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Engineering for human-computer interaction
ABSTRACTS JPAs. Positive results were obtained from the tests, despite critical hardware problems and shortcomings. The reason can be attributed both to retaining the effective features of paper JPAs, and to using the computer capabilities to overcome the major drawbacks of paper JPAs, ie, bulky materials, access difficulties, and limited flexibility. 23.4.15 (124982) Vora, P, Helander, M, Swede, H and Wilson, J 'Developing guidelines for symbol design: a comparison of evaluation methodologies' in Boyer, D and
Pollock, J (eds) Interface "91, Proc Seventh Symp on Human Factors and Industrial Design in Consumer Products, Dayton, Ohio. Human Factors Society, Santa Monica, California (1991) pp 6-11 (8 refs) In order to provide human factors guidelines for symbol design and evaluation, candidate symbols were evaluated using a definition method, ranking methods, semantic differential method, and modified semantic differential method. The performance/preference results were consistent across the symbol evaluation methods. However, because of ease of administration, the ranking method and the modified semantic differential methods were recommended. A pictographic type of symbol was recommended for the machine-initiated symbols and a representation of initial-final states for the operator-initiated symbols. 23.4.16 (125002) Thackray, R I and Touchstone, R M 'Effects of monitoring under high and low taskioad on detection of flashing and coloured radar targets' Ergonomics Vol 34 No 8 (1991) pp 1065-1081 (26 refs) While mid-air collisions between aircraft are extremely rare occurrences, 'near mid-air' incidents are more common. The present study sought to evaluate the gains in conspicuity that might be realized if flashing or colour were added as redundant cues to indicate the presence of unexpected non-tracked aircraft entering controlled airspace, and to examine the extent to which increased task load and fatigue might influence the expected gains. Sixty-four subjects monitored a simulated air traffic control task over a 2 h period for possible conflict situations (their primary task) under either high or low primary task load conditions. They also monitored for occupational intrusions by light aircraft identifiable on the basis of target shape alone or with colour and/or flashing added as redundant cues.
Vol 23 N o 4 A u g u s t 1992
Flashing as a redundant cue was found to be superior to coiour in all aspects tested; unlike coiour, detection of flashing targets was unaffected by screen location and by changes in primary taskload. Flashing was also least affected by monitoring fatigue. It was concluded that the superiority of flashing over colour in attracting attention to objects in a display must be weighed against its possible potential for distraction. A practical means of accomplishing this in operational situations is through the use of touch-sensitive displays both to acknowledge/confirm target location and to deactivate flashing. 23.4.17 (125010) Kanki, B G, Folk, V G and Irwin, C M 'Communication variations and aircrew performance' lnt J Aviat Psychol Vol 1 No 2 (1991) pp 149-162 (6 refs) The relationship between communication variations and aircrew performance (high-error vs low-error performances) was investigated by analysing the coded verbal transcripts derived from the videotape records of 18 two-person air transport crews who participated in a high-fidelity, fullmission flight simulation. The flight scenario was designed to be as realistic as possible but consisted of a task which included abnormal operations and required the coordinated efforts of all crew members. It was found that the best-performing crews were characterized by nearly identical patterns of communication, whereas the midrange and poorer performing crews showed a great deal of heterogeneity in their speech patterns. Although some specific speech sequences can be interpreted as being more or less facilitative to the crew-coordination process, predictability appears to be the key ingredient for enhancing crew performance. Crews communicating in highly standard, hence predictable, ways were better able to coordinate their task, whereas crews characterized by multiple, nonstandard communication profiles were less effective in their performance. 23.4.18 (125087) Sullivan, J W and Tyler, S W (eds) Intelligent user interfaces AddisonWesley, Reading, Massachusetts (1991) 472 pp As computer systems grow increasingly complex, the design of effective and efficient computer-human interfaces becomes ever more critical to overall system performance. These systems are often characterized by large amounts of information to be conveyed and understood, complex task structures, real-time performance
characteristics, and the incorporation of autonomous or semi-autonomous agents. Conventional interfaces appear inadequate to deal with such complexity, and practical solutions based on new technology are being sought. This book explores specifically how artificial intelligence techniques can be used to improve interfaces for both users and developers of computer systems. It describes intelligent interfaces that have been implemented to make interaction between people and their systems dearer and more efficient, to offer better support for users, and to present information more effectively. Detailed examples present interface architectures that can adapt to individual users, recognize their plans, advise them, provide multimodal communication capability, and dynamically generate presentations of information. Several chapters are also devoted to tools that can facilitate the construction of intelligent interfaces. 23.4.19 (125093) Cockton, G (ed)
Engineering for human-computer interaction North-Holland, Amsterdam (1990) 530 pp This volume is a record of the fourth working conference of IFIP WG2.7 (Computer System User Interfaces). For the proceedings, a new five-part structure was designed to highlight certain themes: Part I, Requirements: Design experiences; Part II, Models and architectures; Part III, User support; Part IV, Formalisms: Abstractions and their representation; Part V, Programming language approaches.
Display and control design 23.4.20 (125132) Coombs, L F E
The aircraft cockpit: from stick-andstring to fly-by-wire Patrick Stephens Limited, Wellingborough (1990) 240 pp (72 refs) The aircraft cockpit has evolved beyond all recognition since the dawn of flight - from nothing more than a cradle among the struts and wires of the early flying machines to the digitalized 'front office' of today's airliner or the futuristic environment of the fighter pilot. The author surveys the evolution of the pilot's place from the first powered flight of 1903 to the present, and on into the future. Significant civil and military aircraft types are selected to show the more important changes as aviation science and technology have progressed. Instruments and controls form a central element - how they originated, why they
283
Pollock, J (eds) Interface "91, Proc Seventh Symp on Human Factors and Industrial Design in Consumer Products, Dayton, Ohio. Human Factors Society, Santa Monica, California (1991) pp 6-11 (8 refs) In order to provide human factors guidelines for symbol design and evaluation, candidate symbols were evaluated using a definition method, ranking methods, semantic differential method, and modified semantic differential method. The performance/preference results were consistent across the symbol evaluation methods. However, because of ease of administration, the ranking method and the modified semantic differential methods were recommended. A pictographic type of symbol was recommended for the machine-initiated symbols and a representation of initial-final states for the operator-initiated symbols. 23.4.16 (125002) Thackray, R I and Touchstone, R M 'Effects of monitoring under high and low taskioad on detection of flashing and coloured radar targets' Ergonomics Vol 34 No 8 (1991) pp 1065-1081 (26 refs) While mid-air collisions between aircraft are extremely rare occurrences, 'near mid-air' incidents are more common. The present study sought to evaluate the gains in conspicuity that might be realized if flashing or colour were added as redundant cues to indicate the presence of unexpected non-tracked aircraft entering controlled airspace, and to examine the extent to which increased task load and fatigue might influence the expected gains. Sixty-four subjects monitored a simulated air traffic control task over a 2 h period for possible conflict situations (their primary task) under either high or low primary task load conditions. They also monitored for occupational intrusions by light aircraft identifiable on the basis of target shape alone or with colour and/or flashing added as redundant cues.
Vol 23 N o 4 A u g u s t 1992
Flashing as a redundant cue was found to be superior to coiour in all aspects tested; unlike coiour, detection of flashing targets was unaffected by screen location and by changes in primary taskload. Flashing was also least affected by monitoring fatigue. It was concluded that the superiority of flashing over colour in attracting attention to objects in a display must be weighed against its possible potential for distraction. A practical means of accomplishing this in operational situations is through the use of touch-sensitive displays both to acknowledge/confirm target location and to deactivate flashing. 23.4.17 (125010) Kanki, B G, Folk, V G and Irwin, C M 'Communication variations and aircrew performance' lnt J Aviat Psychol Vol 1 No 2 (1991) pp 149-162 (6 refs) The relationship between communication variations and aircrew performance (high-error vs low-error performances) was investigated by analysing the coded verbal transcripts derived from the videotape records of 18 two-person air transport crews who participated in a high-fidelity, fullmission flight simulation. The flight scenario was designed to be as realistic as possible but consisted of a task which included abnormal operations and required the coordinated efforts of all crew members. It was found that the best-performing crews were characterized by nearly identical patterns of communication, whereas the midrange and poorer performing crews showed a great deal of heterogeneity in their speech patterns. Although some specific speech sequences can be interpreted as being more or less facilitative to the crew-coordination process, predictability appears to be the key ingredient for enhancing crew performance. Crews communicating in highly standard, hence predictable, ways were better able to coordinate their task, whereas crews characterized by multiple, nonstandard communication profiles were less effective in their performance. 23.4.18 (125087) Sullivan, J W and Tyler, S W (eds) Intelligent user interfaces AddisonWesley, Reading, Massachusetts (1991) 472 pp As computer systems grow increasingly complex, the design of effective and efficient computer-human interfaces becomes ever more critical to overall system performance. These systems are often characterized by large amounts of information to be conveyed and understood, complex task structures, real-time performance
characteristics, and the incorporation of autonomous or semi-autonomous agents. Conventional interfaces appear inadequate to deal with such complexity, and practical solutions based on new technology are being sought. This book explores specifically how artificial intelligence techniques can be used to improve interfaces for both users and developers of computer systems. It describes intelligent interfaces that have been implemented to make interaction between people and their systems dearer and more efficient, to offer better support for users, and to present information more effectively. Detailed examples present interface architectures that can adapt to individual users, recognize their plans, advise them, provide multimodal communication capability, and dynamically generate presentations of information. Several chapters are also devoted to tools that can facilitate the construction of intelligent interfaces. 23.4.19 (125093) Cockton, G (ed)
Engineering for human-computer interaction North-Holland, Amsterdam (1990) 530 pp This volume is a record of the fourth working conference of IFIP WG2.7 (Computer System User Interfaces). For the proceedings, a new five-part structure was designed to highlight certain themes: Part I, Requirements: Design experiences; Part II, Models and architectures; Part III, User support; Part IV, Formalisms: Abstractions and their representation; Part V, Programming language approaches.
Display and control design 23.4.20 (125132) Coombs, L F E
The aircraft cockpit: from stick-andstring to fly-by-wire Patrick Stephens Limited, Wellingborough (1990) 240 pp (72 refs) The aircraft cockpit has evolved beyond all recognition since the dawn of flight - from nothing more than a cradle among the struts and wires of the early flying machines to the digitalized 'front office' of today's airliner or the futuristic environment of the fighter pilot. The author surveys the evolution of the pilot's place from the first powered flight of 1903 to the present, and on into the future. Significant civil and military aircraft types are selected to show the more important changes as aviation science and technology have progressed. Instruments and controls form a central element - how they originated, why they
283