthesis methodologies for simultaneous inherent safety assessment and advanced cognitive engineering approaches for human error reduction will lead to enhanced process safety.

Systematic Review on Cognitive Engineering Applied to Critical Systems for Proposition of Evaluation Heuristics for Virtual Reality

This article presents a systematic review on the usability of critical systems with virtual reality, in order to compile the research carried out in the area from the cognitive engineering approach. For this purpose, a survey was carried out in digital databases and, after determining the relevance and organization of the documents, based on the primary and secondary issues established, seven articles were analyzed. The aim was to compile the types of evaluations carried out (heuristic, cognitive, ergonomic), as well as to characterize the present contributions, in order to correlate them with the classical approaches of analysis of human-computer interfaces. As a result, 25 guidelines are suggested to be adopted in critical systems with virtual reality, which can contribute to the user analysis stages, proposal and development of prototypes, as well as to the analysis of systems already elaborated.

Eye Tracking Metrics for Insider Threat Detection in a Simulated Work Environment

Insider Threats (ITs) are hard to identify because of their knowledge of the organization and motivation to avoid detection. One approach to detecting ITs utilizes Active Indicators (AI), stimuli that elicit a characteristic response from the insider. The present research implemented this approach within a simulation of financial investigative work. A sequence of AIs associated with accessing a locked file was introduced into an ongoing workflow. Participants allocated to an insider role accessed the file illicitly. Eye tracking metrics were used to differentiate insiders and control participants performing legitimate role. Data suggested that ITs may show responses suggestive of strategic concealment of interest and emotional stress. Such findings may provide the basis for a cognitive engineering approach to IT detection.

Usability of an opportunistic interface concept for ad hoc ride-sharing

ABSTRACTInteracting with ride-sharing systems for ad hoc travel is a complex spatio-temporal task. The dynamics of service supply and demand challenge the rigidity of traditional human–computer interfaces, introducing service uncertainty and creating a knowledge gap which hinders a client's travel planning. Such interface constraints may mean that a client user is unable to find any ride matching their intentions. To overcome this, a novel visual interface concept, launch pads, has been suggested to replace the traditional interface within a two-step negotiation. To close the proposed approach's feedback loop, this paper investigates human understanding and use of the launch pad metaphor. Usability testing of launch pads is performed using a spatial cognitive engineering approach in directed wayfinding scenarios using various alternative representations. Results highlight that the variances of user interaction times depend on the representation used and reveal potential information overload issues. Using these findings, a minimum decision-making time is defined to tune the system's architecture.

Combining situated Cognitive Engineering with a novel testing method in a case study comparing two infusion pump interfaces

We validated the usability of a new infusion pump interface designed with a situated Cognitive Engineering approach by comparing it to a reference interface using a novel testing method employing repeated measurements and process measures, in addition to traditional outcome measures. The sample consisted of 25 nurses who performed eight critical tasks three times. Performance measures consisted of number and type of errors, deviations from a pre-established normative path solution, task completion times, number of keystrokes, mental effort and preferences in use. Results showed that interaction with the new interface resulted in 18% fewer errors, 90% fewer normative path deviations, 42% lower task completion times, 40% fewer keystrokes, 39% lower mental effort and 76% more subjective preferences in use. These outcomes suggest that within the scope of this case study, combining the situated Cognitive Engineering approach with a novel testing method addresses various shortcomings of earlier testing methods.

Usability evaluation and assessment of a novel emergency department IT system developed using a cognitive systems engineering approach

This paper presents the results of a usability evaluation conducted of an electronic Emergency Department information system (EDIS) prototype that was designed using a cognitive system engineering (CSE) approach. Participants were asked to complete tasks using the EDIS prototype, while thinking aloud about their interactions with the displays. Participants also completed subjective assessments of the system that related to 1) cognitive performance support objectives, 2) usability, usefulness, and frequency of system use, and 3) qualitative feedback. Mean scores were calculated for cognitive performance support objectives as well as usability, usefulness, and frequency of use for each display. Mean scores for all cognitive performance support objectives were six or higher. The mean usability score was five or higher, and the mean usefulness score was six or higher. Displays that provided information on individual patient status had the highest scores. Results from this evaluation regarding positive ratings for the cognitive support objectives provide evidence that CSE design methods can be used to understand the goals and objectives of medical work domains.

Design for safety: A cognitive engineering approach to the control and management of nuclear power plants

This paper presents an analytical approach to design for safety that is based on 30years of experience in the field of Human-centered design. This field is often qualified as governing safety–critical systems where risk management is a crucial issue. We need to better understand what the main facets of safety are that should be taken into account during the design and development processes. There are many factors that contribute to design for safety. We propose some of these factors and an articulation of them from requirement gathering and synthesis to formative evaluations to summative evaluations. Among these factors, we analyze complexity, flexibility, stability, redundancy, support, training, experience and testing. However, we cannot design a safe and reliable product in one shot; design is incremental. A product and its various uses become progressively mature. When we deal with new products, issues come from the fact that practice features emerge from the use of the product and are difficult, even impossible, to predict ahead of time. The automation within is an important portion of this maturity, and must be understood well. This is why design for safety is not possible without anticipatory simulations and a period of tests in the real world, such as operational testing in nuclear power plants. In addition, designing for safety is not finished when the product is delivered; experience feedback, or human-in-the-loop simulation (HITLS) is an important part of the overall global design process. The AUTOS pyramid approach can assist in simplifying the understanding, and improving the design of a complex system by describing and relating Artifacts, Users, Tasks, Organizations, and Situations.

Cognitive Engineering of Automated Assembly Processes

AbstractA cognitive control unit (CCU) for automated assembly systems aims to simulate human information processing at a rule‐based level of cognitive control. Focusing on the subtask of monitoring, a cognitive engineering approach for the design of the procedural knowledge base of the CCU is presented and a human‐centered simulation model of assembly processes on the basis of the cognitive architecture SOAR is introduced. The overall objective is to design and develop the system to conform to operators' expectations. To identify human assembly strategies to be included in the CCU, an empirical study with n = 16 participants was conducted and validated by an independent investigation with n = 25 persons. Furthermore, simulation models incorporating certain subsets of production rules were developed and evaluated regarding their goodness of prediction of human assembly behavior. The results show that the rule sets have a significant effect on the predictive power. The highest prediction accuracy was obtained with all identified assembly rules integrated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Memory models of visual search - searching in-the-head vs. in-the-world?

Visual search takes place whenever we are looking for something. But when a stimulus has been visually encoded on a previous occasion, memory processes can supplement or compete with eye movements during search. While previous research has mostly focused on the perceptual features that allow us to identify a target among distractors in single shot searches (Wolfe, 1998, Psych. Science), recent findings have highlighted the contributions of visual short-term memory (VSTM) to search processes (Alvarez & Cavanagh, 2004, Psych. Science). We present a paradigm of repeated serial search that attempts to illuminate the potential roles of working memory (Anderson & Matessa, 1997, Psych. Review) and VSTM in visual search. A series of simple process models exemplifies various ways in which memory for items and/or locations can facilitate or obliterate search. Within a cognitive engineering approach, we developed multiple computational models that allowed us to explore and explicate the consequences of assumptions about VSTM capacity and organization, and the interaction between long-term memory and VSTM. Each model yielded distinct performance profiles based on the sequential order of target stimuli. We investigated our model predictions through an experiment that employed a serial search paradigm. Each of 10 targets (showing alphanumeric captions) had to be found on average twice per trial. As some items could be mere distractors and next targets were presented (auditorily) whenever the current target was found, participants could not anticipate the target sequence. Detailed comparisons between search performance, eye data and our computational models show clear evidence for memory processes for both target and distractor information, both within a single search and across multiple searches. Also, a between-subjects manipulation of target visibility shows that the use of knowledge-in-the-head (or memory) increases as the perceptual-motor costs of visual access are increased.

Cognitive Engineering Approaches to Safety in Healthcare

Healthcare work is accomplished by complex, highly distributed, joint cognitive systems, but is often viewed from within (by its workers) and without (by society at large) as individually-based craft work. The choice of this viewpoint makes collaborations difficult, because the theories and tools of cognitive engineering then seem foreign to health professionals, and vice versa. In this panel, a group of leading cognitive engineers with extensive experience in healthcare environments will discuss their experience in this domain with emphasis on methods for improving the process and content of these collaborations.

Human Weaknesses and strengths in collaboration with robots

This paper describes the importance of the incorporation of ergonomics, human factor, errors analysis and cognitive engineering approaches in the design of human-robot systems, how consideration of these subjects help designers and workers to avoid hazardous situations and make human-robot interaction in vicinity more effective, reliable and safe. Basing on acquired knowledge and guiding by acquired knowledg e we propose our trial application for disassembly cell.

A Cognitive Engineering Approach for Facilitating Analysis of Human-Computer Interaction in Complex Work Domains

This paper demonstrates that work domain analysis (WDA), a cognitive engineering approach based on Rasmussen's abstraction hierarchy (AH) framework, is a valuable and alternate analytic tool for analyzing human-computer interaction (HCI) in complex work domains through a case study. In the case study, we use WDA to examine automation awareness, an HCI issue in automated flight decks. The case study shows that WDA provides an effective approach to systematically assess collected human factors data in order to identify the gaps in satisfying the work requirements across interrelated factors. It helps assess the adequacy of domain information provided to workers via training in order to build a fairly accurate and effective mental model, adequacy of domain information presented to workers at the interface, and the adequacy of operation procedures designed for workers to copy with unfamiliar situations. Finally, WDA also helps generate needs for enhancements of existing systems from a work domain perspective.

Models of Human Expertise as Blueprints for Cognitive Engineering: Applications to Landmine Detection

Landmines pose a major military threat as well as a serious humanitarian problem. The difficulty of detecting buried landmines, especially modern landmines with minimal metallic content, contributes heavily to the problem. The two projects described here took a cognitive engineering approach to improve detection capability via development and implementation of scientifically principled operator training. Each analyzed and modeled the landmine detection skills of expert users of two different handheld detection systems, the PSS-12, the U.S. Army standard equipment, and the PSS-141, an advanced technology system under development at the time of this work. Model-based training programs were developed and tested. Both proved highly effective for developing detection skills, producing the greatest increases in detection rates against the most challenging targets. The US Army has adopted and now uses both programs. Results demonstrate the practical utility of information-processing models of expertise for designing instruction and developing important human skills.

Human Control of Teams of Unmanned/Robotic Vehicles: Exploring the Limits of the Possible

Robotic vehicles under human control are currently being used for exploration and surveillance in variety of environments that are inaccessible or dangerous for humans. The operation of such vehicles is currently labor intensive, however, with multiple operators typically required for each vehicle employed. This panel reports on progress being made in the control of teams of robotic vehicles by much smaller teams of human operators through the combination of sophisticated automated control algorithms and human supervision. The goal is mixed initiative control—flexible and dynamic shifting of responsibility between humans and automation as required over the course of a mission. The panel will discuss cognitive engineering approaches to the design of a mixed initiative system for multi-vehicle robotic control including development and experimental testing of prototype interface designs, workload modeling, and optimal team design. The strengths, limitations, and potential complementarity of these approaches will be discussed.

Applying Decision-Centered Design to Damage Control for the Navy

Decision-Centered Design (DCD) was created so that the users of information technology (IT) have an advocate in the design cycle. DCD was created to increase the value of IT for the decision maker. It is a cognitive engineering approach to design that uncovers and models the cognitive expertise of users and conveys these insights to IT developers. DCD ensures that cognitive challenges are addressed in IT designs so that cognitive performance is improved. Other cognitive enginering approaches share these same goals, but DCD also has principles and processes that other cognitive engineering approaches may not share. This paper will use a Damage Control decision support system to illustrate the application of DCD.

The need for a 'universal accessibility' engineering tool

The countries of the European Union generally want to enhance self-support for the elderly and disabled and consequently strive for accessibility of 'mainstream' Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for these inhabitants. The 'universal accessibility' approach is advocated as a possibility to include all user groups in the software development process.The European Union supports research in this area, for example by funding the project Assessing the Awareness of the Design for All Approach (AADAA consortium, 1998).However, the 'universal accessibility' approach is not as widely spread in the design community, as it should be. Several reasons have been identified. First, the phenomenon that 'universal accessibility' products are perceived as dull by the designers creates serious problems for the acceptance of the 'universal accessibility' paradigm. This might, however, be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Second, the cost of involving elderly and disabled users in software development can be higher than for involving the rest of the population. On the other hand, a broader perspective comprises also the advantages of the 'universal accessibility' approach: The involvement of elderly in the design process often results in better products for all kind of users so that the overall utility of this approach is high (Gleiss et al., 1995). Furthermore, the number of potential users of the 'universal accessible' product also increases so it might very well be a good investment. Third, the extra constraints on design possibilities are another objection. However, it could be that the constraints force the designers to be creative, bringing about new ideas that enrich the total design space (Newell & Gregor, 1997). In sum, the three problems of dullness, design costs and design constraints can be solved by evoking positive attitudes, widened cost-benefit analyses and creative design solutions. However, to realise 'universal accessibility', the corresponding human factors knowledge should be incorporated into the design practice. Currently, designers take insufficiently account of human-factors knowledge on elderly and disabled (Neerincx, 1998). This paper provides a cognitive engineering approach to solve this problem.

Cognitive Theories and Engineering Approaches for Safety Assessment and Design of automated systems: A Case Study of a Power Plant

This paper concerns methods and techniques for analysis and assessment of human factors in automated plant. A well-known theory is reviewed and an engineering approach is devised for retrospective accident evaluations and prospective studies. The lessons learnt from a serious accident for the safety assessment of a real plant are discussed in detail. The relevance of the human contribution to the accident and the likely improvements identified by the application of the method confirm the importance and advantages of performing accurate human factors analyses for design and safety of technological systems.

Beyond psychophysics: the need for a cognitive engineering approach to setting limits in manual lifting tasks

The classical psychophysical approach to setting limits in manual lifting tasks is discussed in view of experimental procedures used, non-linearity of human perception of load heaviness, and the related experimental outcomes. The results of two studies investigating the human assessment of load acceptability and safety are presented. The first study compares the classical concept of the maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) to the alternative concept of the maximum safe weight of lift (MSWL). The second study utilizes the linguistic magnitude estimation (LME) method to mathematically model human assessment of four categories of lifted loads, including the concepts of acceptable, safe, not-too-heavy, and too-heavy loads for continuous lifting. It is shown that the concepts of the lifted load acceptability and safety are non-linear, and can be modelled with great accuracy using the third degree polynomials. This study also introduces and investigates the concept of the load indifference in assessment of load heaviness, and shows that lack of a cognitive benchmark introduces inconsistency in subjects' perception of load acceptability and safety compared to the concept of too-heavy load for continuous lifting. It is concluded that a new research approach to manual lifting tasks based on cognitive engineering is needed to improve the quality of research methodologies currently utilized in this field. This unexplored area of research should lead to greater understanding of human capacities and limitations in manual lifting tasks in the context of cultural and linguistic anthropology.

The Load of Perceptual Indifference in Human Cognition of Load Heaviness in Manual Lifting Tasks

This main objective of this study was to introduce and investigate the concept of load of perceptual indifference (LPI) for assessment of load heaviness in manual lifting tasks. The loads of perceptual indifference were defined as those box weights which would result in the same values of subjective compatibility scores for a given pair of perceptual categories of load heaviness. At the point of indifference, the loads are perceived as to be acceptable, safe or not-too-heavy with an equal strength as the loads judged to be too-heavy for continuous lifting. The linguistic magnitude estimation (LME) method (Karwowski, 1990) was used for experimental and modeling purposes. This allowed to develop a quantitative model for the human assessment of four categories of lifted loads of interest. The results indicate that the lack of cognitive benchmark introduces inconsistency in subjects perception of load acceptability and safety compared to the concept of to-heavy load. In order to overcome this problem, a new research approach to manual lifting tasks is needed, based on the integration of cognitive engineering, active psychophysics and ecological approach.