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Results for “AUDITORY TASK”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Restriction of pursuit eye movement range during a concurrent auditory task

A two-part experiment was performed using 10 naive adult male subjects to determine the effects of a concurrent auditory dot/dash identification task on pursuit eye movements. Results indicated there was a significant (20 percent) but transitory task-induced restriction of the range of both an 18 deg horizontal and a 14 deg vertical pursuit eye movement visual angle. Furthermore, doubling the presentation rate of the concurrent task accounted for an additional 5 percent restriction of pursuit eye movement range. Results also indicated that the eye movement range is unaffected by both prior knowledge of the task and four consecutive practice trials. It is suggested that both the rapidity of target movement and the presence of concurrent mental tasks could significantly shrink an operator's pursuit eye movement ranges during viewing of dynamic visual displays such as airborne low-level television and forward-looking infrared.

Malmstrom, F. V.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Time-sharing visual and auditory tracking tasks

An experiment is described which examined the benefits of distributing the input demands of two tracking tasks as a function of task integrality. Visual and auditory compensatory tracking tasks were utilized. Results indicate that presenting the two tracking signals in two input modalities did not improve time-sharing efficiency. This was attributed to the difficulty insensitivity phenomenon.

Tsang, Pamela S.↗
NASA NTRS2016

A Touchpad-Based Method for Inducing Attentional Tunneling

Attentional tunneling is a recognized problem for aviation safety in the flight deck. A prototype system (touchpad and associated application and experimental software) was developed and evaluated for its success in inducing attentional tunneling in a reliable and predictable manner in training and experimental contexts. Two experiments involving a total of sixteen participants examined baseline performance for visual memory of a color or number sequence, simultaneous with performing a competing auditory detection task. Spatial auditory separation of the auditory stimuli was also evaluated. Data are provided for various aspects of touchpad entry (accuracy, speed) as well as hit and false alarm rates for the auditory task. The results will help determine means of inducing attentional tunneling in more complex flight simulator experiments, and for developing an inexpensive prototype for pilots to measure cognitive fixation and develop mitigation strategies.

aviation safety↗
NASA NTRS1997

Effects of Modality on Interrupted Flight Deck Performance: Implications for Data Link

Externally-imposed tasks frequently interrupt ongoing task performance in the commercial flight deck. While normally managed without consequence, basic research as well as aviation accident and incident investigations show that interruptions can negatively affect performance and safety. This research investigates the influence of interruption and interrupted task modality on pilot performance in a simulated commercial flight deck. Fourteen current commercial airline pilots performed approach scenarios in a fixed-base flight simulator. Air traffic control instructions, conveyed either aurally or visually (via a data link system) interrupted a visual task (obtaining information from the Flight Management System) and an auditory task (listening to the automated terminal information service recording). Some results confirm the hypothesized performance advantage of cross-modality conditions, more compelling nature of auditory interruptions, and interruption-resistance of auditory ongoing tasks. However, taken together, results suggest the four interaction conditions had different effects on pilot performance. These results have implications for the design of data link systems, and for facilitating interruption management through interface design, aiding, and training programs.

Latorella, Kara A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Human transinformation rates during one-to-four axis tracking with a concurrent audio task

The information processing rates of six subjects performing one-, two-, three-, and four-axis compensatory tracking tasks, with and without a concurrent four-choice auditory task were determined. The purpose was to obtain further evidence concerning the nature of an hypothesized ceiling on human transinformation rates. Interference was found among tasks, but the evidence concerning a ceiling on information processing rates was inconclusive.

Baty, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Decision-related cortical potentials during an auditory signal detection task with cued observation intervals

Cortical-evoked potentials were recorded from human subjects performing an auditory detection task with confidence rating responses. Unlike earlier studies that used similar procedures, the observation interval during which the auditory signal could occur was clearly marked by a visual cue light. By precisely defining the observation interval and, hence, synchronizing all perceptual decisions to the evoked potential averaging epoch, it was possible to demonstrate that high-confidence false alarms are accompanied by late-positive P3 components equivalent to those for equally confident hits. Moreover the hit and false alarm evoked potentials were found to covary similarly with variations in confidence rating and to have similar amplitude distributions over the scalp. In a second experiment, it was demonstrated that correct rejections can be associated with a P3 component larger than that for hits. Thus it was possible to show, within the signal detection paradigm, how the two major factors of decision confidence and expectancy are reflected in the P3 component of the cortical-evoked potential.

Squires, K. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The multi-attribute task battery for human operator workload and strategic behavior research

The Multi-Attribute Task (MAT) Battery provides a benchmark set of tasks for use in a wide range of lab studies of operator performance and workload. The battery incorporates tasks analogous to activities that aircraft crewmembers perform in flight, while providing a high degree of experimenter control, performance data on each subtask, and freedom to use nonpilot test subjects. Features not found in existing computer based tasks include an auditory communication task (to simulate Air Traffic Control communication), a resource management task permitting many avenues or strategies of maintaining target performance, a scheduling window which gives the operator information about future task demands, and the option of manual or automated control of tasks. Performance data are generated for each subtask. In addition, the task battery may be paused and onscreen workload rating scales presented to the subject. The MAT Battery requires a desktop computer with color graphics. The communication task requires a serial link to a second desktop computer with a voice synthesizer or digitizer card.

Comstock, J. Raymond, Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Multi-Attribute Task Battery - Applications in pilot workload and strategic behavior research

The Multi-Attribute Task (MAT) Battery provides a benchmark set of tasks for use in a wide range of lab studies of operator performance and workload. The battery incorporates tasks analogous to activities that aircraft crewmembers perform in flight, while providing a high degree of experimenter control, performance data on each subtask, and freedom to nonpilot test subjects. Features not found in existing computer based tasks include an auditory communication task (to simulate Air Traffic Control communication), a resource management task permitting many avenues or strategies of maintaining target performance, a scheduling window which gives the operator information about future task demands, and the option of manual or automated control of tasks. Performance data are generated for each subtask. In addition, the task battery may be paused and onscreen workload rating scales presented to the subject. The MAT Battery requires a desktop computer with color graphics. The communication task requires a serial link to a second desktop computer with a voice synthesizer or digitizer card.

Arnegard, Ruth J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Frequency encoded auditory display of the critical tracking task

The use of auditory displays for selected cockpit instruments was examined. In auditory, visual, and combined auditory-visual compensatory displays of a vertical axis, critical tracking task were studied. The visual display encoded vertical error as the position of a dot on a 17.78 cm, center marked CRT. The auditory display encoded vertical error as log frequency with a six octave range; the center point at 1 kHz was marked by a 20-dB amplitude notch, one-third octave wide. Asymptotic performance on the critical tracking task was significantly better when using combined displays rather than the visual only mode. At asymptote, the combined display was slightly, but significantly, better than the visual only mode. The maximum controllable bandwidth using the auditory mode was only 60% of the maximum controllable bandwidth using the visual mode. Redundant cueing increased the rate of improvement of tracking performance, and the asymptotic performance level. This enhancement increases with the amount of redundant cueing used. This effect appears most prominent when the bandwidth of the forcing function is substantially less than the upper limit of controllability frequency.

Stevenson, J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluating Sensory Augmentation as A Non-Pharmaceutical Tool to Mitigate Motion Sickness and Enhance Sensorimotor Task Performance: A Pilot Study Using Simulated Capsule Wave Motion

Wave motion during capsule recovery operations can result in motion sickness and performance decrements exacerbating reentry sickness following long duration spaceflight. The purpose of this pilot study was (1) to validate a capsule wave motion simulation as a platform to evaluate motion sickness countermeasures and (2) to evaluate a sensory augmentation belt providing vibrotactile feedback of gravitational upright. Ten healthy subjects ages 38.0 ± 10.1 (6M|4F) were exposed to complex wave motions on a six degree-of-freedom platform that included pitch, roll, and heave at provocative stimulus frequencies (0.1-0.25 Hz) while seated in an illuminated cabin deprived of external visual cues. Subjects reported acute symptoms for up to three consecutive 15 min trials or until they reached a motion sickness endpoint of 8 pts on the Pensacola Diagnostic Index (PDI). Five subjects were randomly assigned to the Sensory Augmentation (SA) group while the other five served as controls (CN group). Based on a Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire, the two groups had similar motion sickness histories (susceptibility percentile ranking of CN group = 27.5 ± 63.6 in the CN group versus 27.5 ± 37.0 in the SA group, median ± IQR). The vibrotactile feedback consisted of a single array of 8 electromechanical tactors positioned around the torso on an adjustable belt (Engineering Acoustics, Inc) that utilized an integrated inertial measurement unit (IMU) to indicate the direction of upright (e.g., subject’s back tactor on during forward tilt). During each wave motion trial subjects performed a battery of four different tasks: tracking Earth vertical using a joystick with and without a secondary task (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test), an eye-hand target acquisition task on a cabin-fixed tablet, and the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT). All ten subjects reported varying levels of motion sickness with 6 of 10 reaching a symptom endpoint. Interestingly, subjects anecdotally reported that engagement in the joystick tracking task was less provocative than tasks involving the cabin-fixed tablet or periods of no activity. Sensory augmentation appeared to delay symptom onset, with 2 of 5 subjects reaching an endpoint within the first 15 min trial in the CN group versus none in the SA group (PDI after 15 min = 6.0 ± 2.5 in the CN group versus 3.4 ± 2.5 in the SA group, mean ±std). Sensory augmentation also improved performance on the joystick tracking task at lower stimulus frequencies (0.1 Hz in roll and 0.2 Hz in pitch). Both CN and SA groups maintained a consistent level of performance on the eye-hand target acquisition and PVT throughout the baseline (no motion) and wave motion periods. Our results validated that the simulated capsule wave motion paradigm provides an effective motion sickness stressor. This paradigm is currently being used to investigate the efficacy of intranasal scopolamine to mitigate motion sickness. Sensory augmentation using vibrotactile feedback appears to improve spatial awareness and delay symptom onset during complex passive motion. One advantage of this portable belt design is that it incorporates all tactor drive and IMU circuitry and therefore could continue to be worn by crewmembers and serve as a balance aid during egress and ambulation with recovery operations.

A M Bollinger↗
NASA NTRS1974

Vertex evoked potentials in a rating-scale detection task: Relation to signal probability

Vertex evoked potentials were recorded from human subjects performing in an auditory detection task with rating scale responses. Three values of a priori probability of signal presentation were tested. The amplitudes of the N1 and P3 components of the vertex potential associated with correct detections of the signal were found to be systematically related to the strictness of the response criterion and independent of variations in a priori signal probability. No similar evoked potential components were found associated with signal absent judgements (misses and correct rejections) regardless of the confidence level of the judgement or signal probability. These results strongly support the contention that the form of the vertex evoked response is closely correlated with the subject's psychophysical decision regarding the presence or absence of a threshold level signal.

Squires, K. C.↗