The Effects of Participatory Mode and Task Workload on the Detection of Dynamic System Failures.
Abstract
The ability of operators to detect step changes in the order of control dynamics is investigated as a joint function of (a) participatory mode: whether subjects are actively controlling those dynamics or are monitoring an autopilot controlling them, and (b) concurrent task workload. A theoretical analysis of detection in the two modes identifies factors that will favor detection in either mode. Five subjects either tracked or monitored the system dynamics on a 2-dimensional pursuit display under single task conditions and concurrently with a subcritical tracking task at two difficulty levels. Latency and accuracy of detection were assessed and related through a speed-accuracy tradeoff representation. Detection performance was faster, and only slightly less accurate in the manual as opposed to the autopilot mode and performance in each mode was derogated by the concurrent tracking requirement, but not by increases in loading task difficulty. Further analysis, involving multiple regression techniques, ensemble averaging and examination of response latency distributions suggested that manual superiority was attributable to the additional proprioceptive information resulting from control adaption to the system change. The effects of the loading task on detection and upon primary task tracking were interpreted in terms of the concept of limited processing resources. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA050210
Entities
People
- Christopher Dow Wickens
- Colin Kessel
Organizations
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign