Theme 3

Question 1

What are the three main trends in industry and technology? (3)

Answer 1

1. Growth in service industry sector.
2. Increased use of mechanization / automation.
3. Increased use of technologically sophisticated equipment.

Question 2

What is perception?

Answer 2

Stage of cognition in which you become aware of sensation and interpret it.

Question 3

What are the main concepts in perception? (5)

Answer 3

1. Absolute threshold: minimum amount.
2. Differential threshold: smallest difference / change that senses can detect.
3. Signal detection theory: ability to detect stimuli
4. Sensory adaptation: gradual decline in sensitivity to prolonged stimulation
5. Situational awareness: perception of elements

Question 4

What are the factors that effect response selection? (5)

Answer 4

1. Decision complexity: number of alternative responses
2. Response expectancy: expected info is processed faster than unexpected info
3. Compatibility: relationship between stimulus and expected consequence of response.
4. Speed-accuracy trade-off
5. Feedback

Question 5

What are the main types of attention? (5)

Answer 5

1. Selective attention: situation in which you are required to monitor multiple sources of info - filter out certain channels of info.
2. Focused attention: task force you to cope with multiple channels but only focus on one, exclude all the others
3. Divided attention: multiple stimuli present but multiple tasks are being performed together.
4. Sustained attention: must watch for signals over long period of time
5. Lack of attention: not concentrating on task

Question 6

What are the ways you can improve divided attention? (3)

Answer 6

1. Minimize number of input channels
2. Reduce level of difficulty
3. Reduce similarity of task

Question 7

How can you improve performance in tasks that require sustained attention? (5)

Answer 7

1. Rotate workers
2. Increase intensity of signal
3. Provide feedback
4. Emphasize importance of consequences
5. Provide optimal environment

Question 8

What are some of the possible causes of boredom? (6)

Answer 8

1. Short cycle timed tasks.
2. Low requirements of body movements
3. Warm environments
4. Lack of social interaction
5. Low motivation
6. Power environmental conditions e.g. poor lighting

Question 9

What are the design principles of a display? (7)

Answer 9

1. Legible displays
2. Avoid absolute judgement limits / precision decisions
3. Top-down processing
4. Redundancy gain: message should be expressed more than once in alternative forms
5. Discriminability: signals should not look similar
6. Pictorial realism
7. Moving part principle

Question 10

What are the different types of displays? (8)

Answer 10

1. Quantitative - time
2. Qualitative - alarm
3. Status - something that is bound to change
4. Warning / signal
5. Representational - maps
6. Alpha numerical / symbolic - sheet music
7. Identification - static condition
8. Time-phased - distributed over time morse code

Question 11

What are the different types of controls? (6)

Answer 11

1. Activation - light switch
2. Discrete settings - tv channels & stove levels
3. Continuous settings - water tap & volume of radio
4. Continuous control - driving car
5. Data entry - keyboard
6. Tools - hammer

Question 12

What are the design principles of controls? (7)

Answer 12

1. Position / location
2. Shape
3. Size
4. Color
5. Labels
6. Grouping
7. Proximity

Question 13

What are the main cognitive tasks? (3)

Answer 13

1. Decision making
2. Planning
3. Problem solving