Fiona Donald

The classification of vigilance tasks in the real world

The ability to generalise vigilance research to operational environments has been questioned, largely due to differences between laboratory research and real-world settings. The taxonomy of vigilance tasks proposed by Parasuraman and Davies (1977) represents an attempt to classify vigilance tasks so that tasks with similar information-processing demands can be compared and the ability to generalise results enhanced. Although the taxonomy originally included complexity, the term specifically referred to multiple sources of information. Complexity has been overlooked in much of the traditional vigilance literature, although it is included in more recent studies of jobs such as air traffic control. In this paper, the taxonomy is evaluated in relation to two vigilance intensive jobs – closed circuit television surveillance operators and air traffic controllers. In its present form, the existing taxonomy of experimental settings has limited applicability to these operational settings. Therefore, recommendations for expanding the taxonomy to include more aspects of complexity are made. It is argued that the revised taxonomy be used in conjunction with situation awareness, which makes provision for the cognitive processes involved in these jobs.

Work exposure and vigilance decrements in closed circuit television surveillance.

The aim of this study was to examine operator effectiveness in terms of detection rates and potential vigilance decrements in a proactive or real time CCTV surveillance task. The study was conducted in two stages. During stage one, 42 operators who were employed full-time in CCTV surveillance observed a 90-min video and were required to detect four types of target behaviours. No vigilance decrement was found for this sample as a whole. Stage two involved collecting additional data from 31 novices and dividing the existing operators into two sub-samples, consisting of generalists and specialists depending on the type of surveillance they performed at work (total N = 73). Fifty percent of target behaviours were detected and false alarms were high. Vigilance decrements were found for novices and generalists, but specialists maintained their performance for the first hour and then increased it. Results are discussed in terms of surveillance background, work exposure, transfer of learning, selection, training and motivation and the impact of these on vigilance and CCTV performance.

Psychological assessment for redress in South African organisations: is it just?

This article assesses the research on psychological assessment in post-apartheid South Africa from an organisational justice perspective. A search of peer-reviewed, published research on psychological assessment in organisations in South Africa was conducted from 2000 to March 2014. A total of 69 articles were found, of which the majority focused on the procedural justice of the instruments. Future research needs to focus on aspects of assessment that are related to interactional and distributive justice, if assessment is likely to be perceived as a fair and equitable practice in the workplace.

Domestic Workers' Experiences of Power and Oppression in South Africa

This study examines the work experiences of domestic workers in the context of socio-economic-political legislation promulgated to protect their social rights in the new South Africa. It gains insight into the power relations and embedded tensions between employers and domestic workers with the aim of identifying forms of oppression affecting domestic workers. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine female domestic workers employed in African households and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results indicate that despite inclusion in labour legislation, domestic workers remain a vulnerable group. They experience oppression in the form of exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, violence and some class-based cultural imperialism. Despite this, agency and resistance in the face of oppression was a key finding. Although some gains may have been obtained through inclusion in legislation, the asymmetrical power relationship with employers remains problematic.

The experience of person-role conflict in doctors expected to terminate pregnancies in the South African public sector

This study examines the experiences of person-role conflict amongst doctors working in obstetrics and gynaecology with regard to the provision of abortion services in the public sector. Fifteen doctors were interviewed in order to assess their personal experiences and the role forces that were evident, especially in situations where doctors were confronted with the expectation that they terminate pregnancies either on demand or for social reasons. This study explores the role forces that are operating, attitudes towards abortion versus willingness to perform abortions, the potential impact on the quality of service provided, and the personal implications of person-role conflict for the doctors.

How do industrial psychologists and human resource management practitioners perceive their status and job satisfaction

The aim of this study was to compare the perceived status and job satisfaction of registered industrial psychologists with that of human resource management (HRM) practitioners who are not registered as industrial psychologists. In South Africa, registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is a statutory requirement which entitles one to call oneself an industrial psychologist and to perform certain psychological acts. However, many personnel who are not registered psychologists also work in the field of HRM and are not required to register with a statutory body. Despite differences in the minimum qualifications required and statutory registration requirements, there is a great deal of overlap between the roles of industrial psychologists and other HRM practitioners in organisations. This raises issues regarding the perceived benefits of registration. This research focuses on perceptions of status as a potential intrinsic benefit of registration. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 46 participants who were registered with the HPCSA and 45 HRM practitioners who were not registered (n = 91). Results found no significant difference in status or job satisfaction between registered and non-registered participants. The findings are discussed in terms of the motivation to qualify and register as an industrial psychologist and implications for professional identity and practice.

Is CCTV Surveillance as Effective as Popular Television Crime Series Suggest? Cognitive Challenges

The aim of this paper is to review the human and information processing factors that need to be addressed in order to improve closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance effectiveness and to make recommendations regarding future research. This is done by contrasting the way in which CCTV is portrayed in popular television crime series with the challenges inherent in real world CCTV surveillance systems. Despite considerable amounts of money being spent on the equipment needed for CCTV systems, the work of operators is often poorly valued although the monitoring process is difficult and mentally demanding. There are many factors that affect the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance systems, and this paper focuses on the information processing demands on CCTV surveillance operators. Previous research on the human factors in CCTV were reviewed, and episodes in popular crime series which showed CCTV were observed and analysed. Key aspects that emerged were the cognitive demands made on CCTV surveillance operators by the design of the technical system and their job, the nature of scenes observed and the characteristics of significant events. These placed demands on the interaction of goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention, search strategies employed, distributed situation awareness, visual analysis, processes that impair detection, and the effects of certain job designs on monitoring. Recommendations for future research were made.