Carol A. Manning

An evaluation of human act generation performance

Abstract Act generation is important in decision making in ill-defined problems where the subject must synthesize actions that might solve the problem. Two experiments explored human abilities to generate actions which might solve ill-defined decision problems. Subjects were given unlimited time to suggest as many solutions as possible. Their suggestions were compared to a hierarchical structural model of the actions developed by the experimenters that could be taken to solve the problem. Although subjects were capable of generating several actions that might be worth taking, their suggestions were far from complete. The second experiment replicated and extended these results by introducing instructions to generate quality actions. It employed a structural model derived from cluster analysis, an improved utility estimation technique, and offered substantial monetary incentives for quality or quantity of actions generated. This study confirmed the general conclusion that subjects fail to generate important high-utility actions. The implications of this result are discussed in respect to decision analysis in which a complete structural model of the decision problem is highly desirable.

FUNCTIONS OF EXTERNAL CUES IN PROSPECTIVE MEMORY.

A simulation of an air traffic control task was the setting for an investigation of the functions of external cues in prospective memory. External cues can support the triggering of an action or memory for the content of the action. We focused on memory for the content, and manipulated the temporal characteristics of the external cue to disentangle two possible functions the cue can support: (1) an external cue visible during a retention interval could support rehearsal of the to-be-performed action; (2) an external cue visible at the end of a retention interval could support retrieval of the to-be-performed action. Two experiments were conducted that converge on the same conclusion: the primary function of an external cue is to support retrieval. Implications for the design of a computer interface to present prospective cues are discussed.

SELECTION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FOR AUTOMATED SYSTEMS: APPLICATIONS FROM CURRENT RESEARCH

Over the next two decades, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) National Airspace System (NAS) Plan for new automated air traffic control systems will radically change the role of the Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS)19. While introduction of automation is not new to the occupation, the NAS Plan calls for automating more critical job tasks than could have been previously supported by technology. The challenge of identifying the characteristics of the controller to operate these future automated systems is currently facing the FAA.

Real-Time Use of Paper in Air Traffic Control Towers: Criticality and Benefits

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how and why flight progress strips are currently used in air traffic control towers in the United States. The 3 main staffing positions in the tower, flight-data/clearance delivery (FD/CD), ground control (GC), and local control (LC), were observed by subject-matter experts at 10 control towers. Frequency of occurrence, importance ratings, and type of paper used were recorded. In addition, perceived benefits of marks made on the paper were assessed using open item responses and a series of Likert-scale questions. The positions varied in the marks the controllers made and in their reasons for making the marks. FD/CD controllers tended to make marks because they reduced workload or aided communication. LC tended to make marks because they aided memory, organization, and situation awareness. GC proved to be an interesting hybrid of the FD/CD and LC.

The Challenges of Measuring Human Performance in Complex Operational Environments

A panel of experienced human factors practitioners and researchers discusses the challenges encountered when measuring and quantifying human performance on the job and during system design and development. The panel, comprised of government/military researchers with expertise in human factors engineering, human systems integration, research psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, physics, systems engineering, and mechanical engineering, focuses not only on the challenges they have encountered, but also on the underlying human performance measurement issues and various approaches they have taken to address them. Understanding, measuring, evaluating and predicting factors that influence human performance is not only critical for the design of effective systems and programs of instruction, but also for overall job performance and mission effectiveness. Panelists will discuss critical factors and insights that are generalizable across a wide range of products and industry sectors as well as those that warrant further investigation.

An Examination of the Success Rates of Developmental Air Traffic Controllers Transferring to Lower-Level Facilities

An assessment was completed of training outcomes for air traffic control (ATC) trainees allowed to transfer from their first, higher-level ATC facility to a less complex lower-level ATC facility. Transfers followed failure in field qualification training at the first facility. We found that training outcomes at the second facility were related to the types and complexity levels of the ATC facilities involved. Trainees succeeded significantly more often if transferred to small or medium towers than if transferred to a facility that combined tower and radar. We considered an inability of trainees to acquire radar skills to separate air traffic and age as contributing factors and suggested that additional research examining age upon entry and training success at facilities of varying complexity should be undertaken. This effort supports a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strategic priority to build the workforce of the future by retaining trainees capable of controlling air traffic.