Publication Date
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Kevin Bennett (Advisor), Herb Colle (Committee Member), John Flach (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
Objective: Our purpose was to discuss alternative principles of design (emergent features and perceptual objects) for analogical visual displays, to evaluate the utility of four different displays for a system state identification task, and to compare outcomes to predictions derived from the design principles. Background: An interpretation of previous empirical findings for three displays (bar graph, polar graphic, alpha-numeric) is provided from an emergent features perspective. A fourth display (configural coordinate) was designed to leverage powerful perception-action skills using principles of cognitive systems engineering / ecological interface design (i.e., direct perception). Methods: An experiment was conducted to evaluate these four displays. Primary dependent variables were accuracy and latency. Results: Numerous significant effects were obtained and a clear rank ordering of performance emerged (from best to worst): configural coordinate, bar graph, alpha-numeric, polar graphic. Conclusions: The findings are difficult to reconcile with principles of design based on perceptual objects but perfectly consistent with principles based on emergent features. Limitations of the most effective configural coordinate display are discussed and a redesign is provided to address them. Applications: The principles of ecological interface design that are described here (i.e., the quality of very specific mappings between domain, display, and observer constraints) are applicable to the design of all forms of displays for all work domains.
Page Count
37
Department or Program
Department of Psychology
Year Degree Awarded
2013
Copyright
Copyright 2013, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
