Submarine Research

Question 1

Cognitive Engineering

Answer 1

Joining the cognitive sciences with engineering to from a new, applied discipline for the design and construction of systems to support the human user.

Question 2

Cognitive engineering solution

Answer 2

Leveraging empirical findings from the cognitive sciences to the design and application of user-computer interfaces. Cognitive findings would include topic such as how people store, process, and retrieve knowledge. The results will be an interface that is “cognitively-friendly”

Question 3

Cognitive engineering approach

Answer 3

Prototype designed, developed and tested.

Question 4

Requirements Analysis (Submarine)

Answer 4

Domain: Submarine Warfare Goal: Launch Torpedoes 1. Ownship Readiness Task: criteria that must be met concerning your ownship 11. Firing task: Criteria that must be met concerning the situational relationship between ownship and target

Question 5

Additional Requirements

Answer 5

1. Make accurate decisions 2. Make fast decisions 3. Keep one’s attention focused on critical information 4. User acceptance of the interface

Question 6

Display data

Answer 6

Conceptual hypothesis: Displays that promote cognitive flexibility will enhance user-computer performance. Operational hypothesis: Multiple coding of data will result in better user-computer performance than when data is only in one form.

Question 7

Data-driven tasks

Answer 7

Conceptual hypothesis: By limiting data-driven tasks, user-computer performance will be enhanced. Operational hypothesis: Using status indicators to limit data-driven tasks will result in better user-computer performance that when status indicators are not used to limit-data-driven tasks.

Question 8

Information

Answer 8

Conceptual hypothesis: If information load is minimized in order to allow human processing to comfortably absorb all displayed data, user-computer performance will be enhanced. Operational hypothesis: Displays that include only that information need by the operator at a given time will result in better user-computer performance than displays that include additional information. An interface with judicious redundancy will result in better user-computer performance than an interface with unnecessary redundancy.

Question 9

Independent variables

Answer 9

1. Interface 2. Problem (two levels) 3. Question type (two levels)

Question 10

Dependent variables

Answer 10

1. Objective (measurable) 2. Subjective

Question 11

Interface main effect (reaction time means)

Answer 11

Question 12

Problem main effect (reaction time means)

Answer 12

Question 13

Question main effect (reaction time means)

Answer 13

Question 14

Interface X Question InteractionReaction Time Means

Answer 14

Question 15

Interface Main Effect(Accuracy Means)

Answer 15

Question 16

Question Main Effect(Accuracy Means)

Answer 16

Question 17

Interface x Question Interaction(Accuracy Means)

Answer 17

Question 18

ANOVA

Answer 18

Main effect for interface: Baseline had greater workload than cognitive Alternate had greater workload than cognitive Main effect for problem at P

Question 19

Preference

Answer 19

20 out of 24 preferred the cognitively engineered interface 83% of the participants

Question 20

Findings

Answer 20

All hypotheses were supported. The cognitively- engineered interface - was more accurate - had a better reaction time - had less workload - was preferred The results were analogous in every case to the application of the cognitive design principles.

Question 21

Recommendations for Further Research

Answer 21

Study the impact of specific cognitive –design principles on performance. Study the acceptance of the various interface designs (i.e. baseline, cognitive, alternate) in the targeted user community which was submariners. Apply the 10 cognitive design principles to a completely different domain.