Longer Task Completion Times Research Articles

Contextualizing Visualizations of Digital Health Information among Young and Older Adults Based on Eye-Tracking

Visualizations have been found to be a promising solution to aid individuals’ comprehension of digital health information. However, how visualizations can be better contextualized remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the effects of visualizations of digital health information with various contextual cues and age on comprehension through eye-tracking techniques. A two-way mixed design was employed, with visualization (basic, color, color + text, and color + text + personalized statement) and age (young and older adults) as independent variables. Forty-one participants attended an experiment where they were asked to perform verbatim comprehension and value interpretation tasks in response to varied visualizations of digital health information. The results indicated that the four visualizations yielded comparable task completion time and accuracy. Older adults had longer task completion time and more errors compared with their counterparts. While eye movement measures were comparable across different visualizations, they were mostly affected by age and areas of interests. Different visualizations might attract different patterns of visual attention and yield varied effectiveness across age groups. Future research should focus on how to better visualize digital health information for older adults. Design practitioners should carefully consider how to attract patients’ visual attention to important information to improve comprehension.

Differences in Drivers’ Glance Behavior and Lateral Control Ability during Full-Touch Interaction Mode and Conventional Interaction Mode: A Case Study of Road Experiments

In recent years, the full-touch human–machine interaction (HMI) mode has gained popularity in the automotive market. However, little research has been conducted on how this interaction mode affects drivers’ glance behavior and lateral control ability. In this study, we evaluated the visual engagement and driving performance of 30 participants while driving two vehicles equipped with either the full-touch interaction mode (FTIM) or the conventional interaction mode (CIM) provided by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). We found that both air conditioning–related tasks required more visual engagement, longer task completion time, and worse lateral vehicle control under FTIM. Furthermore, the gray correlation analysis demonstrated that FTIM exhibited slightly different disadvantages in the two secondary tasks. In the temperature adjustment task, the correlations of glance behavior and lateral control ability between the two interactive modes were 0.688 and 0.680, respectively. In the airflow adjustment task, the correlations of glance behavior and lateral control ability between the two interactive modes were 0.659 and 0.668, respectively. In addition, this study revealed that driving speed had significant effects on glance behavior and lateral driving performance in both interaction modes. As speed increased, self-adjusting glance behavior was evident in performing the secondary task; however, this behavior could not compensate for the deterioration in lateral driving performance caused by the increased speed. The findings will help improve drivers’ perception of FTIM and provide theoretical guidance for the design development of HMI mode.

Distracted worker: Using pupil size and blink rate to detect cognitive load during manufacturing tasks

This study sets out to extend the use of blink rate and pupil size to the assessment of cognitive load of completing common automotive manufacturing tasks. Nonoptimal cognitive load is detrimental to safety. Existing occupational ergonomics approaches come short of measuring dynamic changes in cognitive load during complex assembling tasks. Cognitive demand was manipulated by having participants complete two versions of the n-back task (easy, hard). Two durations of the physical task were also considered (short, long). Pupil size and blink rate increased under greater cognitive task demand. High cognitive load also resulted in longer task completion times, and higher ratings of mental and temporal demand, and effort. This exploratory study offers relevant insights on the use of ocular metrics for cognitive load assessment in occupational ergonomics. While the existing eye-tracking technology may yet limit their adoption in the field, they offer advantages over the more popular expert-based and self-reported techniques in measuring changes in cognitive load during dynamic tasks.

Effects of vibration and target size on the use of varied computer input devices in basic human‐computer interaction tasks

AbstractPointing and dragging are fundamental actions by input devices when interacting with computer graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Cockpits on modern vehicles have been increasingly equipped with GUIs, enabling pointing and dragging tasks to be frequently performed under vibration conditions. However, factors influencing these fundamental actions under vibration conditions have not been fully explored. This study aimed to explore the effects of vibration, input devices, and target size on the performance and perceived workload in basic human–computer interaction tasks. Twenty‐seven participants completed an experiment where they were required to conduct two pointing tasks and one dragging‐and‐dropping task using four input devices (mouse, touchscreen, trackball, and remote hand‐controller) under static and three vibration conditions (lateral, fore‐and‐aft, and omnidirectional vibration) with two target sizes (small and large). The results indicated that vibration caused longer task completion time, higher error rates, and more workload in completing pointing and dragging tasks. Both target size and input device affected task performance in vibration environments. Highest workload was perceived when using remote hand‐controller, followed by trackballs under all vibration conditions; there was no significant difference between mouse and touchscreen, except in terms of physical demand. The findings suggest that practitioners should fully consider the joint effects of input device, target size, and vibration to counteract adverse influence of vibration and optimize user interface designs of human‐computer systems in vibration environments.

Impaired Cognitive Empathy in Outpatients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background In recent years, a growing number of researchers showed significant interest in psychological and social interventions to manage chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. Cognitive and emotional empathy is an attractive and valuable sociopsychological factor that may provide protection and resilience against chronic MSK pain. However, its effect on outpatients remains underexplored. Objective To compare the empathy ability between chronic MSK pain outpatients and healthy controls and explore the relationship between cognitive/emotional empathy and chronic pain. Methods Patients with chronic MSK pain (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 26) completed the pain assessment and empathy ability task, utilizing a multidimensional empathy assessment tool with satisfactory reliability and validity (i.e., the Chinese version of the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET-C)). Results The data indicated that the chronic MSK pain outpatients had impaired cognitive empathy (i.e., lower squared cognitive empathy accuracy: Student's t = −2.119, P = 0.040, and longer task completion time: Student's t = 3.382, P = 0.002) compared to healthy controls, and cognitive empathy was negatively correlated with pain intensity (r = −0.614, P = 0.002). Further, the impaired cognitive empathy was present in identifying positive, but not negative emotions. Conclusion These results indicate that chronic MSK pain is associated with impaired empathy ability. Our studies contribute to offering a potential direction for developing psychosocial interventions to treat chronic MSK pain.

The Effects of Language Barriers and Time Constraints on Online Learning Performance: An Eye-Tracking Study.

The goal of this study is to model the effect of language use and time pressure on English as a first language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL) students by measuring their eye movements in an on-screen, self-directed learning environment. Online learning is becoming integrated into learners' daily lives due to the flexibility in scheduling and location that it offers. However, in many cases, the online learners often have no interaction with one another or their instructors, making it difficult to determine how the learners are reading the materials and whether they are learning effectively. Furthermore, online learning may pose challenges to those who face language barriers or are under time pressure. The effects of two factors, language use (EFL vs. ESL) and time constraints (high vs. low time pressure), were investigated during the presentation of online materials. The effects were analyzed based on eye movement measures (eye fixation rate-the total number of eye fixations divided by the task duration and gaze entropy) and behavioral measures (correct rate and task completion time). The results show that the ESL students had higher eye fixation rates and longer task completion times than the EFL students. Moreover, high time pressure resulted in high fixation rates, short task completion time, low correct rates, and high gaze entropy. The results suggest the possibility of using unobtrusive eye movement measures to develop ways to better assist those who struggle with learning in the online environment.

Association of Electronic Health Record Use With Physician Fatigue and Efficiency

The use of electronic health records (EHRs) is directly associated with physician burnout. An underlying factor associated with burnout may be EHR-related fatigue owing to insufficient user-centered interface design and suboptimal usability. To examine the association between EHR use and fatigue, as measured by pupillometry, and efficiency, as measured by mouse clicks, time, and number of EHR screens, among intensive care unit (ICU) physicians completing a simulation activity in a prominent EHR. A cross-sectional, simulation-based EHR usability assessment of a leading EHR system was conducted from March 20 to April 5, 2018, among 25 ICU physicians and physician trainees at a southeastern US academic medical center. Participants completed 4 simulation patient cases in the EHR that involved information retrieval and task execution while wearing eye-tracking glasses. Fatigue was quantified through continuous eye pupil data; EHR efficiency was characterized through task completion time, mouse clicks, and EHR screen visits. Data were analyzed from June 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Primary outcomes were physician fatigue, measured by pupillometry (with lower scores indicating greater fatigue), and EHR efficiency, measured by task completion times, number of mouse clicks, and number of screens visited during EHR simulation. The 25 ICU physicians (13 women; mean [SD] age, 32.1 [6.1] years) who completed a simulation exercise involving 4 patient cases (mean [SD] completion time, 34:43 [11:41] minutes) recorded a total of 14 hours and 27 minutes of EHR activity. All physician participants experienced physiological fatigue at least once during the exercise, and 20 of 25 participants (80%) experienced physiological fatigue within the first 22 minutes of EHR use. Physicians who experienced EHR-related fatigue in 1 patient case were less efficient in the subsequent patient case, as demonstrated by longer task completion times (r = -0.521; P = .007), higher numbers of mouse clicks (r = -0.562; P = .003), and more EHR screen visits (r = -0.486; P = .01). This study reports high rates of fatigue among ICU physicians during short periods of EHR simulation, which were negatively associated with EHR efficiency and included a carryover association across patient cases. More research is needed to investigate the underlying causes of EHR-associated fatigue, to support user-centered EHR design, and to inform safe EHR use policies and guidelines.

Eye movement as a mediator of the relationships among time pressure, feedback, and learning performance

The goal of this study is to examine the effects of time pressure and feedback on learning performance, as mediated by eye movement. Time pressure is one of main causes of human error in the workplace. Providing participants with feedback about their performance before task completion has been shown to reduce human error in diverse domains. Since both time pressure and feedback induce motivation, which is closely related to attention, we measured participants' eye movements to trace their attention and information acquisition coupled with a visual display. Time-to-deadline (long and short) and the presence of feedback were the independent factors used while measuring participants’ performance and eye movements as they learned new information about the subject of project management and answered multiple-choice questions via self-paced online learning systems. Using structural equation modeling, we found a mediating effect of eye movement on the relationships among time-to-deadline, feedback, and learning performance. Insufficient time-to-deadline accelerated the number of fixations on the screen, which resulted in longer task completion times and increased correct rates for participants learning about project management. The models in this study suggest the possibility of predicting performance from eye movement under time-to-deadline and feedback conditions. The structural equation model in the study can be applied to online and remote learning systems, in which time management is one of the main challenges for individual learners.

Financial Management Skills in Aging, MCI and Dementia: Cross Sectional Relationship to 18F-Florbetapir PET Cortical β-amyloid Deposition.

There is a need to more fully characterize financial capacity losses in the preclinical and prodromal stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their pathological substrates. To test the association between financial skills and cortical β-amyloid deposition in aging and subjects at risk for AD. Cross-sectional analyses of data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI-3) study conducted across 50 plus sites in the US and Canada. Multicenter biomarker study. 243 subjects (144 cognitively normal, 79 mild cognitive impairment [MCI], 20 mild AD). 18F-Florbetapir brain PET scans to measure global cortical β-amyloid deposition (SUVr) and the Financial Capacity Instrument Short Form (FCI-SF) to evaluate an individual's financial skills in monetary calculation, financial concepts, checkbook/register usage, and bank statement usage. There are five sub scores and a total score (range of 0-74) with higher scores indicating better financial skill. FCI-SF total score was significantly worse in MCI [Cohen's d= 0.9 (95%CI: 0.6-1.2)] and AD subjects [Cohen's d=3.1(CI: 2.5-3.7)] compared to normals. Domain scores and completion times also showed significant difference. Across all subjects, higher cortical β-amyloid SUVr was significantly associated with worse FCI-SF total score after co-varying for age, education, and cognitive score [Cohen's f2=0.751(CI: 0.5-1.1)]. In cognitively normal subjects, after covarying for age, gender, and education, higher β -amyloid PET SUVr was associated with longer task completion time [Cohen's f2=0.198(CI: 0.06-0.37)]. Using a multicenter study sample, we document that financial capacity is impaired in the prodromal and mild stages of AD and that such impairments are, in part, associated with the extent of cortical β-amyloid deposition. In normal aging, β-amyloid deposition is associated with slowing of financial tasks. These data confirm and extend prior research highlighting the utility of financial capacity assessments in at risk samples.

The relative effects of abstract versus concrete thinking on decision-making in depression

In two studies we tested the hypothesis that abstract thinking is linked to decision-making problems in depression. In Study 1, we compared the extent to which high dysphoric (n = 24) and low dysphoric (n = 26) individuals engaged in abstract thinking while completing a decision-making task. As predicted, high dysphoric participants demonstrated more abstract thinking and worse outcomes on decision-making measures indexed before and after they made decisions about both personal and hypothetical scenarios. In Study 2, we tested the prediction that abstract thinking leads to worse decision-making outcomes relative to concrete thinking. Participants were randomly allocated to engage in either abstract (n = 43) or concrete (n = 44) thinking, and then given an online writing task and encouraged to complete it as early as possible within a 9-day timeframe. Depressive symptoms were associated with longer task completion time in the abstract condition; no such relationship was observed in the concrete condition. Our findings have the potential to inform the clinical management of depression by demonstrating that abstract thinking could contribute to decision-making difficulties in depression, and raise the possibility that facilitating the use of concrete thinking may reduce these difficulties.

Usability of English note-taking applications in a foreign language learning context

The act of note-taking offloads cognitive pressure and note-taking applications could be used as an important tool for foreign language acquisition. Its use, importance, and efficacy in a foreign language learning context could be justifiably debated. However, existing computer-assisted language learning literature is almost silent on the topic. This article reports on a controlled experiment introducing usability of note-taking applications (namely, Evernote, Memonic, SpringPad, Ubernote, and Keeppy) in English as foreign language (EFL) learning context. For pilot testing, 25 students had to complete five scenarios (text editing, entering persuasive content, sharing content, searching, and organizing) using Twitter as a tool similar to note-taking applications. Results suggest that the majority were comfortable with the tasks, although they could not complete all the tasks in the stipulated time, and certain tasks and features in Twitter caused difficulty for some students. The actual testing involved the 10 best candidates (based on their performance, when using Twitter) completing tasks (five scenarios similar to pilot analysis) with any two assigned note-taking applications, from a set of five. Participants were observed, video-recorded, and interviewed concurrently and retrospectively. They also completed perception-based questionnaires on the usability of the software. Data suggested that participants were comfortable opening accounts, typing in text, with general navigation, choosing photos, etc. A few features, such as web clipping and file uploading, caused problems for some participants. Most participants reported having no prior experience with any note-taking applications and that resulted in longer task completion time and errors. This study examines how technically oriented students reflect on using note-taking applications in an EFL learning context.

Master–slave robotic platform and its feasibility study for micro‐neurosurgery

Microsurgery is a widely performed process in neurosurgery. However, it is difficult for surgeons because manipulating small and long instruments under a microscope often restricts dexterity. Hand tremors are also an issue, as the accuracy required for microsurgery is very high. A master-slave robotic platform has been developed for neurosurgery. A position-orientation decoupled design was employed to enhance positioning accuracy, and a smooth trajectory generation method was developed. The robotic tasks exhibited improved positioning accuracy compared to manual tasks. Anastomoses of 0.3 and 0.5 mm artificial vessels were successfully performed in end-to-end and end-to-side fashion. With the robotic platform, the surgeon was able to perform a fine and complex task, which is very difficult with manual operation. The robotic system showed sufficient accuracy and dexterity, but with a longer task completion time. Further improvement of the dexterity and user interface is expected to realize better performance.

The effects of motion on in-vehicle touch screen system operation: A battle management system case study

The use of in-vehicle touch screen devices is currently common in both military and civilian vehicles; despite this, the effects of motion on touch screen device operation within vehicles remains largely unexplored. This article describes a study that examined, using driving simulation, the influences of motion on performance, workload and usability when using a touch screen in-vehicle battle management system. Acting in the role of battle management system operator, 20 participants undertook four simulated drives, two under high motion (representative of an unsealed road) and two under normal motion (representative of a sealed road), whilst performing various battle management tasks. In the high motion condition, lower accuracy and longer task completion times were found, along with greater levels of subjective and physiological workload and lower levels of perceived device usability, when compared to the normal motion condition. The findings indicate that, compared to normal motion, the high motion condition impaired key aspects of battle management system operation. In closing, the importance of considering motion and its effects during touch screen system design is discussed.

Exploring the Effects of Hardware Performance, Application Design and Cognitive Demands on User Productivity and Perceptions

We report on an investigation of the effects of hardware performance, application design, and cognitive demands on user productivity and perceptions. This investigation focuses on clerical tasks typical of those activities that many lower level organization workers encounter. This was accomplished by engaging one hundred seventy-five representative participants in a field-based experiment. Participants worked one eight-hour shift and completed a variety of realistic tasks involving the creation and modification of documents using Microsoftâ Word, Excel, and PowerPointâ. Motivation was ensured through the use of a quantity/quality-based financial incentive. An analysis of both task-completion times and error rates revealed significant effects for cognitive demands, with more demanding tasks resulting in longer task completion times and higher error rates. The analysis also confirmed that under the right circumstances, providing individuals with a more powerful computing platform can lead to an increase in productivity. Participants also expressed a preference for more powerful computing platforms. Finally, the results provide strong support for the importance of navigational activities even when the users’ primary goal is not navigation. Implications for user training, task design, and future research are discussed.

Manual Dexterity Evaluation of Gloves Used in Handling Hazardous Materials

The problems associated with hazardous materials control are numerous and complex. One of these problems involves selecting hand protection which will resist permeation for the duration of the exposure while maintaining sufficient levels of dexterity and tactility so that the worker can safely and efficiently perform the required task. This study investigated the effect of nine glove combinations on manual dexterity. These included three single glove and six double glove combinations plus the bare hand condition. The subjects performed a nut-bolt-washer assembly-dissassembly task using the Bennett Hand Tool Dexterity Test apparatus. The task required the use of a screw driver, two sizes of open-end wrenches, and an adjustable wrench, along with handling the bolt, nut, and washer while performing the assembly-disassembly task for three different bolt, nut, and washer sizes (1/2″, 5/16″, 1/4″). The response variables measured in the experiment were the time to complete each task and number of errors committed during each task. An error was defined as a drop of any of the items handled. The data was analyzed using a fixed effects randomized ANOVA model and the Duncan's Multiple Range Test. An alpha level of 5 per cent was used in the analysis. The results of the analyses showed that gloves increased the average completion time by 15 to 37%. Several double gloving combinations had significantly longer task completion times compared to single gloves.

The Effects of Pictorial and Verbal Instructional Materials On the Operational Performance of Deaf Subjects

The present research compared the effectiveness of pictorial and verbal information in printed instructional materials for deaf subjects. Four types of instructional formats were prepared, varying in proportion of pictorial and verbal information: (a) all pictorial; (b) predominantly pictorial, with some ancillary verbal information; (c) all verbal; and (d) predominantly verbal, with some ancillary pictorial information. Each format was given to a separate group of deaf college students. The instructional materials described sequences of operational procedures to be carried out by subjects on a complex control-display apparatus. Performance was measured by task completion time and error rate. Results showed that when both performance variables were considered, the best instructional format was predominantly pictorial, with some ancillary verbal information. The all-pictorial format produced short task completion times but relatively high error rates. The all-verbal and predominantly verbal formats generally yielded low error rates but longer task completion times. Since these results are consistent with related studies conducted with hearing subjects, the research has general implications for the development of instructional materials and job performance aids in education and rehabilitation.