Heather C. Lum

Investigating the Impact of Self-Efficacy in Learning Disaster Strategies in an On-Line Serious Game

As playing serious games becomes a more viable method of teaching it is important to examine the factors that may impact successful learning. In the current study we examined whether college students could learn disaster prevention strategies from an on-line game. We measured perceptions of learning self-efficacy, enjoyment and game usability. Participants were asked to play an online serious game designed to help them learn what to do to prepare for a natural disaster (tsunami). Knowledge of disaster strategies were measured before and after two brief game periods. The results showed that players significantly improved in their knowledge and performance. The best predictor of post-test scores was the players’ perceived self-efficacy at the end of the game. Players who felt that they could master the game, tended to have the highest performance scores. Enjoyment of the game also predicted performance suggesting that those who felt more positively also felt that they could master the game. In this relatively simple game space perceptions of usability were not as strong a predictor of performance.

Low-Level Predictors Of Team Performance and Success

Low level cognitive measures were examined in the context of team performance and success. Specifically, eye tracking and vocal analysis were examined at the individual level to determine if this type of measurement could be used to predict team performance. The team consisted of 3 undergraduate participants who performed a simulated military planning task. The team had to work together to complete military objectives by rescuing refugees, and moving resources and military aids to different locations. Team performance and success were measured by number of objectives met and amount of time to design and execute the team plan. A stepwise linear regression analysis was run at both the team level and team variability for all operations. The results of the study suggest that low level measures such as eye movements and vocal analyses may be helpful in understanding computer mediated team processing.

The Influence of Aesthetic and Usability Web Design Elements on Viewing Patterns and User Response: An Eye-tracking Study

The merging of usability and aesthetics is one of the more promising contemporary trends in user interface research. This focus on total user experience rather than a subset of user interaction necessitates more holistic examinations of web interfaces and user response. To this end, a study examining user response to a variety of usability and aesthetic web interface elements was conducted. Eye tracking was used to measure participant fixation on individual interface elements. These data were examined in order to expand the fields understanding of how usability and aesthetics influence user response to web sites. Significant effects were found for specific usability and aesthetic elements, including use-oriented elements such as search boxes and more abstract elements such as expressive aesthetic items. Based on these results, implications for future research and theory are offered.

Do you see what I see? Eye Tracking and Shared Mental Models

Shared mental models of the team and task have been shown to facilitate better team processes (e.g. coordination) and performance. To this extent, more dynamic measures of mental model measures are needed to better understand how sharedness is through various team macrocognitive stages. This study investigated the relationship between eye patterns and mental model sharedness. Results indicate a positive relationship between mental model sharedness and eye fixation similarity. Implications for future research are discussed.

The Relationship of Eye Movement, Workload, and Attention on Learning in a Computer-Based Training Program

Computer-based training is a version of training that is becoming quite common. The Project Team Builder (PTB) program uses a computer simulation to help train individuals on how to correct a variety of problems faced by project managers. In this study, the use of a computer-based training program was utilized to assess learning and performance. To measure this, a Tobii T120 eye tracking system was employed to measure fixations and saccades of the participant while completing a training program. The task consisted of the completion of a project management training with assistance of the researcher, then again without assistance. It was hypothesized that performance would improve on the self-guided task after the completion of the assisted task. Results found that participants that completed the task quicker found it to be less mentally demanding. Number of fixations was found to be positively correlated with mental workload and perceived performance. This gives way to further research on computer-based training and the use of eye tracking systems for future program development.

Human or Superhuman Individual Differences in the Perception of Technomorphism

Traditionally, robotics are created to be user friendly from a human standpoint but recently a different theory has emerged which focuses on how the technology we use may influence how human-like we perceive each other to be. This study investigates how individual differences play in to someone’s propensity to technomorphize. The first focus was on whether those in an engineering or programming field were more likely to technomorphize than those in other fields. The second focus was to continue the validation process for the technomorphism scale and examine how machine-like humans may be perceived. Results from this study showed that those in an engineering field or programming field are more likely to technomorphize than those in different fields.

Humans to Robots: How Technomorphic Features Shape our Perceptions of Each Other

It is becoming commonplace for humans to use technology to enhance and augment their understanding of the world. In this study, we investigated whether attention to these forms of technology can be predicted by scores on the Technomorphic Tendencies Scale (TTS) (Lum et al., 2011). Participants completed the TTS and were eye tracked while viewing pictures of models wearing various types of technological devices (e.g., an eye tracker; a Bluetooth headset). Higher TTS scorers tended to have more fixations and for a shorter duration of time when compared with the lower TTS Scorers. The Technomorphic Tendencies Scale is predictive of attention directed to technology when making first impressions.

Putting the Applied in Applied Psychology: Experiential Learning Projects in the HFE Classroom

The objective of this panel is to open a dialog about how experiential learning is being represented within the human factors and ergonomic classroom. The panel will start by Heather Lum briefly giving an overview and the precipice for this discussion panel. The panelists will then provide their views and experiences regarding this topic. Gabriella Hancock will discuss how she prepares her students for ‘publish or perish’ through a hands-on assignment. Grace Waldfogle will discuss how her undergraduate applied project prepared her for graduate education in human factors. Federico Scholcover will share his experiences with a semester long design project and how he uses what he learned there in a job setting. Finally, Nicholas Kelling will discuss the industry-academia collaborative process and how it prepares students for life beyond the classroom. The specific theme of this discussion panel is focused on the differing perspectives that one might face rom either the instructor and student perspectives. Dr. Lum will foster discussion among the panelists and questions from the general audience. Discussion time: 90 minutes.

How Immersion, Presence, Emotion, & Workload Differ in Virtual Reality and Traditional Game Mediums

The gaming experience is a critical component in the development and evolution of games. This study aims to assess the differences between virtual reality and a more traditional gaming experience in levels of emotion, immersion, and presence. We know that virtual reality is changing the way that people play games, but the extent to which virtual reality creates a more immersive and more present environment is still largely debated. Most of us can feel a difference but where does it lie? Similarly, if we are indeed more immersed and present, does that impact our perceived workload and how we feel about the task? These questions are examined in more detail in this paper. Results of this study may help give statistical support to various factors that are related to the virtual reality experience. These findings may extrapolate to a larger context for training simulations for military applications as well as consumer domains.

Pokémon Go as a Tool to Study the Social and Cognitive Factors that Impact Spatial Navigation

Researchers in spatial navigation have the difficult task of finding ecologically valid measures while maintaining a reasonable degree of internal validity. This often means simulating wayfinding and navigation task in the laboratory which increases control but eliminates the experience of walking around a natural environment. Augmented reality games like Pokémon Go allow researchers a novel way to study individual differences in cognitive and social factors in wayfinding with a game already designed to motivate players to move around in the real world. In the current study, Pokémon Go was played either individually or socially (2 players) while a map of the player’ speed and location was created in real time. We measured play style preference, game experience and basic spatial skills (mental rotation). Mental rotation performance was correlated with enjoying the game and being more motivated to play. Although games scores and distances traveled did not differ between the individual and cooperative groups, participates reported a strong preference for playing with a group over playing alone.