High Task Complexity Research Articles

On the origins of informal hierarchy: The interactive role of formal leadership and task complexity

SummaryInformal hierarchies are a common and important feature of many groups, yet we know little about the antecedent conditions that determine the strength of such hierarchies. Building on theory that has depicted hierarchy as a mechanism for reducing uncertainty and creating structure, we posit that informal hierarchies emerge most strongly in situations that are ambiguous, ill‐defined, and unstructured. Three independent studies confirm this notion, demonstrating that groups develop particularly strong informal hierarchies in situations characterized by both a lack of strong formal leadership and high task complexity. These findings support the theoretical notion that formal and informal hierarchies are closely related, but only under conditions of high task complexity in which the structuring functions of hierarchies are most crucial.

Influence of cognitive ability on task performance of dynamic decision making in military vehicles under different task complexity

With the increment of demands on task performance in military vehicles, reasons for task performance difference in dynamic decision making have received considerable attention. The aim of this study was to explore the reasons for performance difference of dynamic decision making in military vehicles. The different influences of cognitive ability on task performance were investigated between low and high task complexity. Task performance was assessed with task completion time and error rate. Task complexity was manipulated by altering three forms of load factor, consisting of number of alternatives, information load and interruption duration. Four types of cognitive abilities were measured, including reaction ability, memory ability, sustained attention ability and attention allocation ability. The results indicated that cognitive abilities were effective predictors of task performance. High task complexity was more detrimental to individuals with low cognitive ability in terms of operation speed, and to individuals with high cognitive ability in terms of operation accuracy. High memory ability became increasingly demanded in high complexity. The key points of enhancing task performance lay in crew selection based on cognitive ability test and pertinence training on balancing operation speed and accuracy. This study provides insights into performance difference of military vehicle crew in dynamic decision making, which has remarkable significance in current crew selection, training and task assignment.

Noise in the Operating Room Distracts Members of the Surgical Team. An Observational Study.

Noise pollution in operation rooms may distract the surgical team members. In particular during phases of high task complexity, noise can jeopardize concentration. Phases of high complexity are related to task specificities and may thus be different for different members of the surgical team. Noise exposure was measured during 110 open abdominal surgeries. Distinguishing three phases (opening, main phase, and closing), noise was related to self-report of distraction levels by main and secondary surgeons, scrub nurses and anesthetists. Noise pollution was higher than recommended levels for concentrated work. Adjusted for duration, surgical type, and difficulty of the surgery, results showed that second surgeons are more likely distracted when noise pollution was high in the main phase; and anesthetists are more likely distracted when noise pollution was high during the closing phase. Main surgeons' and scrub nurses' concentration was not impaired by measured noise levels. In phases with higher concentration demands, noise pollution was particularly distracting for second surgeons and anesthetist, corresponding to their specific task demands (anesthetists) and experience (second surgeons). Reducing noise levels particularly in the main and closing phase of the surgery may reduce concentration impairments.

The Effect of Cognitive Load and Task Complexity on Automation Bias in Electronic Prescribing.

Determine the relationship between cognitive load (CL) and automation bias (AB). Clinical decision support (CDS) for electronic prescribing can improve safety but introduces the risk of AB, where reliance on CDS replaces vigilance in information seeking and processing. We hypothesized high CL generated by high task complexity would increase AB errors. One hundred twenty medical students prescribed medicines for clinical scenarios using a simulated e-prescribing system in a randomized controlled experiment. Quality of CDS (correct, incorrect, and no CDS) and task complexity (low and high) were varied. CL, omission errors (failure to detect prescribing errors), and commission errors (acceptance of false positive alerts) were measured. Increasing complexity from low to high significantly increased CL, F(1, 118) = 71.6, p < .001. CDS reduced CL in high-complexity conditions compared to no CDS, F(2, 117) = 4.72, p = .015. Participants who made omission errors in incorrect and no CDS conditions exhibited lower CL compared to those who did not, F(1, 636.49) = 3.79, p = .023. Results challenge the notion that AB is triggered by increasing task complexity and associated increases in CL. Omission errors were associated with lower CL, suggesting errors may stem from an insufficient allocation of cognitive resources. This is the first research to examine the relationship between CL and AB. Findings suggest designers and users of CDS systems need to be aware of the risks of AB. Interventions that increase user vigilance and engagement may be beneficial and deserve further investigation.

Analyzing Participant Behaviors in Design Crowdsourcing Contests Using Causal Inference on Field Data

Crowdsourcing is the practice of getting ideas and solving problems using a large number of people on the Internet. It is gaining popularity for activities in the engineering design process ranging from concept generation to design evaluation. The outcomes of crowdsourcing contests depend on the decisions and actions of participants, which in turn depend on the nature of the problem and the contest. For effective use of crowdsourcing within engineering design, it is necessary to understand how the outcomes of crowdsourcing contests are affected by sponsor-related, contest-related, problem-related, and individual-related factors. To address this need, we employ existing game-theoretic models, empirical studies, and field data in a synergistic way using the theory of causal inference. The results suggest that participants' decisions to participate are negatively influenced by higher task complexity and lower reputation of sponsors. However, they are positively influenced by the number of prizes and higher allocation to prizes at higher levels. That is, an amount of money on any following prize generates higher participation than the same amount of money on the first prize. The contributions of the paper are: (a) a causal graph that encodes relationships among factors affecting crowdsourcing contests, derived from game-theoretic models and empirical studies, and (b) a quantification of the causal effects of these factors on the outcomes of GrabCAD, Cambridge, MA contests. The implications of these results on the design of future design crowdsourcing contests are discussed.

An investigation of the relationship between gender composition and organizational performance in Taiwan—The role of task complexity

An important research issue concerns the effects of gender diversity on organizational performance. Over the years, gender diversity has largely been discussed at the group level or the level of the business unit at most. It has not been widely studied at the level of the organization as a whole. Moreover, such studies have resulted in mixed findings. Diversity does not necessarily improve work performance, often times its relationship with performance can be negative. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities perspective and the contingency perspective, this study investigates the effects of gender diversity on organizational performance in the context of differing job levels in manufacturing companies in Taiwan. We found that female representation in the job level of managers, professionals and administrative personnel showed an inverted U-shaped relationship with organizational performance, and the optimal proportion of women is generally higher than 50%. However, the effect of gender diversity on organizational performance tends to be negative among production workers. Our findings indicate that in the job level of high task complexity, gender diversity contributes to organizational performance. While in the job level of low task complexity, gender diversity does not lead to improved performance. Our findings offer implications for theory and practice.

CORRECTIVE-LOGOPEDICAL PROGRAM FOR FORMING THE RELIABLE READINESS OF CHILDREN OF SENIOR PRIMARY AGE TO THE SCHOOL

Article discusses the formation of speech readiness of children of senior preschool age with speech disorders to school by the proposed speech correction and development program. The latter consists of three parts, which correspond to structural components of the speech readiness. Includes blocks of compulsory educational, rehabilitative and high complexity tasks. The program is built on the use of computer games, an innovative speech therapy technology. The analysis of the results of the proposed correctional program at the 152 children with normal speech development (NSD), phonetic and phonemic underdevelopment of speech (PPUS) and General speech underdevelopment (GSU). Results of remedial work with basic intellectually-personal readiness component of the speech showed that significantly improve this component as a whole are 44 (28,9%) of the child from all groups of study. Among these, 23 (52.3 percent) of the child that were in the group with NSD and PPUS, changed the level from medium to high. The semiotic component of voice ready improved in 35 (23%) children of255 all investigated with the advantage of high-level - 25 (71,4%) childrens. After training, 80 children from the groups of NSD and PPUS had a semiotic component at a high level against 65 before the correction. No child with GSU could not rise to a high level test execution semiotic component, which is associated with the severity of the speech defect. The results of the regulatory component before and after the remedial work indicate that 43 (28,3%) child has moved to a higher level. Summarizing the data components of speech readiness conducted after remedial work, it should be noted that, in General, have improved their skills 122 of the child. Among them, 87 (71,3%) of the children rose to the highest level of skills in the indicators underlying the intellectual-personal and regulation components. Children of the groups of NSD and PPUS reached the highest results in 4 times more often than in the group of the GSU. All children NSD and PPUS who had low skills were able to capture them on average. 35 (28.7%) of all children had changed their level of skill semiotic component. The best performance was achieved by children from the groups of NSD and PPUS. Thus, speech readiness for the three components improved in 46 (30,2%) children of all groups. The findings suggest that speech therapy, we offer remedial and developmental program is effective and individually determined for the formation of speech readiness of children of senior preschool age.

Timed abstractions for distributed cooperative manipulation

This paper addresses the problem of deriving well-defined timed abstractions for the decentralized cooperative manipulation of a single object by N robotic agents. In particular, we propose a distributed model-free control protocol for the trajectory tracking of the cooperatively manipulated object without necessitating feedback of the contact forces/torques or inter-agent communication. Certain prespecified performance functions determine the transient and steady state of the coupled object-agents system. The latter, along with a region partition of the workspace that depends on the physical volume of the object and the agents, allows us to define timed transitions for the coupled system among the derived workspace regions. Therefore, we abstract its motion as a finite transition system and, by employing standard automata-based methodologies, we define high level complex tasks for the object that can be encoded by timed temporal logics. In addition, we use load sharing coefficients to represent potential differences in power capabilities among the agents. Finally, realistic simulation studies verify the validity of the proposed scheme.

Effects of high-complexity and high-cognitive-level instructional tasks in biology lessons on students’ factual and conceptual knowledge

BackgroundEducation Standards highlight the importance of conceptual knowledge. Instructional tasks play a key role in biology instruction and offer learning opportunities for students. Tasks contain of a content and a demands part. Therefore, complexity and cognitive level are adequate variables to describe tasks and are assumed effective for students’ learning.PurposeThis study aimed to analyse the use of high-complexity and high-cognitive-level tasks in biology instruction and effects on students’ factual and conceptual knowledge.SampleTwenty-eight German secondary school biology teachers were videotaped for three lessons in grade six on the topic botany. The student sample was 701.Design and methodsInstructional tasks were identified and categorised according complexity and cognitive level. Students’ factual and conceptual knowledge was tested after the videotaped lessons. Multilevel analyses were used to estimate effects on students’ knowledge.ResultsBiology instruction is dominated by low-complexity and low-cognitive-level tasks. Multilevel analyses showed a positive significant effect of high-cognitive-level tasks on students’ conceptual knowledge. High-complexity tasks did not significantly effect students’ conceptual knowledge.ConclusionsEstablishing Education Standards did hardly change the type of tasks. The potential of high-cognitive-level tasks to foster students’ learning is highlighted. Introducing these results in pre-service and in-service teacher education seems necessary.

Application of Computer Technologies in Building Design by Example of Original Objects of Increased Complexity

The article deals with the solution of problems in AutoCAD offered at the All-Russian student Olympiads at the section of “Computer graphics” that are not typical for the students of construction specialties. The students are provided with the opportunity to study the algorithm for solving original tasks of high complexity. The article shows how the unknown parameter underlying the construction can be determined using a parametric drawing with geometric constraints and dimensional dependencies. To optimize the mark-up operation, the use of the command for projecting the points and lines of different types onto bodies and surfaces in different directions is shown. For the construction of a spring with a different pitch of turns, the paper describes the creation of a block from a part of the helix and its scaling when inserted into a model with unequal coefficients along the axes. The advantage of the NURBS surface and the application of the “body-surface-surface-NURBS-body” conversion are reflected to enhance the capabilities of both solid and surface modeling. The article’s material introduces construction students into the method of constructing complex models in AutoCAD that are not similar to typical training assignments.

Configuring challenge and hindrance contexts for introversion and creativity: Joint effects of task complexity and guanxi management

We conducted a phenomenon-based research study in China. Starting with interviews and observations to capture the phenomenon, we built on and extended the challenge stressor–hindrance stressor framework to investigate how task complexity interacts with managing guanxi with a supervisor to influence the relationship between introversion and creativity. In Study 1, using a sample of 597 employees and their supervisors, we hypothesized and found a three-way interaction effect between introversion, task complexity, and guanxi management. For employees who scored high on the introversion trait continuum, the joint condition of high task complexity and low guanxi management was the most conducive to creativity and the joint condition of low task complexity and high guanxi management was the least conducive. The beneficial effect of high task complexity and low guanxi management gradually diminished and ultimately disappeared as employees scored lower on the introversion continuum, whereas the adverse effect of low task complexity and high guanxi management gradually appeared and ultimately intensified rapidly as employees moved from lower to higher levels of introversion. In Study 2, we replicated these results using a sample of 243 employees and their supervisors from a different industry. We discuss the implications of these results for future research and management practice.

The effects of review form and task complexity on auditor performance

This study examines the effects of review form and task complexity levels on auditor performance. Adopting a 2 × 2 (face-to-face vs. e-mail review and low vs. high task complexity) between-subjects design, we recruit auditors with limited experience to perform going-concern evaluations in an experimental setting. Our results reveal that auditors in the face-to-face review group perform better than those in the e-mail review group, and that auditor performance is lower for more complex tasks. More importantly, consistent with our hypotheses, auditors in the face-to-face review group perform better than those in the e-mail review group when task complexity is low, but not when task complexity is high.

What can community pharmacy learn from the experiences of transition to practice for novice doctors and nurses? A narrative review.

In the absence of literature reporting the transition experiences of novice community pharmacists, peer-reviewed evidence on the transition experiences of novice doctors and nurses was identified and reviewed. Specific objectives included identifying the challenges to transition and their perceived impact, before considering the implications for novice community pharmacists. The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and ScienceDirect were searched for full peer-reviewed original research papers published 1990-March 2015, reporting the transition experiences of novice doctors and nurses. A narrative review following coding of themes was undertaken to synthesise findings with transferability. Twenty-five papers using qualitative and quantitative methods were retrieved from nursing (18) and medicine (6). Challenges were categorised into three themes: personal experiences (where acquiring professional accountability, failing to meet expectations, and emotional, cognitive and physical demands of the job heightened stress), social experiences (where support and acceptance at work were hindered by organisational culture, hierarchy or interpersonal conflict) and challenges from job-related experiences (high workloads, task complexity, staffing, rotations and shift patterns). Challenging transitions were perceived by novice practitioners and their peers as impeding learning, impairing performance and having negative implications for patient care. While some of these findings may be transferable to community pharmacy settings, contextual differences exist: relative isolation from professional peers, commercially driven private-sector settings, full and immediate acquisition of professional accountability and the lack of clinical career pathways or formalised support. Given these differences, is it appropriate that 'day-one' community pharmacists are fully and immediately accountable? Empirical research exploring transition to practice in the community pharmacy setting is needed.

A protégé semantic modelling approach for combination correlation of manufacturing service

Cloud manufacturing service model aimed at gathering global resources, optimise the allocation, provide new impetus for the core of manufacturing industry informatisation and the reform, and the service combination technology is a key technology to optimal allocate various resources in manufacturing cloud. However, because the multiple user demands the high system scalability and task complexity, the potential constraint relationship between the various combinations must be taken into account. Focus on the combinable relations researches on combinable relation classification by workflow and strength degree, such as sequential relationships branch/selection relationships, concurrent relationships, multiple selection, synchronous convergence, discriminator, arbitrary cycle, and delay selection. Finally, we use OWL language to build a model of relations ontology for magnetic bearing.

Can anchoring explain biased forecasts? Experimental evidence

Biased forecasts, particularly the inadequate adjustment from current values and excessive clustering, are increasingly explained as resulting from anchoring. However, experiments presented in support of this interpretation lack economic conditions, particularly monetary incentives, feedback for learning effects and an optimal strategy of unbiased predictions. In a novel forecasting experiment, we find monetary incentives to reduce anchoring for simple forecasting tasks only, while higher task complexity and risk increase the bias in spite of incentives for accuracy. Anchors ubiquitously reduce the forecasts’ variance, while individual cognitive abilities and learning effects show debiasing effects only in some conditions. Our results emphasize that biased forecasts and their specific variance can result from anchoring.

Anchoring: A Valid Explanation for Biased Forecasts When Rational Predictions are Easily Accessible and Well Incentivized?

Biased forecasts, particularly the inadequate adjustment from current values and excessive clustering, are increasingly explained as resulting from anchoring. However, experiments presented in support of this interpretation lack economic conditions, particularly monetary incentives, feedback for learning effects and an optimal strategy of unbiased predictions. In a novel forecasting experiment, we find monetary incentives to substantially reduce and higher task complexity and risk to increase the bias. Anchors ubiquitously reduce the forecasts’ variance, while individual cognitive abilities and learning effects show debiasing effects only in some conditions. Our results emphasize that biased forecasts and their specific variance can result from anchoring.

A machine learning approach to identify functional biomarkers in human prefrontal cortex for individuals with traumatic brain injury using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

BackgroundWe have explored the potential prefrontal hemodynamic biomarkers to characterize subjects with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) by employing the multivariate machine learning approach and introducing a novel task‐related hemodynamic response detection followed by a heuristic search for optimum set of hemodynamic features. To achieve this goal, the hemodynamic response from a group of 31 healthy controls and 30 chronic TBI subjects were recorded as they performed a complexity task.MethodsTo determine the optimum hemodynamic features, we considered 11 features and their combinations in characterizing TBI subjects. We investigated the significance of the features by utilizing a machine learning classification algorithm to score all the possible combinations of features according to their predictive power.Results and ConclusionsThe identified optimum feature elements resulted in classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 85%, 85%, and 84%, respectively. Classification improvement was achieved for TBI subject classification through feature combination. It signified the major advantage of the multivariate analysis over the commonly used univariate analysis suggesting that the features that are individually irrelevant in characterizing the data may become relevant when used in combination. We also conducted a spatio‐temporal classification to identify regions within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that contribute in distinguishing between TBI and healthy subjects. As expected, Brodmann areas (BA) 10 within the PFC were isolated as the region that healthy subjects (unlike subjects with TBI), showed major hemodynamic activity in response to the High Complexity task. Overall, our results indicate that identified temporal and spatio‐temporal features from PFC's hemodynamic activity are promising biomarkers in classifying subjects with TBI.

Retention of laparoscopic psychomotor skills after a structured training program depends on the quality of the training and on the complexity of the task.

This follow-up RCT was conducted to evaluate laparoscopic psychomotor skills retention after finishing a structured training program. In a first study, 80 gynecologists were randomly allocated to four groups to follow different training programs for hand-eye coordination (task 1) with the dominant hand (task 1-a) and the non-dominant hand (task 1-b) and laparoscopic intra-corporeal knot tying (task 2) in the Laparoscopic Skills Testing and Training (LASTT) model. First, baseline skills were tested (T1). Then, participants trained task 1 (G1: 1-a and 1-b, G2: 1-a only, G3 and G4: none) and then task 2 (all groups but G4). After training all groups were tested again to evaluate skills acquisition (T2). For this study, 2 years after a resting period, 73 participants were recruited and tested again to evaluate skills retention (T3). All groups had comparable skills at T1 for all tasks. At T2, G1, G2, and G3 improved their skills, but the level of improvement was different (G1 = G2 > G3 > G4 for task 1; G1 = G2 = G3 > G4 for task 2). At T3, all groups retained their task 1 skills at the same level than at T2. For task 2, however, a skill decay was already noticed for G2 and G3, being G1 the only group that retained their skills at the post-training level. Training improves laparoscopic skills, which can be retained over time depending on the comprehensiveness of the training program and on the complexity of the task. For high complexity tasks, full training is advisable for both skills acquisition and retention.

Involvement of Spearman's g in conceptualisation versus execution of complex tasks

Strong correlations between measures of fluid intelligence (or Spearman's g) and working memory are widely reported in the literature, but there is considerable controversy concerning the nature of underlying mechanisms driving this relationship. In the four experiments presented here we consider the role of response conflict and task complexity in the context of real-time task execution demands (Experiments 1–3) and also address recent evidence that g confers an advantage at the level of task conceptualisation rather than (or in addition to) task execution (Experiment 4). We observed increased sensitivity of measured fluid intelligence to task performance in the presence (vs. the absence) of response conflict, and this relationship remained when task complexity was reduced. Performance-g correlations were also observed in the absence of response conflict, but only in the context of high task complexity. Further, we present evidence that differences in conceptualisation or ‘modelling’ of task instructions prior to execution had an important mediating effect on observed correlations, but only when the task encompassed a strong element of response inhibition. Our results suggest that individual differences in ability reflect, in large part, variability in the efficiency with which the relational complexity of task constraints are held in mind. It follows that fluid intelligence may support successful task execution through the construction of effective action plans via optimal allocation of limited resources.

Air traffic control: Ocular metrics reflect cognitive complexity

The objective of the study was to evaluate effects of complexity on cognitive workload in a simulated air traffic control conflict detection task by means of eye movements recording. We manipulated two complexity factors, convergence angle and aircrafts minimum distance at closest approach, in a multidimensional workload assessment method based on psychophysiological, performance, and subjective measures. Conflict trials resulted more complex and time-consuming than no conflicts, requiring more frequent fixations and saccades. Moreover, large saccades showed reduced burst power with higher task complexity. A motion-based and a ratio-based strategy were suggested for conflicts and no conflicts on the basis of ocular metrics analysis: aircrafts differential speed and distance to convergence point at trial start were considered determinant for strategy adoption. Relevance to industryEye metrics measurement for online workload assessment enhances better identification of workload-inducing scenarios and adopted strategy for traffic management. System design, as well as air traffic control operators training programs, might benefit from on line workload measurement.