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The response of day and night nurses to their work schedules
ABSTRACTS generate an integrated second-order empirical model for each of the three dependent variables. The major contributors to total search time were the time delay between the presentation of each menu item (input time-out) and the structure of the menus. Age of the user and menu structure were the primary contributors to user-added keypresses required to recover from errors. Overall, the accuracy of message transcription was influenced primarily by background music, presentation rate of the synthesized speech, and the age of the user. Total search time in this sequential type of information delivery system is primarily dialogue-driven. Critical dialogue parameters for this system were input time-out and the number of alternatives in menus. Owing to the small number of errors in searching for information, the need to minimize user-added keypresses for error correction was not of primary design importance. Accuracy of speech message transcriptions was primarily dependent upon the acoustical environment of the listener. Overall, the use of integrated empirical models offers several advantages including a basis for generalization across several studies and the ability to conduct specific interface design trade-offs.
23.6.51 (126887)
use, accessibility, and overall productivity of such units for virtually the entire spectrum of ATM users.
23.6.52 (126896)
Henneman, R L, Inderrieden, M and Benson, C 'Model-based interface design for transaction-processing tasks' in Visions. Proc
Human Factors Society 35th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California, 2-6 September 1991. The Human Factors Society, Santa Monica, California, Vol 1 (1991) pp 421--424 (4 refs) Characteristics of transaction-processing tasks are described in the context of retail point-of-sale systems (cash registers). Proliferation of functionality coupled with a lack of emphasis on interface design have led to systems that require extensive training and result in high error rates. A state-action representation of a transaction-processing task is described. This approach to task modelling is appropriate given the deterministic nature of transactionprocessing tasks. To illustrate this approach, a task model for a particular retail point-of-sale system and an interface design based on this model are described. A preliminary analysis of subjects using the new interface suggests that the model-based design will result in significant reductions in training time and error rates.
Abedini, K 'Automated machines designed to interface with the extremely resistant population' in Visions. Proc Human
Factors Society 35th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California, 2~5 September 1991. The Human Factors Society, Santa Monica, California, Vol 1 (1991) pp 435--439 (4 refs) Automated teller machines (ATMs) facing the general public's daily life have become common elements of environments. Even with the continued growth, some institutions still find it difficult to get more than half of their customers to use machines regularly. This paper presents an optimized interface for an automated teller machine designed to attract even the extremely resistant user. To accomplish this task, information was gathered from nonATM users in addition to the regular customers of such machines. Several existing machines were critiqued based on the needs of non-ATM users in addition to the generally accepted human factors"criteria. Design solutions were generated for all desirable elements, such as input and output device characteristics, aesthetics, etc. Designs were tested using the method of paired comparison. The chosen A T M design is believed to enhance ease of
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23.6.53 (126903)
Orlando, A COST 212 human factors in information services. Second intermediate report. Commision of the European Communities, Luxembourg, Publication No. E U R 13189 EN (1991) 125 pp (Abstr. in
Euro Abstracts) The COST 212 project aims to aid the planning and introduction of new information services by the evaluation of the effects of additional phenomena on everyday life, taking into account the following different areas, according to each national situation: telematics, electronics, statistics, socio-psychological, behavioural, economic, marketing, technical, scientific and industrial aspects, time budget, personal security; the evaluation of the degree of use and, as a result, acceptance of the service, once the type of user has been identified. COST 212 activities and the main aspect of the COST 212 results are reviewed. Case studies from Sweden, Finland, Spain and Italy are presented. These experimental studies were carried out in order to verify the methodologies evolved by the project and to provide modifications and improvements to the human factors methodologies.
23.6.54 (126905)
Veiga, P, Goncalves, J and Sorei, F ' A man-machine interface for a teleoperated vehicle' Paper presented at Melecon 91, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 2224 May 1991. Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg, Paper No. EN 35993 O R A (1991) 4 pp (8 refs) In this paper the design and main characteristics of the user interface of a teleoperated system are described. This system is under development, but the user interface modules described are already finished and fully operational. They are being used for the current development of other parts of the system. The man-machine interface was designed in order to integrate, in a single area of interaction (screen, keyboard and mouse), all the necessary information for the human control and monitoring of all activities of a remotely located vehicle. The man-machine interface works on top of the X l l window sytem and uses the Motif Toolkit,
W o r k design and organization 23.6.55 (126933)
Barton, J and Folkard, S 'The response of day and night nurses to their work schedules' J Occup Psychol Vol 64 No 3 (1991) p 207-218 (30 refs) Large numbers of people are now required to work at nights despite growing concern over the detrimental effects which may result for the individual shiftworker. Day- and night-shift nurses at a psychiatric hospital were compared, in order to highlight any differences between them on a range of measures. These comprised: (a) their satisfaction with their shift schedule in relation to the amount and distribution of free time, the actual hours of work, and the number and timing of breaks; (b) the interference of the shift schedule with their private lives in terms of sleep and fatique problems as well as social and domestic inconvenience; (c) their reported levels of stress over the past months; and (d) the value they attached to time off work at different times of the day and for different days of the week, and the relationship it may have with absenteeism from work. The results indicated the importance of day vs. night in determining the level of some of these measures, and in particular stress, domestic inconvenience, satisfaction and the value of time off work, as well as indicating that other factors such as age and whether or not they were permanent night-workers may influence the magnitude of these effects on the night shift.
Applied Ergonomics
23.6.51 (126887)
use, accessibility, and overall productivity of such units for virtually the entire spectrum of ATM users.
23.6.52 (126896)
Henneman, R L, Inderrieden, M and Benson, C 'Model-based interface design for transaction-processing tasks' in Visions. Proc
Human Factors Society 35th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California, 2-6 September 1991. The Human Factors Society, Santa Monica, California, Vol 1 (1991) pp 421--424 (4 refs) Characteristics of transaction-processing tasks are described in the context of retail point-of-sale systems (cash registers). Proliferation of functionality coupled with a lack of emphasis on interface design have led to systems that require extensive training and result in high error rates. A state-action representation of a transaction-processing task is described. This approach to task modelling is appropriate given the deterministic nature of transactionprocessing tasks. To illustrate this approach, a task model for a particular retail point-of-sale system and an interface design based on this model are described. A preliminary analysis of subjects using the new interface suggests that the model-based design will result in significant reductions in training time and error rates.
Abedini, K 'Automated machines designed to interface with the extremely resistant population' in Visions. Proc Human
Factors Society 35th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California, 2~5 September 1991. The Human Factors Society, Santa Monica, California, Vol 1 (1991) pp 435--439 (4 refs) Automated teller machines (ATMs) facing the general public's daily life have become common elements of environments. Even with the continued growth, some institutions still find it difficult to get more than half of their customers to use machines regularly. This paper presents an optimized interface for an automated teller machine designed to attract even the extremely resistant user. To accomplish this task, information was gathered from nonATM users in addition to the regular customers of such machines. Several existing machines were critiqued based on the needs of non-ATM users in addition to the generally accepted human factors"criteria. Design solutions were generated for all desirable elements, such as input and output device characteristics, aesthetics, etc. Designs were tested using the method of paired comparison. The chosen A T M design is believed to enhance ease of
434
23.6.53 (126903)
Orlando, A COST 212 human factors in information services. Second intermediate report. Commision of the European Communities, Luxembourg, Publication No. E U R 13189 EN (1991) 125 pp (Abstr. in
Euro Abstracts) The COST 212 project aims to aid the planning and introduction of new information services by the evaluation of the effects of additional phenomena on everyday life, taking into account the following different areas, according to each national situation: telematics, electronics, statistics, socio-psychological, behavioural, economic, marketing, technical, scientific and industrial aspects, time budget, personal security; the evaluation of the degree of use and, as a result, acceptance of the service, once the type of user has been identified. COST 212 activities and the main aspect of the COST 212 results are reviewed. Case studies from Sweden, Finland, Spain and Italy are presented. These experimental studies were carried out in order to verify the methodologies evolved by the project and to provide modifications and improvements to the human factors methodologies.
23.6.54 (126905)
Veiga, P, Goncalves, J and Sorei, F ' A man-machine interface for a teleoperated vehicle' Paper presented at Melecon 91, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 2224 May 1991. Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg, Paper No. EN 35993 O R A (1991) 4 pp (8 refs) In this paper the design and main characteristics of the user interface of a teleoperated system are described. This system is under development, but the user interface modules described are already finished and fully operational. They are being used for the current development of other parts of the system. The man-machine interface was designed in order to integrate, in a single area of interaction (screen, keyboard and mouse), all the necessary information for the human control and monitoring of all activities of a remotely located vehicle. The man-machine interface works on top of the X l l window sytem and uses the Motif Toolkit,
W o r k design and organization 23.6.55 (126933)
Barton, J and Folkard, S 'The response of day and night nurses to their work schedules' J Occup Psychol Vol 64 No 3 (1991) p 207-218 (30 refs) Large numbers of people are now required to work at nights despite growing concern over the detrimental effects which may result for the individual shiftworker. Day- and night-shift nurses at a psychiatric hospital were compared, in order to highlight any differences between them on a range of measures. These comprised: (a) their satisfaction with their shift schedule in relation to the amount and distribution of free time, the actual hours of work, and the number and timing of breaks; (b) the interference of the shift schedule with their private lives in terms of sleep and fatique problems as well as social and domestic inconvenience; (c) their reported levels of stress over the past months; and (d) the value they attached to time off work at different times of the day and for different days of the week, and the relationship it may have with absenteeism from work. The results indicated the importance of day vs. night in determining the level of some of these measures, and in particular stress, domestic inconvenience, satisfaction and the value of time off work, as well as indicating that other factors such as age and whether or not they were permanent night-workers may influence the magnitude of these effects on the night shift.
Applied Ergonomics