Jamie S. Hughes

False Alerts in Air Traffic Control Conflict Alerting System: Is There a “Cry Wolf” Effect?

Objective: The aim is to establish the extent to which the high false-alarm rate of air traffic control midair conflict alerts is responsible for a “cry wolf” effect—where true alerts are not responded to and all alerts are delayed in their response. Background: Some aircraft collisions have been partly attributed to the cry wolf effect, and in other domains (health care and systems monitoring), there is a causal connection between false-alarm rate and cry wolf behavior. We hypothesized that a corresponding relationship exists in air traffic control (ATC). Method: Aircraft track and alert system behavior data surrounding 495 conflict alerts were analyzed to identify true and false alerts, trajectory type, and controller behavior. Forty-five percent of the alerts were false, ranging from 0.28 to 0.58. Results: Although centers with more false alerts contributed to more nonresponses, there was no evidence that these were nonresponses to true alerts or that response times were delayed in those centers. Instead, controllers showed desirable anticipatory behavior by issuing trajectory changes prior to the alert. Those trajectory pairs whose conflicts were more difficult to visualize induced more reliance on, and less compliance with, the alerting system. Conclusion: The high false-alarm rate does not appear to induce cry wolf behavior in the context of en route ATC conflict alerts. Application: There is no need to substantially modify conflict alert algorithms, but the conflict alert system may be modified to address difficult-to-visualize conflicts.

Intentional inferences are not more likely than unintentional ones: Some evidence against the intentionality bias hypothesis

ABSTRACT We conducted a study to test the hypothesis that inferences about intentionality are biased toward an intentional interpretation. Contrary to previous research, participants were no more likely to judge ambiguous actions as intentional in a speeded compared to an unspeeded condition. Further, participants were faster to respond and more consistent in responding to unintentional rather than intentional actions.

Inferences about character and motive influence intentionality attributions about side effects.

In two studies, we predicted and found that inferences about motive and character influence intentionality attributions about foreseeable consequences of action (i.e., side effects). First, we show that inferences about intentionality are greater for good side effects than bad side effects when a target persons character is described positively. In Study 2, we manipulated information about a target person and found that inferences about intentionality were greater when side effects were consistent with a target persons character and motives. Overall, our data cast doubt on the generality of the side-effect effect. We discuss our findings and their implications for future research on intentionality and social perception.

Testing the Death Thought Suppression and Rebound Hypothesis: Death Thought Accessibility Following Mortality Salience Decreases During a Delay

It is an important hypothesis of terror management theory that death thoughts are suppressed immediately following a mortality salience treatment but that, after a short delay during which suppression ceases, death thoughts become more accessible. Although there is much indirect empirical support for this idea, there are few direct tests. Our goal was to test this hypothesis with simple experiments. Thus, after mortality was made salient, death thought accessibility was measured immediately or after a delay. The results contradicted the prediction that death thought accessibility should be higher in the delay condition than in the no delay condition.

The effects of private and collective self-priming on visual search: taking advantage of organized contextual stimuli.

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that priming the collective self improves some visual search tasks. In both experiments, participants searched for an O among Qs. The pattern of distracters was manipulated across experiments to allow the possibility of grouping (Experiment 1) or to disallow this possibility (Experiment 2). Consistent with expectations, collective self-priming increased visual search speed when grouping was possible but it had no effect on visual search speed when grouping was not possible. In combination, the data support the notion that collective self-priming makes people more likely to utilize a pattern to facilitate visual search when there is a pattern present to be perceived.

Intentionality Attributions About Perfect and Imperfect Duty Violations

Abstract Intentionality attributions were explored by drawing on the distinction between perfect and imperfect moral duties. Previous research has shown that perfect duty violations carry greater attributional weight than imperfect duty violations (Trafimow & Trafimow, 1999; Trafimow, Bromgard, Finlay, & Ketelaar, 2005). In Studies 1 and 2, the distinction between perfect and imperfect duties was replicated with intentionality judgments, and perfect duty violations received higher intentionality attributions than imperfect duty violations. In Study 3 this effect was reversed by manipulating information about an agents mental intentions or plans to perform a behavior. That is, participants attributed less intentionality to perfect duty violations compared to imperfect duty violations when a mental intention to perform the behavior was absent.

Mind attributions about moral actors: intentionality is greater given coherent cues

Attributions about intentionality and the capacity for agency were explored from coherence perspectives. Coherence perspectives suggest that social perceivers use information about an actors motives, traits, and the outcomes of action to create meaningful explanations of action. According to the typecasting theory, intentionality and agency attributions should be related and predicted by ones role in a moral dyad. Across four studies, with different operational definitions of moral dyads and agency, we found evidence in favour of coherence perspectives. Social perceivers relied on mental states, character, and behavioural cues to make intentionality judgments. Further, intentionality attributions about behaviours were unrelated to inferences about agency. The discussion centres on the importance of coherent explanation in moral judgment.

Automation Dependency and Performance Gains under Time Pressure

Objective: An experiment tested a technique for encouraging appropriate human-automation interaction. Background: Operators often fail to make optimal use of automated aids, particularly when the aids are highly reliable. One way to discourage automation disuse might be to encourage automation dependence through time pressure. Methods: Fifty-two participants performed a simulated security screening task, searching for knives hidden in cluttered baggage x-rays. Participants were assisted by a diagnostic aid that was either 95%, 80% or 65% reliable, and were given instructions that asked them to make speeded or unspeeded decisions. Results: Participants showed higher levels of automation dependence under time pressure. This benefited overall performance in the 95% reliable condition. Conclusion: Time pressure encouraged heuristic dependence on automation aids, and benefited overall human-automation performance when the automation was highly reliable. Application: Data suggest a method for mitigating automation disuse.

In a moral dilemma, choose the one you love: Impartial actors are seen as less moral than partial ones

Although impartiality and concern for the greater good are lauded by utilitarian philosophies, it was predicted that when values conflict, those who acted impartially rather than partially would be viewed as less moral. Across four studies, using life-or-death scenarios and more mundane ones, support for the idea that relationship obligations are important in moral attribution was found. In Studies 1-3, participants rated an impartial actor as less morally good and his or her action as less moral compared to a partial actor. Experimental and correlational evidence showed the effect was driven by inferences about an actors capacity for empathy and compassion. In Study 4, the relationship obligation hypothesis was refined. The data suggested that violations of relationship obligations are perceived as moral as long as strong alternative justifications sanction them. Discussion centres on the importance of relationships in understanding moral attributions.

Stress and Coping Activity Reframing Negative Thoughts

Stress management and coping techniques are not only relevant in many psychology courses but also personally relevant for undergraduate students. In this article, the authors describe an activity designed to provide students with practice evaluating and challenging negative self-talk. Students responded to scenarios individually, were paired with another student to challenge erroneous and negative thoughts, and then joined with another pair of students to discuss the activity generally. When compared to students who heard a lecture about reframing and negative self-talk, students who participated in the activity were more likely to advise negative thinkers to challenge their thoughts and beliefs.