Responses to alarms are assumed important. Yet failure to respond to alarms is recognized, although is not well understood or quantified. Conditions that might induce a failure to respond include alarm unreliability (i.e., numerous false alarms, the "cry-wolf" effect), high primary task demand, or low criticality of the alarm itself. The goals of this research were to substantiate the existence of the cry-wolf effect, quantifying its effect on operator performance, and to examine the relation between the cry-wolf effect and alarm criticality. One hundred thirty-eight UCF students alternatively performed two primary tasks, chosen from the Automated Performance Test System. Subjects were presented alarms of varying reliabilities (25%, 50%, and 75 % true alarms) and urgencies (low, medium, and high) in three experimental blocks. A series of repeated-measures MANOVAs assessed the effects of increasing alarm reliability, criticality, and performance block on alarm response and primary task performance. A post-experimental questionnaire also provided correlational data to determine relationships between demographic and opinion items and alarm response performance. The results indicate that most subjects (about 90%) do not respond to all alarms but match their response rates to the expected probability of true alarms (probability matching). Further, alarm criticality and primary task difficulty modestly but significantly alter response rates, and the speed and accuracy of responding. About 10% of the subjects responded in the extreme, utilizing an all-or-none strategy. Implications of these results for alarm design instruction and further research are discussed.

Ho Wing Yi Joyce. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2003-2004, design report." / Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-194). / Chapter Ch0 --- Introduction --- p.p. 2 / Chapter Ch1 --- Human --- p.p. 6 / Chapter Ch2 --- Space --- p.p. 20 / Chapter Ch3 --- Place/ Non-Place --- p.p. 34 / Chapter Ch4 --- Identity --- p.p. 40 / Chapter Ch5 --- Boundary --- p.p. 48 / Chapter Ch6 --- Performance --- p.p. 64 / Chapter Ch7 --- Site --- p.p. 74 / Chapter Ch8 --- Concept --- p.p. 88 / Chapter Ch9 --- Plot --- p.p. 96 / Chapter Ch10 --- Design Development --- p.p. 106 / Chapter Ch 11 --- Final Design --- p.p. 160 / Bibliography --- p.p. 193 / Acknowledgement --- p.p. 195

Emergency stop controls are essential parts of industrial machinery because they are designed to stop the operation in case of emergencies without risks to operators, equipment, products, or facilities. Current guidelines for emergency stop controls have been formulated based on experience but not on empirical studies. The main objectives of this research were to determine the effects of the type and orientation of emergency stop pushbuttons on the reaction time, mode of activation, and preferences of subjects in order to formulate guidelines for their selection. An experiment consisting of a simple, cooperative assembly operation with a Microbot was designed for this study. The main conclusions of this research are that reaction time to activate emergency stop pushbutton is not affected by the orientation of the control but it is influenced by the type of control. The mode of activation of emergency stop pushbuttons is influenced by both the type and the orientation of the control. Subjects preferred emergency stop pushbuttons without guards or with half guards over controls with full guards, and subjects also preferred an inclined orientation of the control over horizontal or vertical orientations. The following guidelines are recommended for the selection of emergency stop pushbuttons. Select emergency stop pushbuttons without guards. If a guard is absolutely required, select a guard with slots or a half guard to ensure adequate visibility of and access to the button. If possible, give emergency stop pushbuttons an inclined orientation (about 45��) on the control panel. Avoid using vertical orientations for these controls. / Graduation date: 1997

The purpose of this creative project was to develop suitable design tools and language of behavioral analysis which could be employed in environmental design with regard to the related human behavior. The interaction of human activity and the built environment was considered as a common ground on which a basic architectural design process could be founded. To achieve a clearer understanding of the role of integrated graphic representation of the interaction of human behavior and environment, three concerned aspects were explored. These are: Pattern of the interaction between people and the built environment, Design tool and language, and Communication in the design process. As for the first aspect, three kinds of interactions of people and environment were distinguished. For the second aspect, design language was enriched with the exploration of integrated graphic representation of architectural space and human behavior. For the third aspect, the focus of graphic communication in the traditional design process was shifted from physical form to the pattern of interrelationship of people and environment. The design of the proposed International Student Center at Ball State University was completed to demonstrate the above aspects. / Department of Architecture

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Under the title 'Performative Architecture', this thesis draws on theories from performance studies and phenomenology in order to look beyond humanist practices that see the body as fixed and static. This thesis addresses two questions that I will be arguing are of increasing significance to contemporary architecture: Firstly, in the context of emerging digital and digitised spaces, how does the living body interact with the surrounding environment?; and secondly, what do these changing forms of human inhabitation and movement mean for the practice of architecture? The time frame spans from the work of Oskar Schlemmer in the 1920s to contemporary built works, examining the different ways that performativity has infiltrated architectural design. The case studies are divided into architectural performances that highlight the living body, and performative drawings that explore how to bring that body into the design process. In doing so a number of emerging paradigms become apparent that find built form in contemporary architectural examples. This approach is used to describe and analyse recent projects by Daniel Libeskind, Peter Eisenman, Diller and Scofidio and Lars Spuybroek, and to identify a common orientation through very different types of built environments. Acknowledging the change in both bodies and spaces in the Information Age, this research seeks to make room for the living body in the design of emerging, multidimensional, built environments.

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This study aimed to apply human factors methods to identify potentially unsafe aspects of a radiation therapy delivery system at Princess Margaret Hospital, and to provide recommendations accordingly. Analyses were conducted to examine the workflow, work environment and user interfaces involved in the treatment process. Based on findings from these analyses, components of the user interface were redesigned to address some of the issues found. Sixteen radiation therapy students were then used to experimentally evaluate the redesigned interface through a usability test. Compared to the current interface, the error rates of two common errors were significantly lower, and the average task completion time was significantly shorter when the redesigned interface was used. Results from a post-test questionnaire also indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the redesigned interface. Therefore, human factors methods can be applied to evaluate and design radiation therapy systems for improved error rates, efficiency and user satisfaction.

This study aimed to apply human factors methods to identify potentially unsafe aspects of a radiation therapy delivery system at Princess Margaret Hospital, and to provide recommendations accordingly. Analyses were conducted to examine the workflow, work environment and user interfaces involved in the treatment process. Based on findings from these analyses, components of the user interface were redesigned to address some of the issues found. Sixteen radiation therapy students were then used to experimentally evaluate the redesigned interface through a usability test. Compared to the current interface, the error rates of two common errors were significantly lower, and the average task completion time was significantly shorter when the redesigned interface was used. Results from a post-test questionnaire also indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the redesigned interface. Therefore, human factors methods can be applied to evaluate and design radiation therapy systems for improved error rates, efficiency and user satisfaction.