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Title: Impacts of Complexity and Timing of Communication Interruptions on Visual Detection Tasks.
Creator: Stader, Sally, Mouloua, Mustapha, Hancock, Peter, Neider, Mark, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Auditory preemption theory suggests two competing assumptions for the attention-capturing and performance-altering properties of auditory tasks. In onset preemption, attention is immediately diverted to the auditory channel. Strategic preemption involves a decision process in which the operator maintains focus on more complex auditory messages. The limitation in this process is that the human auditory, or echoic, memory store has a limit of 2 to 5 seconds, after which the message must be...
Show moreAuditory preemption theory suggests two competing assumptions for the attention-capturing and performance-altering properties of auditory tasks. In onset preemption, attention is immediately diverted to the auditory channel. Strategic preemption involves a decision process in which the operator maintains focus on more complex auditory messages. The limitation in this process is that the human auditory, or echoic, memory store has a limit of 2 to 5 seconds, after which the message must be processed or it decays. In contrast, multiple resource theory suggests that visual and auditory tasks may be efficiently time-shared because two different pools of cognitive resources are used. Previous research regarding these competing assumptions has been limited and equivocal. Thus, the current research focused on systematically examining the effects of complexity and timing of communication interruptions on visual detection tasks. It was hypothesized that both timing and complexity levels would impact detection performance in a multi-task environment. Study 1 evaluated the impact of complexity and timing of communications occurring before malfunctions in an ongoing visual detection task. Twenty-four participants were required to complete each of the eight timing blocks that included simple or complex communications occurring simultaneously, and at 2, 5, or 8 seconds before detection events. For simple communications, participants repeated three pre-recorded words. However, for complex communications, they generated three words beginning with the same last letter of a word prompt. Results indicated that complex communications at two seconds or less occurring before a visual detection event significantly impacted response time with a 1.3 to 1.6 second delay compared to all the other timings. Detection accuracy for complex communication tasks under the simultaneous condition was significantly degraded compared to simple communications at five seconds or more prior to the task. This resulted in a 20% decline in detection accuracy. Additionally, participants' workload ratings for complex communications were significantly higher than simple communications. Study 2 examined the timing of communications occurring at the corresponding seconds after the visual detection event. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to the communication complexity and timing blocks as in study 1. The results did not find significant performance effects of timing or complexity of communications on detection performance. However the workload ratings for the 2 and 5 second complex communication presentations were higher compared to the same simple communication conditions. Overall, these findings support the strategic preemption assumption for well-defined, complex communications. The onset preemption assumption for simple communications was not supported. These results also suggest that the boundaries of the multiple resource theory assumption may exist up to the limits of the echoic memory store. Figures of merit for task performance under the varying levels of timing and complexity are presented. Several theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005420, ucf:50415
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005420

Title: Examining the Effects of Interactive Dynamic Multimedia and Direct Touch Input on Performance of a Procedural Motor Task.
Creator: Marraffino, Matthew, Sims, Valerie, Chin, Matthew, Mouloua, Mustapha, Johnson, Cheryl, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Ownership of mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, has quickly risen in the last decade. Unsurprisingly, they are now being integrated into the training and classroom setting. Specifically, the U.S. Army has mapped out a plan in the Army Learning Model of 2015 to utilize mobile devices for training purposes. However, before these tools can be used effectively, it is important to identify how the tablets' unique properties can be leveraged. For this dissertation, the touch interface...
Show moreOwnership of mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, has quickly risen in the last decade. Unsurprisingly, they are now being integrated into the training and classroom setting. Specifically, the U.S. Army has mapped out a plan in the Army Learning Model of 2015 to utilize mobile devices for training purposes. However, before these tools can be used effectively, it is important to identify how the tablets' unique properties can be leveraged. For this dissertation, the touch interface and the interactivity that tablets afford were investigated using a procedural-motor task. The procedural motor task was the disassembly procedures of a M4 carbine. This research was motivated by cognitive psychology theories, including Cognitive Load Theory and Embodied Cognition. In two experiments, novices learned rifle disassembly procedures in a narrated multimedia presentation presented on a tablet and then were tested on what they learned during the multimedia training involving a virtual rifle by performing a rifle disassembly on a physical rifle, reassembling the rifle, and taking a written recall test about the disassembly procedures. Spatial ability was also considered as a subject variable.Experiment 1 examined two research questions. The primary research question was whether including multiple forms of interactivity in a multimedia presentation resulted in higher learning outcomes. The secondary research question in Experiment 1 was whether dynamic multimedia fostered better learning outcomes than equivalent static multimedia. To examine the effects of dynamism and interactivity on learning, four multimedia conditions of varying levels of interactivity and dynamism were used. One condition was a 2D phase diagram depicting the before and after of the step with no animation or interactivity. Another condition utilized a non-interactive animation in which participants passively watched an animated presentation of the disassembly procedures. A third condition was the interactive animation in which participants could control the pace of the presentation by tapping a button. The last condition was a rifle disassembly simulation in which participants interacted with a virtual rifle to learn the disassembly procedures. A comparison of the conditions by spatial ability yielded the following results. Interactivity, overall, improved outcomes on the performance measures. However, high spatials outperformed low spatials in the simulation condition and the 2D phase diagram condition. High spatials seemed to be able to compensate for low interactivity and dynamism in the 2D phase diagram condition while enhancing their performance in the rifle disassembly simulation condition.In Experiment 2, the touchscreen interface was examined by investigating how gestures and input modality affected learning the disassembly procedures. Experiment 2 had two primary research questions. The first was whether gestures facilitate learning a procedural-motor task through embodied learning. The second was whether direct touch input using resulted in higher learning outcomes than indirect mouse input. To examine the research questions, three different variations of the rifle disassembly simulation were used. One was identical to that of Experiment 1. Another incorporated gestures to initiate the animation whereby participants traced a gesture arrow representing the motion of the component to learn the procedures. The third condition utilized the same interface as the initial rifle disassembly simulation but included (")dummy(") gesture arrows that displayed only visual information but did not respond to gesture. This condition was included to see the effects (if any) of the gesture arrows in isolation of the gesture component. Furthermore, direct touch input was compared to indirect mouse input. Once again, spatial ability also was considered. Results from Experiment 2 were inconclusive as no significant effects were found. This may have been due to a ceiling effect of performance. However, spatial ability was a significant predictor of performance across all conditions. Overall, the results of the two experiments support the use of multimedia on a tablet to train a procedural-motor task. In line with vision of ALM 2015, the research support incorporating tablets into U.S. Army training curriculum.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005376, ucf:50467
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005376

Title: The Bridging Technique: Crossing Over the Modality Shifting Effect.
Creator: Alicia, Thomas, Mouloua, Mustapha, Hancock, Peter, Szalma, James, Pharmer, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Operator responsiveness to critical alarm/alert display systems must rely on faster and safer behavioral responses in order to ensure mission success in complex environments such as the operator station of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). An important design consideration for effective UAS interfaces is how to map these critical alarm/alert display systems to an appropriate sensory modality (e.g., visual or auditory) (Sarter, 2006). For example, if an alarm is presented during a mission in a...
Show moreOperator responsiveness to critical alarm/alert display systems must rely on faster and safer behavioral responses in order to ensure mission success in complex environments such as the operator station of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). An important design consideration for effective UAS interfaces is how to map these critical alarm/alert display systems to an appropriate sensory modality (e.g., visual or auditory) (Sarter, 2006). For example, if an alarm is presented during a mission in a modality already highly taxed or overloaded, this can result in increased response time (RT), thereby decreasing operator performance (Wickens, 1976). To overcome this problem, system designers may allow the switching of the alarm display from a highly-taxed to a less-taxed modality (Stanney et al., 2004). However, this modality switch may produce a deleterious effect known as the Modality Shifting Effect (MSE) that erodes the expected performance gain (Spence (&) Driver, 1997). The goal of this research was to empirically examine a technique called bridging which allows the transitioning of a cautionary alarm display from one modality to another while simultaneously counteracting the Modality Shifting Effect.Sixty-four participants were required to complete either a challenging visual or auditory task using a computer-based UAS simulation environment while responding to both visual and auditory alarms. An approach was selected which utilized two 1 (task modality) x 2 (switching technique) ANCOVAs and one 2 (modality) x 2 (technique) ANCOVA, using baseline auditory and visual RT as covariates, to examine differences in alarm response times when the alert modality was changed abruptly or with the bridging technique from a highly loaded sensory channel to an underloaded sensory channel. It was hypothesized that the bridging technique condition would show faster response times for a new unexpected modality versus the abrupt switching condition. The results indicated only a marginal decrease in response times for the auditory alerts and a larger yet not statistically significant effect for the visual alerts; results were also not statistically significant for the analysis collapsed across modality. Findings suggest that there may be some benefit of the bridging technique on performance of alarm responsiveness, but further research is still needed before suggesting generalizable design guidelines for switching modalities which can apply in a variety of complex human-machine systems.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005568, ucf:50283
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005568

Title: The Effects of Diagnostic Aiding on Situation Awareness under Robot Unreliability.
Creator: Schuster, David, Jentsch, Florian, Szalma, James, Mouloua, Mustapha, Shumaker, Randall, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In highly autonomous robotic systems, human operators are able to attend to their own, separate tasks, but robots still need occasional human intervention. In this scenario, it may be difficult for human operators to determine the status of the system and environment when called upon to aid the robot. The resulting lack of situation awareness (SA) is a problem common to other automated systems, and it can lead to poor performance and compromised safety. Existing research on this problem...
Show moreIn highly autonomous robotic systems, human operators are able to attend to their own, separate tasks, but robots still need occasional human intervention. In this scenario, it may be difficult for human operators to determine the status of the system and environment when called upon to aid the robot. The resulting lack of situation awareness (SA) is a problem common to other automated systems, and it can lead to poor performance and compromised safety. Existing research on this problem suggested that reliable automation of information processing, called diagnostic aiding, leads to better operator SA. The effects of unreliable diagnostic aiding, however, were not well understood. These effects are likely to depend on the ability of the operator to perform the task unaided. That is, under conditions in which the operator can reconcile their own sensing with that of the robot, the influence of unreliable diagnostic aiding may be more pronounced. When the robot is the only source of information for a task, these effects may be weaker or may reverse direction. The purpose of the current experiment was to determine if SA is differentially affected by unreliability at different levels of unaided human performance and at different stages of diagnostic aiding. This was accomplished by experimentally manipulating the stage of diagnostic aiding, robot reliability, and the ability of the operator to build SA unaided. Results indicated that while reliable diagnostic aiding is generally useful, unreliable diagnostic aiding has effects that depend on the amount of information available to operators in the environment. This research improves understanding of how robots can support operator SA and can guide the development of future robots so that humans are most likely to use them effectively.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005247, ucf:50577
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005247

Title: Phonological Working Memory Deficits in ADHD Revisited: The Role of Lower-Level Information Processing Deficits in Impaired Working Memory Performance.
Creator: Raiker, Joseph, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Mouloua, Mustapha, Vasquez, Eleazar, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Working memory deficits in children with ADHD are well established; however, insufficient evidence exists concerning the degree to which lower-level cognitive processes contribute to these deficits. The current study dissociates lower level information processing abilities (i.e., visual registration, orthographic conversion, and response output) in children with ADHD and typically developing children and examines the unique contribution of these processes to their phonological working memory...
Show moreWorking memory deficits in children with ADHD are well established; however, insufficient evidence exists concerning the degree to which lower-level cognitive processes contribute to these deficits. The current study dissociates lower level information processing abilities (i.e., visual registration, orthographic conversion, and response output) in children with ADHD and typically developing children and examines the unique contribution of these processes to their phonological working memory performance. Thirty-four boys between 8 and 12 years of age (20 ADHD, 14 typically developing) were administered novel information processing and phonological working memory tasks. Between-group differences were examined and bootstrap mediation analysis was used to evaluate the mediating effect of information processing deficits on phonological working memory performance. Results revealed moderate to large magnitude deficits in visual registration and encoding, orthographic to phonological conversion, and phonological working memory in children with ADHD. Subsequent mediation analyses, however, revealed that visual registration/encoding alone mediated the diagnostic group status/phonological working memory relationship and accounted for approximately 32% of the variance in children's phonological working memory performance. Diagnostic and treatment implications for understanding the complex interplay among multiple cognitive deficits in children with ADHD are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005694, ucf:50141
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005694

Title: Moral Blameworthiness and Trustworthiness: The Role of Accounts and Apologies in Perceptions of Human and Machine Agents.
Creator: Stowers, Kimberly, Hancock, Peter, Jentsch, Florian, Mouloua, Mustapha, Chen, Jessie, Barber, Daniel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Would you trust a machine to make life-or-death decisions about your health and safety?Machines today are capable of achieving much more than they could 30 years ago(-)and thesame will be said for machines that exist 30 years from now. The rise of intelligence in machineshas resulted in humans entrusting them with ever-increasing responsibility. With this has arisenthe question of whether machines should be given equal responsibility to humans(-)or if humanswill ever perceive machines as...
Show moreWould you trust a machine to make life-or-death decisions about your health and safety?Machines today are capable of achieving much more than they could 30 years ago(-)and thesame will be said for machines that exist 30 years from now. The rise of intelligence in machineshas resulted in humans entrusting them with ever-increasing responsibility. With this has arisenthe question of whether machines should be given equal responsibility to humans(-)or if humanswill ever perceive machines as being accountable for such responsibility. For example, if anintelligent machine accidentally harms a person, should it be blamed for its mistake? Should it betrusted to continue interacting with humans? Furthermore, how does the assignment of moralblame and trustworthiness toward machines compare to such assignment to humans who harmothers? I answer these questions by exploring differences in moral blame and trustworthinessattributed to human and machine agents who make harmful moral mistakes. Additionally, Iexamine whether the knowledge and type of reason, as well as apology, for the harmful incidentaffects perceptions of the parties involved. In order to fill the gaps in understanding betweentopics in moral psychology, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence, valuableinformation from each of these fields have been combined to guide the research study beingpresented herein.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0007134, ucf:52311
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007134

Title: Analyzing action game players' performance during distracted driving.
Creator: Rupp, Michael, Smither, Janan, Mouloua, Mustapha, Mcconnell, Daniel, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Driving is a complex task that is highly reliant on attention. Research states that distrac-tions cause performance errors thus it is important to find ways to reduce driver distraction or assist drivers with ways to improve their cognitive resources if distraction is unavoidable. Moreover, research indicates that action video game players outperform non-players on lab-based tests of visual and cognitive abilities. However, research also exists that is contrary to these find-ings. Some...
Show moreDriving is a complex task that is highly reliant on attention. Research states that distrac-tions cause performance errors thus it is important to find ways to reduce driver distraction or assist drivers with ways to improve their cognitive resources if distraction is unavoidable. Moreover, research indicates that action video game players outperform non-players on lab-based tests of visual and cognitive abilities. However, research also exists that is contrary to these find-ings. Some researchers suggest that methodological deficiencies could be the cause of the significant findings in the literature. With such fervor of debate on the subject, the question re-mains of whether players acquire skills through playing action video games and if so can these games be used as research or training tools to enhance performance on realistic tasks. To answer this question, 45 male participants were tested using psychometric measures of spatial ability (Spatial orientation and visualization) and failures of attention (Cognitive Failures Question-naire), and then all participants drove four 10-minute drives in a driving simulator. The first drive was a practice, followed by a control drive. Participants were then distracted using a hands free phone conversation. Following that, participants completed a final control drive. Both overall video game experience and action video game experience was positively related to higher spatial ability scores. Additionally, participants with higher action game experience exhibited fewer lane deviations during driving overall, but not during the distraction condition. On the other hand, participants with higher spatial ability scores exhibited fewer lane deviations during the distraction condition, but not during the control drives. Furthermore, action video game ex-perience was not significant on the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire. Therefore, it was conclud-ed that individuals who have higher action game experience do not show improvements on any abilities of attention tested in this study. However, higher experience action video game players may perform better in simulated environments than those with less experience.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004434, ucf:49360
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004434

Title: An Exploration of the Feasibility of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy as a Neurofeedback Cueing System for the Mitigation of the Vigilance Decrement.
Creator: Hancock, Gabriella, Szalma, James, Mouloua, Mustapha, Bohil, Corey, Hoffman, Robert, Matthews, Gerald, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Vigilance is the capacity for observers to maintain attention over extended periods of time, and has most often been operationalized as the ability to detect rare and critical signals (Davies (&) Parasuraman, 1982; Parasuraman, 1979; Warm, 1984). Humans, however, have natural physical and cognitive limitations that preclude successful long-term vigilance performance and consequently, without some means of assistance, failures in operator vigilance are likely to occur. Such a decline in...
Show moreVigilance is the capacity for observers to maintain attention over extended periods of time, and has most often been operationalized as the ability to detect rare and critical signals (Davies (&) Parasuraman, 1982; Parasuraman, 1979; Warm, 1984). Humans, however, have natural physical and cognitive limitations that preclude successful long-term vigilance performance and consequently, without some means of assistance, failures in operator vigilance are likely to occur. Such a decline in monitoring performance over time has been a robust finding in vigilance experiments for decades and has been called the vigilance decrement function (Davies (&) Parasuraman, 1982; Mackworth, 1948). One of the most effective countermeasures employed to maintain effective performance has been cueing: providing the operator with a reliable prompt concerning signal onset probability. Most protocols have based such cues on task-related or environmental factors. The present dissertation examines the efficacy of cueing when nominally based on operator state (i.e., blood oxygenation of cortical tissue) in a novel vigilance task incorporating dynamic displays over three studies. Results pertaining to performance outcomes, physiological measures (cortical blood oxygenation and heart rate variability), and perceived workload and stress are interpreted via Signal Detection Theory and the Resource Theory of vigilance.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006599, ucf:51286
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006599

Title: Detecting Threats from Constituent Parts: A Fuzzy Signal Detection Theory Analysis of Individual Differences.
Creator: Van De Car, Ida, Szalma, James, Hancock, Peter, Mouloua, Mustapha, Kennedy, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Signal detection theory (SDT) provides a theoretical framework for describing performance on decision making tasks, and fuzzy signal detection theory (FSDT) extends this description to include tasks in which there are levels of uncertainty regarding the categorization of stimulus events. Specifically, FSDT can be used to quantify the degree to which an event is 'signal-like', i.e., the degree to which a stimulus event can be characterized by both signal and non-signal properties. For instance...
Show moreSignal detection theory (SDT) provides a theoretical framework for describing performance on decision making tasks, and fuzzy signal detection theory (FSDT) extends this description to include tasks in which there are levels of uncertainty regarding the categorization of stimulus events. Specifically, FSDT can be used to quantify the degree to which an event is 'signal-like', i.e., the degree to which a stimulus event can be characterized by both signal and non-signal properties. For instance, an improvised explosive device (IED) poses little threat when missing key elements of its assembly (a stimulus of low, but not zero, signal strength) whereas the threat is greater when all elements necessary to ignite the device are present (a stimulus of high signal strength). This research develops a link between key individual cognitive (i.e., spatial orientation and visualization) and personality (i.e., extroversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism) differences among observers to performance on a fuzzy signal detection task, in which the items to be detected (IEDs) are presented in various states of assembly. That is, this research relates individual difference measures to task performance, uses FSDT in target detection, and provides application of the theory to vigilance tasks. In two experiments, participants viewed pictures of IEDs, not all of which are assembled or include key components, and categorize them using a fuzzy rating scale (no threat, low threat potential, moderate threat potential, or definite threat). In both experiments, there were significant interactions between the stimulus threat level category and the variability of images within each category. The results of the first experiment indicated that spatial and mechanical ability were stronger predictors of performance when the signal was ambiguous than when individuals viewed stimuli in which the signal was fully absent or fully present (and, thus, less ambiguous). The second study showed that the length of time a stimulus is viewed is greatest when the signal strength is low and there is ambiguity regarding the threat level of the stimulus. In addition, response times were substantially longer in study 2 than in study 1, although patterns of performance accuracy, as measured by the sensitivity index d', were similar across the two experiments. Together, the experiments indicate that individuals take longer to evaluate a potential threat as less critical, than to identify either an absence of threat or a high degree of threat and that spatial and mechanical ability assist decision making when the threat level is unclear. These results can be used to increase the efficiency of employees working in threat-detection positions, such as luggage screeners, provides an exemplar of use of FSDT, and contributes to the understanding of human decision making.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006016, ucf:51015
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006016

Title: An Integrated Framework for Automated Data Collection and Processing for Discrete Event Simulation Models.
Creator: Rodriguez, Carlos, Kincaid, John, Karwowski, Waldemar, O'Neal, Thomas, Kaup, David, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Discrete Events Simulation (DES) is a powerful tool of modeling and analysis used in different disciplines. DES models require data in order to determine the different parameters that drive the simulations. The literature about DES input data management indicates that the preparation of necessary input data is often a highly manual process, which causes inefficiencies, significant time consumption and a negative user experience.The focus of this research investigation is addressing the manual...
Show moreDiscrete Events Simulation (DES) is a powerful tool of modeling and analysis used in different disciplines. DES models require data in order to determine the different parameters that drive the simulations. The literature about DES input data management indicates that the preparation of necessary input data is often a highly manual process, which causes inefficiencies, significant time consumption and a negative user experience.The focus of this research investigation is addressing the manual data collection and processing (MDCAP) problem prevalent in DES projects. This research investigation presents an integrated framework to solve the MDCAP problem by classifying the data needed for DES projects into three generic classes. Such classification permits automating and streamlining the preparation of the data, allowing DES modelers to collect, update, visualize, fit, validate, tally and test data in real-time, by performing intuitive actions. In addition to the proposed theoretical framework, this project introduces an innovative user interface that was programmed based on the ideas of the proposed framework. The interface is called DESI, which stands for Discrete Event Simulation Inputs.The proposed integrated framework to automate DES input data preparation was evaluated against benchmark measures presented in the literature in order to show its positive impact in DES input data management. This research investigation demonstrates that the proposed framework, instantiated by the DESI interface, addresses current gaps in the field, reduces the time devoted to input data management within DES projects and advances the state-of-the-art in DES input data management automation.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005878, ucf:50861
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005878

Title: Understanding Human Performance and Social Presence: An Analysis of Vigilance and Social Facilitation.
Creator: Claypoole, Victoria, Szalma, James, Mouloua, Mustapha, Sims, Valerie, Hancock, Peter, Joseph, Dana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Social facilitation is characterized by improved performance on simple, or well-known, tasks and impaired performance on complex, or unfamiliar, tasks. Previous research has demonstrated that the use of social presence may improve performance on cognitive-based tasks that are relevant to many organizational contexts, such as vigilance. However, to date, there has not been consolidation of the research regarding the different implementations of social facilitation, or any analysis indicating...
Show moreSocial facilitation is characterized by improved performance on simple, or well-known, tasks and impaired performance on complex, or unfamiliar, tasks. Previous research has demonstrated that the use of social presence may improve performance on cognitive-based tasks that are relevant to many organizational contexts, such as vigilance. However, to date, there has not been consolidation of the research regarding the different implementations of social facilitation, or any analysis indicating which types of social presence are best under varying conditions. The present dissertation describes three experiments that seek to contribute to a taxonomic framework of social facilitation. Experiment One statistically established a difference in task difficulty between twoversions of a cognitive-based vigilance task by utilizing increasing increments of event rate in order to examine the first factor of the taxonomy (i.e., level of difficulty). Experiment Two explored the effects of two novel manipulations of social presence, electronic performance monitoring (i.e., EPM) and co-acting, in order to demonstrate that both novel forms of social presence could improve performance, and were worth examining further. Finally, ExperimentThree replicated and extended the results of Experiments One and Two by examining the interaction effects of levels of task difficulty and social presence through the use of ten conditions. Overall the results indicates that multiple forms of social presence can improve cognitive performance, however, this effect was not moderated by the level of task difficulty, as suggestedby the predominant theories of social facilitation. This suggests that future work should seek to replicate and extend this finding in order to determine if the level of task difficult is indeed a moderating variable of social facilitation. Additionally, the results demonstrated that social presence could be used in organizational settings in order to improve employee performance, while also sometimes reducing the perceived workload associated with the task.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0006989, ucf:51631
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006989

Title: Examining the role of cardiovascular and cognitive fitness in goal-directed aiming across the lifespan.
Creator: Rupp, Michael, Smither, Janan, Mouloua, Mustapha, Mcconnell, Daniel, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Older adults experience more difficulties completing goal directed movements than younger adults. The reasons for this have not been completely elucidated within the research lit-erature; however, it is thought that age related movement differences are due to at least one of three possible reasons. The current study investigated the influence of these three hypotheses: (1) biomechanical changes (limbs, joints, or muscles), (2) sensory feedback processing ability, or (3) differences in overall...
Show moreOlder adults experience more difficulties completing goal directed movements than younger adults. The reasons for this have not been completely elucidated within the research lit-erature; however, it is thought that age related movement differences are due to at least one of three possible reasons. The current study investigated the influence of these three hypotheses: (1) biomechanical changes (limbs, joints, or muscles), (2) sensory feedback processing ability, or (3) differences in overall movement strategy on movement kinematics. Additionally, physical activi-ty is known to improve both physical and cognitive functioning and staying cognitively active may also attenuate age-related declines in cognitive ability; thus the current study also examined the impact of physical and mental fitness on movement performance across the lifespan. Both active and sedentary young and old adults completed different experimental conditions to de-termine how biomechanical ability, sensory processing ability, and individual differences impact different kinematic aspects of movement performance. Participants completed two different Fitts' pointing tasks where difficulty was manipulated by either increasing biomechanical effort and/or amount of feedback processing needed to complete each movement. Results indicated that distance impacted movement more than width for all participants indicated by a greater ID-MT slope. While increasing age was associated with an increases slope, the larger finding was that age increased the overall time. Thus, it was concluded that distance and width constraints are processed by similar processes regardless of age, but these processes slow with age. Cardio-vascular fitness attenuated declines in the distance condition while mental fitness attenuated those in the width condition. Further supporting a theory of differential movement constraints.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006787, ucf:51827
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006787

Title: Same Fight, Different Player: An Insight into Culture, Information Sharing, and Team Performance.
Creator: McCoy, Cecily, Fritzsche, Barbara, Salas, Eduardo, Mouloua, Mustapha, Mangos, Phillip, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the relations among culture, information sharing, and performance among culturally-homogeneous NATO Officer teams. Forty-eight teams participated from five countries, namely, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and USA. Teams of four participants were randomly assigned to a role and the task was an interdependent computer-based mission using an adapted version of Neverwinter Nights(TM) (Bioware, 2003), where they had to communicate among teammates...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the relations among culture, information sharing, and performance among culturally-homogeneous NATO Officer teams. Forty-eight teams participated from five countries, namely, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and USA. Teams of four participants were randomly assigned to a role and the task was an interdependent computer-based mission using an adapted version of Neverwinter Nights(TM) (Bioware, 2003), where they had to communicate among teammates and with non-human players to find weapons caches and other mission objectives. Not one individual had all of the information needed to perform the tasks; thus, they needed to share information with each other. The results of the study suggested that total information sharing was related to both team performance and cultural values (Power Distance, Individualism, and Uncertainty Avoidance). Specifically, Situation Update was the information sharing dimension that was significantly related to team performance. In addition, culture moderated the relations between information sharing and team performance. Specifically, there were hypotheses regarding Individualism moderating the relations between (a) Supporting Behavior, (b) Information Exchange, and (c) Reinforcement / Punishment and team performance. The results were that for high Individualists, the more supporting behavior, the better the teams performed. For low Individualists, the more supporting behavior, the worse the teams performed (-)a finding that was in the opposite direction than hypothesized. In support of the hypotheses, for high Individualists, as Information Exchange and Reinforcement / Punishment increased, team performance also increased. Conversely, for low Individualists, as Information Exchange and Reinforcement / Punishment increased, team performance decreased. A Task Direction x Power Distance interaction was also hypothesized and supported. Task Direction was positively related to team performance for high-Power Distance teams. For low-Power Distance teams, an increase in task direction was associated with a decrease in team performance. In addition, the effective teams exchanged more information and communicated similarly during the beginning, middle, and end of the missions. Moreover, high-Individualist teams were more successful and spent more time communicating about Planning in the beginning, and Situation Update for both the middle and end of the task. In contrast, teams low on Individualism spent more time communicating about Planning for all three phases of the task. There were also interesting rank differences in Information Sharing between senior and junior Norwegian Officers that are noteworthy. Study limitations, contributions, and practical implications for military teams and similar career fields were discussed.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004716, ucf:49806
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004716

Title: Tailoring Instruction to the individual: Investigating the Utility of Trainee Aptitudes for use in Adaptive Training.
Creator: Landsberg, Carla, Mouloua, Mustapha, Bowers, Clint, Neider, Mark, Van Buskirk, Wendi, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Computer-based training has become more prolific as the military and private businessenterprises search for more efficient ways to deliver training. However, some methods ofcomputer-based training are not more effective than traditional classroom methods. Onetechnique that may be able to approximate the most effective form of training, one-on-onetutoring, is Adaptive Training (AT). AT techniques use instruction that is tailored to the learnerin some way, and can adjust different training...
Show moreComputer-based training has become more prolific as the military and private businessenterprises search for more efficient ways to deliver training. However, some methods ofcomputer-based training are not more effective than traditional classroom methods. Onetechnique that may be able to approximate the most effective form of training, one-on-onetutoring, is Adaptive Training (AT). AT techniques use instruction that is tailored to the learnerin some way, and can adjust different training parameters such as difficulty, feedback, pace, anddelivery mode.There are many ways to adapt training to the learner, and in this study I exploredadapting the feedback provided to trainees based on spatial ability in line with Cognitive LoadTheory (CLT). In line with the CLT expertise reversal effect literature I hypothesized that for aspatial task, higher ability trainees would perform better when they were given less feedback.Alternately, I hypothesized that lower ability trainees would perform better during training whenthey were given more support via feedback. This study also compared two different adaptationapproaches. The first approach, called the ATI approach, adapts feedback based on a premeasuredability. In this case, it was spatial ability. The second approach, called the Hybridapproach adapts initially based on ability, but then based on performance later in training. Ihypothesized that participants who received Hybrid adaptive training would perform better.The study employed a 2(spatial ability; high, low) X 2(feedback; matched, mismatched)X 2 (approach; ATI, Hybrid) between-subjects design in which participants were randomlyassigned to one of the eight conditions. Ninety-two participants completed a submarine-basedperiscope operator task that was visual and spatial in nature. ivThe results of the study did not support the use of CLT-derived adaptation based onspatial ability; contrary to what was hypothesized, higher ability participants who received morefeedback performed better than those who received less. Similarly, lower ability participantswho received less feedback performed better than those who received more. While notsignificant, results suggested there may be some benefit to using the Hybrid approach, but moreresearch is needed to determine the relative effectiveness of this approach.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005646, ucf:50191
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005646

Title: A Multimedia Approach to Game-Based Training: Exploring the Effects of the Modality and Temporal Contiguity Principles on Learning in a Virtual Environment.
Creator: Serge, Stephen, Mouloua, Mustapha, Bohil, Corey, Bowers, Clint, Priest Walker, Heather, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: There is an increasing interest in using video games as a means to deliver training to individuals learning new skills or tasks. However, current research lacks a clear method of developing effective instructional material when these games are used as training tools and explaining how gameplay may affect learning. The literature contains multiple approaches to training and GBT but generally lacks a foundational-level and theoretically relevant approach to how people learn specifically from...
Show moreThere is an increasing interest in using video games as a means to deliver training to individuals learning new skills or tasks. However, current research lacks a clear method of developing effective instructional material when these games are used as training tools and explaining how gameplay may affect learning. The literature contains multiple approaches to training and GBT but generally lacks a foundational-level and theoretically relevant approach to how people learn specifically from video games and how to design instructional guidance within these gaming environments. This study investigated instructional delivery within GBT. Video games are a form of multimedia, consisting of both imagery and sounds. The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML; Mayer 2005) explicitly describes how people learn from multimedia information, consisting of a combination of narration (words) and animation (pictures). This study empirically examined the effects of the modality and temporal contiguity principles on learning in a game-based virtual environment. Based on these principles, it was hypothesized that receiving either voice or embedded training would result in better performance on learning measures. Additionally, receiving a combination of voice and embedded training would lead to better performance on learning measures than all other instructional conditions.A total of 128 participants received training on the role and procedures related to the combat lifesaver (-) a non-medical soldier who receives additional training on combat-relevant lifesaving medical procedures. Training sessions involved an instructional presentation manipulated along the modality (voice or text) and temporal contiguity (embedded in the game or presented before gameplay) principles. Instructional delivery was manipulated in a 2x2 between-subjects design with four instructional conditions: Upfront-Voice, Upfront-Text, Embedded-Voice, and Embedded-Text. Results indicated that: (1) upfront instruction led to significantly better retention performance than embedded instructional regardless of delivery modality; (2) receiving voice-based instruction led to better transfer performance than text-based instruction regardless of presentation timing; (3) no differences in performance were observed on the simple application test between any instructional conditions; and (4) a significant interaction of modality-by-temporal contiguity was obtained. Simple effects analysis indicated differing effects along modality within the embedded instruction group, with voice recipients performing better than text (p = .012). Individual group comparisons revealed that the upfront-voice group performed better on retention than both embedded groups (p = .006), the embedded-voice group performed better on transfer than the upfront text group (p = .002), and the embedded-voice group performed better on the complex application test than the embedded-text group (p =.012). Findings indicated partial support for the application of the modality and temporal contiguity principles of CTML in interactive GBT. Combining gameplay (i.e., practice) with instructional presentation both helps and hinders working memory's ability to process information. Findings also explain how expanding CTML into game-based training may fundamentally change how a person processes information as a function of the specific type of knowledge being taught. Results will drive future systematic research to test and determine the most effective means of designing instruction for interactive GBT. Further theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005548, ucf:50271
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005548

Title: Mitigation of Motion Sickness Symptoms in 360(&)deg; Indirect Vision Systems.
Creator: Quinn, Stephanie, Rinalducci, Edward, Hancock, Peter, Mouloua, Mustapha, French, Jonathan, Chen, Jessie, Kennedy, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The present research attempted to use display design as a means to mitigate the occurrence and severity of symptoms of motion sickness and increase performance due to reduced (")general effects(") in an uncoupled motion environment. Specifically, several visual display manipulations of a 360(&)deg; indirect vision system were implemented during a target detection task while participants were concurrently immersed in a motion simulator that mimicked off-road terrain which was completely...
Show moreThe present research attempted to use display design as a means to mitigate the occurrence and severity of symptoms of motion sickness and increase performance due to reduced (")general effects(") in an uncoupled motion environment. Specifically, several visual display manipulations of a 360(&)deg; indirect vision system were implemented during a target detection task while participants were concurrently immersed in a motion simulator that mimicked off-road terrain which was completely separate from the target detection route. Results of a multiple regression analysis determined that the Dual Banners display incorporating an artificial horizon (i.e., AH Dual Banners) and perceived attentional control significantly contributed to the outcome of total severity of motion sickness, as measured by the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). Altogether, 33.6% (adjusted) of the variability in Total Severity was predicted by the variables used in the model. Objective measures were assessed prior to, during and after uncoupled motion. These tests involved performance while immersed in the environment (i.e., target detection and situation awareness), as well as postural stability and cognitive and visual assessment tests (i.e., Grammatical Reasoning and Manikin) both before and after immersion. Response time to Grammatical Reasoning actually decreased after uncoupled motion. However, this was the only significant difference of all the performance measures. Assessment of subjective workload (as measured by NASA-TLX) determined that participants in Dual Banners display conditions had a significantly lower level of perceived physical demand than those with Completely Separated display designs. Further, perceived temporal demand was lower for participants exposed to conditions incorporating an artificial horizon. Subjective sickness (SSQ Total Severity, Nausea, Oculomotor and Disorientation) was evaluated using non-parametric tests and confirmed that the AH Dual Banners display had significantly lower Total Severity scores than the Completely Separated display with no artificial horizon (i.e., NoAH Completely Separated). Oculomotor scores were also significantly different for these two conditions, with lower scores associated with AH Dual Banners. The NoAH Completely Separated condition also had marginally higher oculomotor scores when compared to the Completely Separated display incorporating the artificial horizon (AH Completely Separated). There were no significant differences of sickness symptoms or severity (measured by self-assessment, postural stability, and cognitive and visual tests) between display designs 30- and 60-minutes post-exposure. Further, 30- and 60- minute post measures were not significantly different from baseline scores, suggesting that aftereffects were not present up to 60 minutes post-exposure. It was concluded that incorporating an artificial horizon onto the Dual Banners display will be beneficial in mitigating symptoms of motion sickness in manned ground vehicles using 360(&)deg; indirect vision systems. Screening for perceived attentional control will also be advantageous in situations where selection is possible. However, caution must be made in generalizing these results to missions under terrain or vehicle speed different than what is used for this study, as well as those that include a longer immersion time.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005047, ucf:49972
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005047

Title: Training for Decision Making in Complex Environments: Instructional Methods and Individual Differences.
Creator: Ray, Jessica, Mouloua, Mustapha, Sims, Valerie, Hancock, Peter, Spain, Randall, Durlach, Paula, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Increased technology reliance along with today's global fast paced society has produced increasingly complex, dynamic operating environments in disciplines as diverse as the military, healthcare, and transportation. These complex human machine systems often place additional cognitive and metacognitive demands on the operator. Thus, there is a crucial need to develop training tools for all levels of operators in these dynamic systems. The current study was designed to empirically test the...
Show moreIncreased technology reliance along with today's global fast paced society has produced increasingly complex, dynamic operating environments in disciplines as diverse as the military, healthcare, and transportation. These complex human machine systems often place additional cognitive and metacognitive demands on the operator. Thus, there is a crucial need to develop training tools for all levels of operators in these dynamic systems. The current study was designed to empirically test the effects of four training methods on performance and mental model accuracy in a microworld simulation game. It was hypothesized that process-focused guidance targeting metacognitive level processes as well as combined process and problem focused guidance would result in better performance and mental model accuracy than problem- focused guidance alone or unguided training approaches. Additionally, it was expected that individual differences in prior decision making ability, metacognitive awareness, working memory span, and fluid intelligence would moderate the relationship between the type of instructional guidance and outcomes. Results supported the development of decision-making skills through process-focused instructional guidance, particularly for initially low performing or more novice individuals. Results highlight the importance of individual learner experience prior to training. Similarly, this research aims to expand the literature by providing support for process-focused training as a method to support non-expert decision making skills. While further research needs are outlined, the current research represents an important step forward in both the theoretical literature providing support for instruction designed to support domain general decision making skills in non-experts. Practical implications regarding improved guidance for future instructional and training systems design, personnel selection, operator and system performance evaluation, and safety are also discussed.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004738, ucf:49836
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004738

Title: Assessing the Impact of Multi-variate Steering-rate Vehicle Control on Driver Performance in a Simulation Framework.
Creator: Xynidis, Michael, Morrow, Patricia Bockelman, Karwowski, Waldemar, Martin, Glenn, O'Neal, Thomas, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: When a driver turns a steering-wheel, he or she normally expects the vehicle's steering system to communicate an equivalent amount of signal to the road-wheels. This relationship is linear and occurs regardless of the steering-wheel's position within its rotational travel. The linear steering paradigm in passenger vehicles has gone largely unchanged since mass production of passenger vehicles began in 1901. However, as more electronically-controlled steering systems appear in conjunction with...
Show moreWhen a driver turns a steering-wheel, he or she normally expects the vehicle's steering system to communicate an equivalent amount of signal to the road-wheels. This relationship is linear and occurs regardless of the steering-wheel's position within its rotational travel. The linear steering paradigm in passenger vehicles has gone largely unchanged since mass production of passenger vehicles began in 1901. However, as more electronically-controlled steering systems appear in conjunction with development of autonomous steering functions in vehicles, an opportunity to advance the existing steering paradigms arises. The following framework takes a human-factors approach toward examining and evaluating alternative steering systems by using Modeling and Simulation methods to track and score human performance.Present conventional steering systems apply a linear relationship between the steering-wheel and the road wheels of a vehicle. The rotational travel of the steering-wheel is 900(&)deg; and requires two-and-a-half revolutions to travel from end-stop to opposite end-stop. The experimental steering system modeled and employed in this study applies a dynamic curve response to the steering input within a shorter, 225(&)deg; rotational travel. Accommodation variances, based on vehicle speed and steering-wheel rotational position and acceleration, moderate the apparent steering input to augment a more-practical, effective steering rate. This novel model follows a paradigm supporting the full range of steering-wheel actuation without necessitating hand repositioning or the removal of the driver's hands from the steering-wheel during steering maneuvers.In order to study human performance disparities between novel and conventional steering models, a custom simulator was constructed and programmed to render representative models in a test scenario. Twenty-seven males and twenty-seven females, ranging from the ages of eighteen to sixty-five were tested and scored using the driving simulator that presented two successive driving test vignettes: One vignette using conventional 900(&)deg; steering with linear response and the other employing the augmented 225(&)deg; multivariate, non-linear steering.The results from simulator testing suggest that both males and females perform better with the novel system, supporting the hypothesis that drivers of either gender perform better with a system augmented with 225(&)deg; multivariate, non-linear steering than with a conventional steering system. Further analysis of the simulated-driving scores indicates performance parity between male and female participants, supporting the hypothesis positing no significant difference in driver performance between male and female drivers using the augmented steering system. Finally, composite data from written questionnaires support the hypothesis that drivers will prefer driving the augmented system over conventional steering.These collective findings support justification for testing and refining novel steering systems using Modeling and Simulation methods. As a product of this particular study, a tested and open-sourced simulation framework now exists such that researchers and automotive designers can develop, as well as evaluate their own steering-oriented products within a valid human-factors construct. The open-source nature of this framework implies a commonality by which otherwise disparate research and development work can be associated.Extending this framework beyond basic investigation to reach applications requiring more-specialized parameters may even impact drivers having special needs. For example, steering-system functional characteristics could be comparatively optimized to accommodate individuals afflicted with upper-body deficits or limited use of either or both arms. Moreover, the combined human-factors and open-source approaches distinguish the products of this research as a common and extensible platform by which purposeful automotive-industry improvements can be realized(-)contrasted with arbitrary improvements that might be brought about predominantly to showcase technological advancements.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007420, ucf:52706
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007420

working memory (5)	+ -
ADHD (3)	+ -
Training (3)	+ -
Vigilance (3)	+ -
automation (3)	+ -

workload (3)	+ -
Cognitive Load Theory (2)	+ -
Cueing (2)	+ -
Individual Differences (2)	+ -
Multimodal (2)	+ -
Spatial Ability (2)	+ -
Workload (2)	+ -
attention (2)	+ -
human-robot interaction (2)	+ -
individual differences (2)	+ -
performance (2)	+ -
phonological (2)	+ -
reliability (2)	+ -
teams (2)	+ -
training (2)	+ -
Action Games (1)	+ -
Adaptive Training (1)	+ -
After Action Review (1)	+ -
Aggressive Driving (1)	+ -
Aggressive Driving Behavior (1)	+ -
Aggressive Driving Behavior Questionnaire (1)	+ -
Applications (1)	+ -
Aptitude Treatment Interaction (1)	+ -
Army (1)	+ -
BIM uses. (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (33)	+ -
Honors Collection (5)	+ -

Mouloua, Mustapha (38)	+ -
University of Central Florida (38)	+ -
Hancock, Peter (13)	+ -
Szalma, James (11)	+ -
Kincaid, John (4)	+ -

Beidel, Deborah (3)	+ -
Jentsch, Florian (3)	+ -
Matthews, Gerald (3)	+ -
Rapport, Mark (3)	+ -
Sims, Valerie (3)	+ -
Smither, Janan (3)	+ -
Bohil, Corey (2)	+ -
Bowers, Clint (2)	+ -
Chen, Jessie (2)	+ -
Joseph, Dana (2)	+ -
Karwowski, Waldemar (2)	+ -
Kennedy, Robert (2)	+ -
Mcconnell, Daniel (2)	+ -
Neider, Mark (2)	+ -
O'Neal, Thomas (2)	+ -
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Alzate Vanegas, Juan M (1)	+ -
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