Scott M. Galster

Effects of Automated Cueing on Decision Implementation in a Visual Search Task

A visual search paradigm was used to examine the effects of status information automation cueing in a target detection task. Manual and information automation conditions were manipulated with the size of the distractor set. Participants were required to respond to the presence or absence of a target in a time-limited trial. In the information automation condition, status information regarding target presence was presented to the participant. The participants were informed that the information automation was not perfectly reliable. A significant detection performance improvement was observed with the addition of the information automation. This improvement was more marked in the condition with the higher number of distractors. Additionally, detection performance declined when the information automation was invalid, without a corresponding increase in subjective measures of workload or confidence. Implications of the results and future studies are discussed.

Managing Multiple Uavs: Are we Asking the Right Questions?

The limiting factor in how many unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) a single operator may be able to simultaneously control successfully may be constrained by the workload experienced by that operator. Recently, the focus on the cause of the workload and performance variation primarily stemmed from the number of concurrent UAVs controlled by a single operator. The present experiment systematically investigated the number of UAVs controlled and the number of targets each UAV had to provide information on during its flight. Additionally, an automation aid was evaluated to determine if cueing facilitated performance. The results suggest that the tasks of each UAV are just as much or perhaps even more important to consider when evaluating the source of increased operator workload and performance differences. Further, the automation, as employed in this experiment was limited in providing a practical benefit to the operator.

Effects of Information Automation and Decision-Aiding Cueing on Action Implementation in a Visual Search Task

A visual search paradigm was used to examine the effects of status information as well as decision-aiding automation in a target detection and processing task. Manual, information automation, and decision-aiding automation conditions were manipulated with the size of the distractor set. Participants were required to respond to the presence or absence of a target in a time-limited trial. In the information automation condition, status information regarding target presence was presented to the participant. The participants were informed that the information automation was not perfectly reliable. A significant detection performance improvement was observed in the information automation condition. This improvement was more marked in the conditions with the higher number of distractors. Additionally, response times were improved when the information automation cue was present. Effects of cue validity and incorrect responses are presented. Implications of the results and future studies are discussed.

Information Manager for Determining Data Presentation Preferences in Future Enroute Air Traffic Management

One proposed vision of the future National Airspace System (NAS) involves a change in philosophy from that of air traffic control to one of air traffic management, i.e. Free Flight. In order to accommodate this philosophy change, new technologies will be implemented to assist the air traffic manager (todays air traffic controller) in decision making. When enhancing the system we must also consider the interface between the air traffic manager and this new system and its corresponding new philosophy. To better determine the design of such an interface we must first understand the information needs of the air traffic manager. The present study investigated the information requirements of 58 enroute air traffic controllers. The controllers provided their preferences in presentation frequency as well as the importance of the information to be displayed. The results reveal the potential for adaptive automation as a form of information management.

Effects of Cross-Training on Team Performance, Communication, and Workload in Simulated Air Battle Management

Team cross-training is used to improve team interpositional knowledge (IPK). IPK is thought to promote adaptability, allowing teams to maintain coordination and performance when faced with challenges, such as increased task demands and role reconfiguration. The current experiment examined the effects of experiential cross-training, a form of training where teammates practice each other’s tasks and duties, in 5-person teams performing a command and control (C2) air battle management (ABM) simulation over a 5-day training period. Results indicated that under some conditions, cross-training resulted in slightly diminished team performance relative to control teams. Cross-trained teams also reported higher levels of workload throughout training. However, teams who underwent cross-training were better able to maintain team communication when faced with increased task demands.

Exploring the Relationship between Decision Appropriateness and Mission Effectiveness in a Simulated Command & Control Task

The development of automated decision support systems requires a real-time metric of decision quality. Historical links between decision quality and mission effectiveness suggest that the former is predictive of the latter, and thus the outcome is what needs to be measured. The purpose of the present paper is to describe an experiment designed to separate the measurement of decision quality from that of mission effectiveness. Mission effectiveness and decision quality were examined using the RoboFlag simulation environment. Environmental uncertainty and knowledge of the opponents strategies were manipulated factorially. Measures of mission effectiveness and decision quality were obtained along with subjective assessments of situation awareness and workload. Results are discussed in terms of decision quality as expressed by the tactics assigned to the operators robots, and with respect to the mission outcome for each trial. Further, the number and appropriateness of re-tasking orders and the effects of unreliable information are addressed.

Managing a Supply Chain: What Communication Patterns Might Divulge about Information Availability and Team Performance

Teamwork is continually becoming more diverse and complex, with teams facing distributed and asynchronous collaborative situations. The crux of making these complex situations work successfully is the ability to convey useful information to those who need it when they need it. A fundamental question remains: how much information is enough? Decision makers need a certain level of information to make effective decisions; however, too much information can be overwhelming or even detrimental. The present study uses a modified supply chain simulation to examine the impact of information availability on overall team performance and communication. Information view and communication were manipulated to constrain information availability. The results are discussed in terms of the impact of information availability on overall performance, communication patterns, information entropy, and situation awareness of distributed teams.

Information Availability and Team Performance: A Network-Centric Supply Chain Simulation

Future concepts of operations purport that sophisticated information technology will significantly enhance mission effectiveness through two fundamental aspects: “speed of command” and “self synchronization.” On one hand, unlimited availability of information may serve to enhance the overall awareness of individuals and teams. On the other hand, unrestricted information push may serve to distract, overwhelm, and overload individuals and teams, thereby compromising their situation awareness and decision-making effectiveness. The question remains, how much information is enough? The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of information availability on decision-making by utilizing a four-person supply chain management simulation. View of information and communication were manipulated to constrain information availability. Results indicated better performance for conditions with more information availability, including unrestricted information push. Overall, these results illustrated the importance of capabilities such as anticipation and redundancy, which seem to be vital to collaborative tasks.

An Examination of Head-Mounted Displays and Task Complexity in an Airborne Command and Control Simulation Environment

Technology-induced increases in information availability have elevated the issue of display cluttering in application domains in which display space is limited. To remediate this problem, evaluations of potential display technologies should be conducted. This paper discusses the examination of head-mounted displays (HMDs) in a simulated airborne command and control environment. Twelve participants engaged in tasks in which they were required to retrieve information from one of several display technologies. This information was available via two HMDs, on paper, and on the primary display. Further, as in previous work, the task complexity was also manipulated. The results indicated that the HMDs tested, in general, did not produce a performance benefit over the other methods of information retrieval. However, the HMDs.did not show a decrement in performance as previous studies have shown. Potential uses of HMDs.and other display technologies are discussed.

The Efficacy of Training in a Complex and Dynamic Simulated Air to Ground Search and Destroy Mission

The efficacy of training was evaluated in a simulated complex task environment. Eight pilots with military (fighter aircraft) experience were trained to perform primary and secondary tasks in an air to ground search and destroy mission. The training protocol utilized is described and evaluated with respect to performance measures at the beginning of the experiment compared to identical post experimental trials. The results indicate that the pilots were trained effectively under this protocol in performing the primary tasks required. Secondary task differences accounted for the majority of variance seen between the pre and post trials. Specific performance benefits in the secondary task are discussed.