Army Digital Systems and Vulnerability to Change Blindness
Abstract
The failure to detect what should be a fairly obvious visual change is known as "change blindness." Change blindness is most likely to occur if visual attention is diverted from the location of the change when it occurs. As Army digital systems become more multifunctional, their visual displays more complex, and their operators responsible for multiple tasks, it becomes more likely that those operators will suffer from change blindness. In this experiment, visual change detection using the Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade, and Below display was investigated. Participants were instructed to monitor the display and report changes they noticed as quickly as possible. They were also periodically instructed to conduct certain tasks with the system, such as performing a circular-line-of-sight analysis or sending a text message. When occurring alone, map icon position changes were, on average, detected 83% of the time; however, when those changes were simultaneous with the closing of a task window, they were detected, on average, only 40% of the time. Besides documenting the degree of change blindness that can occur, this experiment demonstrated a weak effect of change distance on detection of icon position changes. Detection of position changes may be aided by the availability of reference points in the display. It is suggested that as Army digital systems become more complex they will need to log changes and deliver alerts in such a way that they can be conveniently and efficiently reviewed without adding to workload.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA433072
Entities
People
- Paula J. Durlach
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences