Indramani L. Singh

Individual differences in monitoring failures of automation

Abstract Subjects included 24 non-pilots who performed simulated flight-related tasks of tracking, fuel-management, and system monitoring. Tracking and fuel management were performed manually, whereas system monitoring was automated. Subjects were required to detect system malfunctions not detected by the automation (automation failures). The reliability of the automation remained constant or varied over time. Subjects detected significantly fewer automation failures in the constant-reliability automation condition than in the variable-reliability condition. Inefficiency in monitoring for automation failure was examined in relation to three individual-difference measures: the Complacency Potential Rating Scale, the Eysenck Personality Inventory (introversion-extraversion), and a modified version of Thayers Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List (energetic arousal). These measures were not significantly intercorrelated, suggesting their relative independence. For subjects with high-complacency-poten...

Automation-induced monitoring inefficiency : role of display location*

Operators can be poor monitors of automation if they are engaged concurrently in other tasks. However, in previous studies of this phenomenon the automated task was always presented in the periphery, away from the primary manual tasks that were centrally displayed. In this study we examined whether centrally locating an automated task would boost monitoring performance during a flight-simulation task consisting of system monitoring, tracking and fuel resource management sub-tasks. Twelve nonpilot subjects were required to perform the tracking and fuel management tasks manually while watching the automated system monitoring task for occasional failures. The automation reliability was constant at 87.5% for six subjects and variable (alternating between 87.5% and 56.25%) for the other six subjects. Each subject completed four 30 min sessions over a period of 2 days. In each automation reliability condition the automation routine was disabled for the last 20 min of the fourth session in order to simulate catastrophic automation failure (0 % reliability). Monitoring for automation failure was inefficient when automation reliability was constant but not when it varied over time, replicating previous results. Furthermore, there was no evidence of resource or speed accuracy trade-off between tasks. Thus, automation-induced failures of monitoring cannot be prevented by centrally locating the automated task.

Managing Death in the Burning Grounds of Varanasi, India: A Terror Management Investigation

Is it possible to reach a subconscious acceptance of death? Building on Terror Management Theory, the authors investigated in-group identification and cultural worldview among two groups of Hindus with naturally occurring high (N = 120) versus low (N = 120) death exposure. In each group, half were reminded about death and the other half of a control topic. Results indicated that making mortality salient increased identification with India and cultural worldview defense in the low-exposure but not in the high-exposure sample, the latter showing consistently higher levels on these variables across experimental conditions. Chronic death exposure may lead to chronic cultural worldview defense rather than a deeper acceptance of the inevitability of death.

The short-form revised Eysenck personality questionnaire: A Hindi edition (EPQRS-H)

Background: There is a growing consensus about the validity of human personality traits as important dispositions toward feelings and behaviors (Matthews, Deary, & Whiteman, 2003). Materials and Methods: Here we examine the reliability of the Hindi translation of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (EPQR-S; Eysenck, Eysenck, & Barrett, 1985), which consists of 48 items that assess neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism, and lying. The questionnaire was first translated into Hindi and then back translated. Subsequently, it was administered to 202 students (78 men and 124 women) from Banaras Hindu University. The internal consistency of the scale was evaluated. Results: The findings provide satisfactory psychometric properties of the extraversion, neuroticism and lie scales. The psychoticism scale, however, was found to be less satisfactory. Conclusion: It can be proposed that due to satisfactory internal consistency scores, the EPQRS-H is a reliable scale for the measurement of various personality traits.

Monitoring performance and mental workload in an automated system

Human performance in computer-aided system has engrossed inevitably human issues in cognitive functioning. The present endeavor focuses on the associated influence of training, automation reliability on the monitoring performance and workload in multi-task ambience. MAT battery was utilized with engine-system monitoring, two dimensional tracking, and fuel resource management tasks were the concerned elements, in which only system enginemonitoring task was automated in the training as well as in the final test sessions. A 2 × 2 × 2 × 3, mixed factorial design was employed. Monitoring performance, false alarms, reaction time and root mean square error performance were recorded as dependent measures. Results revealed that automation-induced complacency might be the feature of multi-task condition where subjects detected automation failures under high static system reliability. Results further showed that mental workload significantly reduced from pre- to post-sessions.

Personality correlates and perceptual detectability of locomotive drivers

Abstract In this study an attempt was made to determine the relationship of personality correlates with the vigilance performance of locomotive drivers in a continuous white noise background. Eighty locomotive drivers of Varanasi were selected, with a mean age of 35 yr. Each subject was instructed to detect critical signals which had slightly more height than the signals immediately after the presentation. The correct detection of tachistoscopic critical signals were recorded as the index of vigilance performance. Three personality scales viz. the occupational stress index (OSI), the job anxiety scale (JAS) and the 16 PF scale were administered after the completion of data regarding detection performance. Results were interpreted in terms of means, standard deviations and coefficients of correlation. A step wise multiple regression analysis was also done. The findings indicated that the personality correlates were significantly associated with sustained attention performances in different ways.

Effects of Training and Automation Reliability on Monitoring Performance in a Flight Simulation Task

The phenomenon of ‘complacency’ in highly reliable systems under multiple task situations has been demonstrated in several studies. The ‘complacency’ effect has been attributed to operators trusting reliable automation and not devoting sufficient attentional resources to monitoring the automated system. It has been reported that subjects exhibited poorer monitoring performance under constant reliability than under variable reliability automation while subjects received short (10-min) manual training on multi-tasks before monitoring the automated task. Extended training on multiple tasks may be required to allow subjects to develop time-sharing skill. Manual training of short duration could be one of the potential factors leading to complacency. To investigate the effects of training on monitoring performance, the present study varied the amount of manual training prior to the automated blocks. It was hypothesized that increased manual training would enhance monitoring performance under constant reliability compared to variable reliability automation. Results indicated that extended manual training could not reduce automation-induced complacency.

Development and Validation of a Scale of Automation-Induced “Complacency”

In the present studies, a scale was developed for measuring attitudes toward automation technology that reflect a potential for complacency. In the first, developmental study, a 20-item questionnaire consisting of statements concerning various aspects of automation was administered to 139 undergraduates at Catholic University. Factor analysis of the complacency potential rating scale (CPRS) revealed five independent factors, namely: general, confidence- reliance-, trust-, and safety-related complacency. The internal consistency reliability coefficients of the five factors and the scale as a whole were found to be high, and the scales revealed satisfactory test-retest reliabilities. The pattern of correlations among CPRS score, age, gender, computer use, and computer experience were consistent with previous studies examining attitudes toward microcomputer usage (Igbaria and Parasuraman, 1991). In the second, validation study, the 20-item CPRS was cross-validated on a sample of 175 undergraduate students at Drexel University. Factor analysis similarly revealed five factors with high alphas. The results indicate that the potential for complacency can be evaluated by assessing attitudes towards automation technology.