Human and Computer Task Allocation in Air Defense Systems.

摘要

The first task of the Phase II research involved additional analysis of the Phase I experimental data with the goal of developing models of operators' information-processing strategies when using different human-computer interfaces, and the relationship between those models and performance. The second task involved: (1) the developement of a representative, computer-based testbed for performing controlled, experimental research with actual U.S. Army air-defense operators; and (2) the performance of two experiments at Fort Bliss for testing (a) the relative effectiveness of alternative interfaces for supporting human-computer interaction, (b) the theoretical principles underlying the predictions, and (c) the ability to link information-processing strategies to performance. The research demonstrated the superior performance of interfaces that solved the relatively easier tasks and helped operators focus their attention on the relatively harder tasks under conditions of high workload. In addition, the research demonstrated the added value achieved by an operator-controlled allocation (i.e., rule creation) capability that permits the operator to instruct the system in how to perform certain tasks (i.e., identify targets). A direct relationship between operators' performance and their information-processing strategies was demonstrated for each interface. Keywords: Decision aids, Decision making. (KR)