View All Items
- Title
- The Effects of Tactile Displays on the Perception of Target Distance.
- Creator
-
White, Timothy, Hancock, Peter, Mouloua, Mustapha, Szalma, James, Rupert, Angus, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Because vital information can be missed by Soldiers in combat environments that tax the eyes and the ears, it is imperative that alternative techniques be investigated to determine their potential in relaying this information in an effective way. This research investigated the use of a tactile display for providing distance and azimuth information about enemy targets. In a series of three experiments, participants were asked to engage enemy targets while utilizing cues that provided location...
Show moreBecause vital information can be missed by Soldiers in combat environments that tax the eyes and the ears, it is imperative that alternative techniques be investigated to determine their potential in relaying this information in an effective way. This research investigated the use of a tactile display for providing distance and azimuth information about enemy targets. In a series of three experiments, participants were asked to engage enemy targets while utilizing cues that provided location information. In Experiment 1, two tactile cueing techniques (i.e., varying intensity and varying pulse rate) and three auditory cueing techniques (i.e., non-spatial speech, varying frequency of 3-D tones, and varying pulse rate of 3-D tones) were used to provide distance and azimuth information about enemy targets. Findings indicated that more participants preferred the tactile pulse cue and the non-spatial speech cue. There were no significant differences in performance among the tactile and the auditory cues, respectively. However, both the tactile cue types resulted in better performance and lower mental workload than the three auditory cue types. In Experiment 2, performance was investigated among the preferred tactile pulse cue and the non-spatial speech cue as well as a tactile direction only cue (i.e., no distance information), a visual cue, and a no cueing control. Findings indicated that both the tactile cue types resulted in better performance and lower mental workload than the other cue conditions. Experiment 3, was a multimodal investigation in which performance was investigated among combinations of the non-spatial speech, visual, and tactile pulse cues employed in Experiment 2. Findings indicated that cue combinations that included the tactile pulse cue resulted in better performance and lower mental workload than the cue combination without the tactile pulse cue. Overall, the findings support the notion of employing tactile displays as a communication means to provide azimuth and distance information to Soldiers about enemy targets, either as a unimodal cue or in concert with other cue types.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006418, ucf:51450
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006418
- Title
- ORIENTING OF VISUAL-SPATIAL ATTENTION WITH AUGMENTED REALITY: EFFECTS OF SPATIAL AND NON-SPATIAL MULTI-MODAL CUES.
- Creator
-
Jerome, Christian, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Advances in simulation technology have brought about many improvements to the way we train tasks, as well as how we perform tasks in the operational field. Augmented reality (AR) is an example of how to enhance the user's experience in the real world with computer generated information and graphics. Visual search tasks are known to be capacity demanding and therefore may be improved by training in an AR environment. During the experimental task, participants searched for enemies (while...
Show moreAdvances in simulation technology have brought about many improvements to the way we train tasks, as well as how we perform tasks in the operational field. Augmented reality (AR) is an example of how to enhance the user's experience in the real world with computer generated information and graphics. Visual search tasks are known to be capacity demanding and therefore may be improved by training in an AR environment. During the experimental task, participants searched for enemies (while cued from visual, auditory, tactile, combinations of two, or all three modality cues) and tried to shoot them while avoiding shooting the civilians (fratricide) for two 2-minute low-workload scenarios, and two 2-minute high-workload scenarios. The results showed significant benefits of attentional cuing on visual search task performance as revealed by benefits in reaction time and accuracy from the presence of the haptic cues and auditory cues when displayed alone and the combination of the visual and haptic cues together. Fratricide occurrence was shown to be amplified by the presence of the audio cues. The two levels of workload produced differences within individual's task performance for accuracy and reaction time. Accuracy and reaction time were significantly better with the medium cues than all the others and the control condition during low workload and marginally better during high workload. Cue specificity resulted in a non-linear function in terms of performance in the low workload condition. These results are in support of Posner's (1978) theory that, in general, cueing can benefit locating targets in the environment by aligning the attentional system with the visual input pathways. The cue modality does not have to match the target modality. This research is relevant to potential applications of AR technology. Furthermore, the results identify and describe perceptual and/or cognitive issues with the use of displaying computer generated augmented objects and information overlaid upon the real world. The results also serve as a basis for providing a variety of training and design recommendations to direct attention during military operations. Such recommendations include cueing the Soldier to the location of hazards, and mitigating the effects of stress and workload.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001481, ucf:47092
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001481
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL BASED CUES: VIRTUAL REALITY VERSUS GUIDED IMAGERY.
- Creator
-
Labriola, Nicole, Cassisi, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Imagery have been utilized in psychological practices and treatment. VR has recently been the focus of research with treatments for post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and phobias, among other social and behavioral issues. VR allows the researcher to create realistic controlled environments in which they are able to manipulate the experiment. Imagery permits the individual to imagine and recall scenarios from their past in order to create a...
Show moreThe use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Imagery have been utilized in psychological practices and treatment. VR has recently been the focus of research with treatments for post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and phobias, among other social and behavioral issues. VR allows the researcher to create realistic controlled environments in which they are able to manipulate the experiment. Imagery permits the individual to imagine and recall scenarios from their past in order to create a more personal environment. This experiment aimed to expand upon VR practices and treatment in regards to alcohol research. In this experiment, 70 participants, 39 females and 31 males, were exposed to two VR alcohol and two Imagery alcohol cue environments. Subject craving and psychophysiological measures were taken across all four scenes and all baselines. Overall, craving measures demonstrated that female nondrinkers developed higher cravings during Imagery. Conversely, male social drinkers demonstrated higher cravings during VR. This study supports the use of VR environments in the study of alcohol cue reactivity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003813, ucf:44723
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003813
- Title
- INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF 3-D SPATIALIZED AUDITORY CUES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SITUATION AWARENESS FOR TEAMS.
- Creator
-
Milham, Laura, Bowers, Clint, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation investigated the effects of spatialized auditory cues on the development of situation awareness for teams. Based on extant research, it was hypothesized that 3-D spatialized auditory cues can be utilized by teams to develop knowledge about team member location in addition to supporting the usage of team behaviors for developing and maintaining situation awareness. Accordingly, the study examined how situation awareness would be differentially influenced by varying the type...
Show moreThis dissertation investigated the effects of spatialized auditory cues on the development of situation awareness for teams. Based on extant research, it was hypothesized that 3-D spatialized auditory cues can be utilized by teams to develop knowledge about team member location in addition to supporting the usage of team behaviors for developing and maintaining situation awareness. Accordingly, the study examined how situation awareness would be differentially influenced by varying the type of auditory cues incorporated into virtual environment (VE) team training scenarios within the context of a MOUT team task. In general, the results of this study provided partial support for the beneficial effects of 3-D audio cues in facilitating the development of situation awareness and reducing workload. Implications are discussed in the context of design guidance for VE training systems.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000857, ucf:46653
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000857
- Title
- HYSTERESIS EFFECTS IN DRIVING.
- Creator
-
Morgan, Justin, Hancock, Peter, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation presents two studies examining the interaction between workload history and driver mental workload. The first experiment focuses on testing for the presence of a hysteresis effect in the driving task. The second experiment examines the proposition that cueing impending periods of higher task demand can reduce the impact of any such potential hysteresis effects. Thirty-two licensed drivers served as participants and all served in both studies. Using the directions provided by...
Show moreThis dissertation presents two studies examining the interaction between workload history and driver mental workload. The first experiment focuses on testing for the presence of a hysteresis effect in the driving task. The second experiment examines the proposition that cueing impending periods of higher task demand can reduce the impact of any such potential hysteresis effects. Thirty-two licensed drivers served as participants and all served in both studies. Using the directions provided by a Heads-Up-Display navigation system, participants followed a pre-set route in the simulated environment. At specified points within the drive, the navigation system would purposefully fail which required drivers to relay a ten digit alphanumeric error code to a remote operator in order to reset the system. Results indicated that this increase in task demand from the navigation system's failure leads to a significant increase in perceived mental workload as compared to pre-failure periods. This increase in driver mental workload was not significantly reduced by the time the drive ended, indicating the presence of a hysteresis effect. In the second experiment, the navigation system provided a completely reliable visual warning before failure. Results indicate that cueing had neither an effect on perceived mental workload, nor any ameliorating effect on the hysteretic type effect seen in mental workload recovery. The conclusion of these findings being that the overall safety and efficiency of the surface transportation system would likely improve by designs which accommodate the periods immediately following a reduction in stress. Whether from leaving high demand areas such as work zones or in the period immediately after using a in-car information device such as a GPS or a cell phone, these post-high workload periods are associated with increased variability in driver inputs and levels of mental workload.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002169, ucf:47925
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002169
- 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.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006599, ucf:51286
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006599
- Title
- GREEN BUILDING: PUBLIC OPINION, SEMANTICS, AND HEURISTIC PROCESSING.
- Creator
-
Webb, Christina, Schraufnagel, Scot, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Research on public support for green building has, to date, been incomplete. Understanding the demographics of individuals that support green building has remained secondary to merely determining real opinions on the topic. The identity of supporters and the motivation behind their support is the focus of this research. Specifically, is support for green building dependent on the way in which the issue is framed? This research aims to focus on those that are spreading the message about green...
Show moreResearch on public support for green building has, to date, been incomplete. Understanding the demographics of individuals that support green building has remained secondary to merely determining real opinions on the topic. The identity of supporters and the motivation behind their support is the focus of this research. Specifically, is support for green building dependent on the way in which the issue is framed? This research aims to focus on those that are spreading the message about green building, industry experts, and the mass public. By exposing how green building experts talk about the issue, we may begin to understand why public support for green building has yet to reach the kind of mainstream acceptance other planning and design techniques have,such as New Urbanism. I predict that green building experts perceived low levels of public awareness, with the exception of those within the Northwest region, which I believ will perceive higher levels of awareness. In addition, I assume that industry experts will be most focused on energy efficiency as a primary concept of green building. As for the public, I hypothesize that those aware of green building and individuals age 50 and older will be more likely to support green building. With the introduction of source cues, I expect that support for green building will decrease when respondents received either an environmentalism cue or a government program cue. Using survey instruments, I was able to determine that all green building experts perceive public awareness as low and do, in fact, focus their efforts on energy efficiency. With regards to the public, support was highest among those that are aware, as well as those age 50 and older. In addition, insertion of source cues decreased support for green building, with the government program source cue providing the lowest levels of support for green building.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000600, ucf:46525
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000600
- Title
- LIGHTING DESIGN FOR FROM SUN TO SUN: A DAY IN A RAILROAD CAMP.
- Creator
-
Szewczyk, Nathan, Scott, Bert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In this thesis the notion of a theoretical approach to the beginning stages of designing lighting for a theatrical production will be discussed. The topic being researched is: How a theoretical approach to entering the design process will enhance the final lighting design. The target audience for this study is theatrical lighting designers. A theoretical approach, in this case to the beginning of the design process, could be described as utilizing current dramatic theories to develop a better...
Show moreIn this thesis the notion of a theoretical approach to the beginning stages of designing lighting for a theatrical production will be discussed. The topic being researched is: How a theoretical approach to entering the design process will enhance the final lighting design. The target audience for this study is theatrical lighting designers. A theoretical approach, in this case to the beginning of the design process, could be described as utilizing current dramatic theories to develop a better understanding for the design of this production. In order to better understand this topic one would need to know how the process of lighting design is typically created and where the theoretical approach is implemented. An issue with this approach is that the short period allowed for the design process does not allow sufficient time to utilize a theoretical approach in a real world setting. A way of determining if this process is effective is through personal self review. Journaling and discussion with my advisor for this production will be the method of data collection. The method of validation will be a self reflection at the end of the final performance. An issue with the collection process is its reliance on personal opinions, including the author's. There are no ethical issues relating to this study. When applied, a theoretical approach to the design process will enhance the quality of the final lighting design through allowing the designer to be better prepared for a specific scene that he/she is struggling with.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003609, ucf:48874
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003609
- Title
- Determining the impacts of beach restoration on loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting patterns and reproductive success along Florida's Atlantic coast.
- Creator
-
Hays, Allison, Weishampel, John, Ehrhart, Llewellyn, Mota, Mario, Hinkle, Charles, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Artificial beach nourishment, the most common method to mitigate coastal erosion in the United States, is also considered the most ecologically friendly alternative for shoreline stabilization. However, this habitat alteration has the potential to impact nesting marine turtles and developing hatchlings. The first objective of this study was to determine how nourishing beaches with two different design templates affects loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting...
Show moreArtificial beach nourishment, the most common method to mitigate coastal erosion in the United States, is also considered the most ecologically friendly alternative for shoreline stabilization. However, this habitat alteration has the potential to impact nesting marine turtles and developing hatchlings. The first objective of this study was to determine how nourishing beaches with two different design templates affects loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting success, the ratio of nests to the total number of nests and non-nesting emergences, and reproductive success, the ratio of hatched and emerged hatchlings to the total number of eggs deposited. Two types of restoration designs exist along the southern Brevard County, FL coastline, which supports some of the highest density loggerhead and green turtle nesting worldwide. Since 2005, approximately 35 kilometers of beach have undergone 1) full-scale restoration (typically called nourishment), where sand was added above and below the mean high tide line (2005, 2010) or 2) dune restoration, where sand was placed on the dune (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009). To quantify the effects of these restoration types, we used a Before-After-Control-Impact-Paired Series (BACIPS) model, which tests for significance between the difference in nesting success rates at the impact (engineered) and control sites (natural beach) before and after restoration (?). For loggerheads, there was a significant difference in ? after dune restoration during the years of construction (2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009; p(<)0.001) and one year post-construction (2007; p(<)0.05 and 2010; p(<)0.001). After full-scale restoration, there was a significant difference in ? during the years of construction (2005 and 2010; p (<)0.001) and one year post-construction (2006; p(<)0.001). For green turtles, there was a significant difference in ? after dune restoration during two of the four years of construction (2006; p(<)0.05 and 2008; p(<)0.01) and one of the two one-year post-construction years (2010; p(<)0.05). After full-scale restoration, the significant difference in ? lasted every season (2005-2010; p(<)0.001). There were no significant differences in ? for loggerhead or green turtle reproductive success rates after either type of restoration. The second objective was to use the different restoration designs to study what beach characteristics function as loggerhead nesting cues to explain why altering the beach decreases nesting success rates. We examined beach elevation and slope, sand moisture content, sand grain size, beach width, and distance traveled. Logistic regression model selection found all variables were important (R2=0.75). Further examination of trends, with each crawl divided into quarters, found beach slope served as a nesting cue. In all study sites except one, when turtles false crawled, the beach flattened out in the final quarter of the crawl. Conversely, in nesting emergences, the final quarter rose at a steeper slope than the previous quarter. Additionally, model selection found variables important in nest site selection were also important in hatching (R2=0.44) and emergence (R2=0.45) success. These results offer new insight into how and why marine turtle nesting patterns change after artificial nourishment, providing information necessary to nourish beaches in a more (")turtle-friendly(") manner. ?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004332, ucf:49447
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004332
- Title
- The Effects of Facial Cues on Consumer Judgment and Decision-Making.
- Creator
-
Liu, Fan, He, Xin, Wang, Ze, Mao, Huifang, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation investigates the roles of facial cues in consumer behavior. Specifically, the research examines the effect of facial structural resemblance, facial expressions, and other perceptual cues(-)in both individual and group settings(-)on consumer judgment and decision-making. Essay 1 examines the influence of facial resemblance on consumers' product purchase likelihood. This effect is moderated by consumers' mental construal, such that the effect of increased facial resemblance on...
Show moreThis dissertation investigates the roles of facial cues in consumer behavior. Specifically, the research examines the effect of facial structural resemblance, facial expressions, and other perceptual cues(-)in both individual and group settings(-)on consumer judgment and decision-making. Essay 1 examines the influence of facial resemblance on consumers' product purchase likelihood. This effect is moderated by consumers' mental construal, such that the effect of increased facial resemblance on product purchase likelihood occurs among consumers with high-level construals but not among those with low-level construals. Results of three experimental studies show that increased facial resemblance among team members enhances the perceived entitativity of the group, which in turn leads to more favorable intention of purchasing the product offered by the group. Essay 2 investigates the differential effects of recipients' group entitativity on two types of donation (time vs. money). Through three studies, the research demonstrates that high (versus low) group entitativity among the recipients increases donation of time but decreases donation of money. Such differential effects on donation of time versus money are driven by consumers' emotional or cognitive well-being associated with time or money donations. In essay 3, the effect of smile intensity on customer behavior is shown to be moderated by power and salience of ulterior motive. When employees' ulterior motive is not salient to customers, low-power customers evaluate the employee with intensified smiles more favorably compared to high-power customers. In contrast, when ulterior motive is made salient, high-power rather than low-power customers react more positively to smile intensity. Results show that the interactive effects between smile, power, and ulterior motive are driven by customers' warmth and competence perceptions. Collectively, this dissertation focuses on consumers' face-based judgments of individuals and teams, and investigates how such facial cues might influence consumers' attitude, purchase intention, and prosocial behavior.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005828, ucf:50930
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005828
- Title
- Physical-Virtual Patient Simulators: Bringing Tangible Humanity to Simulated Patients.
- Creator
-
Daher, Salam, Welch, Gregory, Gonzalez, Laura, Cendan, Juan, Proctor, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In lieu of real patients, healthcare educators frequently use simulated patients. Simulated patients can be realized in physical form, such as mannequins and trained human actors, or virtual form, such as via computer graphics presented on two-dimensional screens or head-mounted displays. Each of these alone has its strengths and weaknesses. I introduce a new class of physical-virtual patient (PVP) simulators that combine strengths of both forms by combining the flexibility and richness of...
Show moreIn lieu of real patients, healthcare educators frequently use simulated patients. Simulated patients can be realized in physical form, such as mannequins and trained human actors, or virtual form, such as via computer graphics presented on two-dimensional screens or head-mounted displays. Each of these alone has its strengths and weaknesses. I introduce a new class of physical-virtual patient (PVP) simulators that combine strengths of both forms by combining the flexibility and richness of virtual patients with tangible characteristics of a human-shaped physical form that can also exhibit a range of multi-sensory cues, including visual cues (e.g., capillary refill and facial expressions), auditory cues (e.g., verbal responses and heart sounds), and tactile cues (e.g., localized temperature and pulse). This novel combination of integrated capabilities can improve patient simulation outcomes. In my Ph.D. work I focus on three primary areas of related research. First, I describe the realization of the technology for PVPs and results from two user-studies to evaluate the importance of dynamic visuals and human-shaped physical form in terms of perception, behavior, cognition, emotions, and learning.Second, I present a general method to numerically evaluate the compatibility of any simulator-scenario pair in terms of importance and fidelity of cues. This method has the potential to make logistical, economic, and educational impacts on the choices of utilizing existing simulators.Finally, I describe a method for increasing human perception of simulated humans by exposing participants to the simulated human taking part in a short, engaging conversation prior to the simulation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007750, ucf:52402
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007750