The term hysteresis effect refers to the shape of a performance curve when plotted against increasing and then decreasing demand. Performance during increasing demand reaches a maximum point and begins to deteriorate at high demand levels, whereas performance during decreasing demand is significantly degraded. The Short-Term Memory, expectancy, and other hypotheses have attempted to explain the hysteresis effect. In this paper it is argued that the hysteresis effect could be described by three phases of cognitive processing: an ideal transmission phase, a varying reaction time phase, and a sampling strategy phase. A mathematical model of human information processing was developed to explore the hypothesis. The model was simulated using the Model Human Processor parameters (S. K. Card, T. P. Moran, & A. Newell, 1983). Experimental results demonstrated each processing phase in reproducing the hysteresis effect. Implications for human-machine systems are discussed. Actual or potential applications of this research include air traffic control, flight deck procedures, and interface design
Individuals from 5 countries participated in an experiment to examine the effect of an operational net assessment (ONA) multinational information sharing (MNIS) procedure on coalition conflict resolution within a hypothetical precrisis situation. This article reports the findings for the effect of an ONA MNIS on situation awareness (SA) and the calibration of SA and confidence. In general, the findings revealed that the ONA MNIS procedure used in this experiment facilitated shared SA among the coalition teams. Although the participants were generally well calibrated, there was a trend toward overconfidence in their SA responses. These findings are discussed within the context of current and future multinational coalition environments.Because conflicts occur more rapidly and with less predictability as to their location than in the past, affected countries are increasingly dependent on distributed information processing to aid conflict resolution. An important consequence of the changing dynamics of conflict is the increasing importance of information warfare: "any action to deny, exploit, corrupt or destroy the enemy's information and its functions; protecting ourselves against those actions; and exploiting our own military information functions" (Endsley & Jones, 1997, p. 1). As successful conflict resolution becomes increasingly intertwined with the information age, it is widely acknowledged that information warfare, and the underlying situation awareness (SA) necessary to support it, will be a key component for successful conflict resolution (
Task Analysis is a fundamental tool for analyzing human-machine systems, and has been applied in major aircraft projects supporting the Canadian Forces. The literature describes many task analysis methods under two major categories: behavioral and cognitive task analysis. This paper proposes a new task analysis based on Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) called PTA that encompasses all other analyses. PTA adopts an ego-centric approach, analyses goals and feedback, determines the cognitive compatibility, and specifies information requirements for interface and/or systems design. PTA was applied to a portion of a Coastal Patrol Aircraft task analysis. It was found that PTA provides a unified analysis, makes goals and feedback explicit, and provides a method for assessing cognitive compatibility.
The purpose of this research was to assess the applicability of Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) and Ecological Interface Design (EID) to the radio communication domain, and to perform an analytical evaluation between PCT and EID using the Control Display Unit (CDU) interface as a vehicle. A PCT-based analysis of the pilot-CDU interactions was performed and an Abstraction Hierarchy representation of the radio communication domain was developed. Two interface designs followed and their effectiveness was assessed analytically by judging their ability to support tasks under normal and abnormal circumstances. The results suggest that both interfaces permit radio exchanges to be performed under normal operations. Also, both interfaces lead to the detection of technical failures and environmental concerns impeding successful radio communication. However, the PCT-based interface did not support diagnostic activities related to disturbances of a technical and environmental nature in the communication work domain, whereas the EID interface was able to support diagnostic activities for disturbances of environmental sources for the given task situations.
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