OBJECTIVE: This thesis had two purposes. The main one was to examine how mixed conditions affect a Command & Control (C2) system, particularly in terms of shared understanding, situation awareness (SA), performance and workload. Mixed conditions refer here to when subsystems of a larger C2-system differ in terms of capabilities, particularly those capabilities influencing the understanding of a situation e.g. sensors or communication, which could affect the C2-capabilities when working toward a common goal. The second purpose of this thesis was to investigate a newly developed tool for measuring shared understanding, Shared Priorities, in terms of validity and usefulness. METHOD: A number of hypotheses were constructed and investigated by a controlled experiment using a microworld, C3Fire, where two-man teams fought a simulated forest fire. The independent variable manipulated was the type of support system used. One condition used one computer interface per participant, the second was mixed conditions where one participant used the computer interface and one used a paper map, and the last condition was both participants using a paper map. Different questionnaires developed to measure SA, workload etc. was used to measure the dependent variables. RESULTS: The statistical analysis performed on the collected data showed that the performance and SA was comparatively better when both participants used the computer interface than the mixed condition, which in turn was better than when both participants used a paper map. For workload and teamwork, no differences between the mixed condition and the dual map condition were found. As for the Shared Priorities measurement, no differences were found between any of the conditions. CONCLUSION: A C2-system in which some additional capabilities are introduced for some but not all subsystems may not benefit in some regards, e.g. workload and teamwork, but could improve in others, e.g. SA and performance. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) shows that the theoretical constructs of SA, workload, teamwork and performance are related and affect each other, so that the workload of the system negatively affects the teamwork and SA, while the teamwork may affect SA positively and a high SA enables high performance.

Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (Ftii) är ett parjämförelsetest som mäter spädbarns intresse för ett nytt visuellt stimuli när detta presenteras tillsammans med ett stimuli redan känt för spädbarnet, kallat nyhetspreferens. Även om Ftii har visat sig fungera väl vid bedömning av spädbarns kognitiva nivå kan testet förbättras på ett antal punkter. För att uppnå reliabla resultat har försökspersonerna ofta testats vid ett flertal tillfällen. För att undersöka möjligheterna att ytterligare validera erhållna resultat från Ftii har en version av Ftii skapats för att utföras med en ögonrörelsemätare. Denna version, kallad Ftii-Ö, har testats med hjälp av en spädbarnsgrupp och en vuxengrupp för att på så sätt utvärdera för och nackdelar med ett test utfört på ögonrörelsemätare. Resultaten från studien visar att  spädbarnsgruppen uppvisar nyhetspreferens i de båda testen, och att Ftii-Ö för spädbarnsgruppen ger liknande resultat som Ftii.

<p>This thesis addresses computer game play activities from the perspective of embodied and situated cognition. From such a perspective, game play can be divided into the physical handling of the game and the players' understanding of it. Game play can also be described in terms of three different levels of situatedness "high-level" situatedness, the contextual "here and now", and "low-level" situatedness. Moreover, theoretical and empirical implications of such a perspective have been explored more in detail in two case studies.</p> / Report code: LiU-Tek-Lic-2008:17.

<p>The investigation aims to clarify to what extent non-conscious thought has efficacy in e.g. decision making and also examine some aspects of the question whether decisions are caused by free will. This will be conducted through an analysis of new research pertaining to neuroscience, economics, the combination of the two within neuroeconomics; evolutionary theory and especially the new theory of Unconscious thought (Nordgren & Dijksterhuis 2006) which will enjoy special scrutiny due to its recentness in the scientific field. A decision strategy ought to put high-level conscious cognition to use where it's most effective and this is on a different level than the canonized one. Meta decision making is decision making pertaining to which decisions ought to be made consciously. It is the area where the largest amount of freedom can be obtained wherein the largest amount of thought effort ought to be invested. There also seems to be no basis to assume that non-conscious decisions or for that matter emotively based decisions would be less "rational" than conscious ones. The strategy is also analyzed via happiness research to examine how to make decisions render happiness rather than other values. The result stresses that one ought not to use economic or other measures in decision making, rather trust one's visceral intuitions to a larger extent since those are representations of one's wishes. Empirical results established a connection between, decision making, creativity and problem solving pertaining to the evidence showing that also the latter benefits from unconscious thought rather than conscious thought. This new evidence ought to change our view of problem solving  at large. Rather than it being a purely conscious process one would reach better results in relying to a larger extent also to non-conscious processes.</p>

<p>Mental ljudföreställning (eng. auditory imagery) innebär att uppleva ett ljud för sitt inre i frånvaro av yttre sinnesintryck. Tidigare studier har visat att ljud­föreställning kan inverka såväl faciliterande (t.ex. Farah & Smith, 1983) som interfererande (t.ex. Okada & Matsuoka, 1992) på perceptuell ljuddetektion. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka om ljudföreställning faciliterar eller interfererar perceptuell detektion av kongruenta och inkongruenta komplexa ljud. De 39 under­sök­nin­g­­s­­deltagarna randomiserades till en av två betingelser (ljudföreställning eller ingen ljudföreställning) och fick därefter lyssna samt detektera olika ljud (varav ett var detsamma som föreställningsljudet). Resultatet visade att ljudföreställning varken hade en signifikant faciliterande eller interfererande effekt på vare sig kongruenta eller inkongruenta komplexa ljud.</p>

<p>Taste, or gustation, has long been considered a primitive, and even non-rational, perceptual sense. Taste, as a subject of academic research, has been given very little attention; especially, when contrasted to other human perceptual senses. The knowledge of how people express and discuss their perceptions and sensations of tastes, and, specifically, the descriptions of tastes of chocolate, is very limited.</p><p>Furthermore, the terminological inconsistency in the vocabulary of chocolate tasting, with the risk of misunderstanding or miscommunication, suggests that a basic method for representing tastes is needed.</p><p>This thesis presents a study of how people actually express the perception or sensation of tasting, and specifically when tasting chocolate. This study also explores the possibility of crafting a method for use when describing the tastes of chocolate.</p><p>The study was carried out by holding two tasting workshops. The first one was concerned with recording conversations about tasting chocolate. Participants were asked to taste different kinds of chocolates and, freely, discuss what they perceived and sensed. In the second workshop the participants were asked to describe the tastes of chocolate using predetermined vocabulary and formatted questionnaires.</p><p>The results of this study are linguistic semantic analyses of the different words that were used, and also a proposal for a prototypical method to use when tasting chocolate.</p>

<p>Many information technology artefacts can be found in today’s cars. The interaction with these artefacts is the driver’s secondary task while driving the car in a safe way is the primary task. When designing interfaces for in-vehicle usage, measures have to be taken in order to make the interaction with the artefact suit the in-vehicle environment. One of these measures is to have the appropriate screen density level, which is the amount of information present on the screen.</p><p>This thesis compares the usability of two integrated in-vehicle display prototypes, one with low screen density and one with high screen density. The usability comparison considers both safety and user preferences. Safety was measured by a Lane Change Test (LCT) which measures distraction of a primary task while performing a secondary task, and user preferences was measured with a questionnaire. Before the comparison was made, controls and a graphical user interface were designed.</p><p>Results showed no significant difference in driver distraction between performing tasks on the high screen density display and the low screen density display. However, a vast majority of the users preferred high screen density over low. Furthermore, the distraction levels for both the high and the low screen density displays were below the proposed 0.5 meter limit for allowed driver distraction. The results indicate that in-vehicle displays can have a high level of screen density without imposing a level of distraction on the driver that is unsuitable for driving.</p>

<p>Today’s automobile cockpit is filled with different buttons and screen-based displays giving input and relaying information in a complex human-machine system. Following in the footsteps of the early 1970s flight industry, this thesis work focused on creating a complete glass cockpit concept in the automobile.</p><p>Our automobile glass cockpit consists of three displays. A touch screen based centre console with an interface that we took part in creating during the spring of 2006. Parallel to this ongoing master thesis, a head-up display was installed by a group of students and we had the opportunity of giving input regarding the design of the graphical interface.</p><p>The third display, a LCD, replaces the main instruments displaying speed, RPM, fuel level, engine temperature etc. Together with ideas on an extended allocation of functions to the area on and around the steering wheel, creating a dynamic mode based interface replacing today’s static main instruments was the focus of this project.</p><p>After conducting a thorough theoretical study, a large number of ideas were put to the test and incorporated in concept sketches. Paper sketches ranging from detailed features to all-embracing concepts combined with interviews and brainstorming sessions converged into a number of computer sketches made in an image processing software. The computer sketches was easily displayed in the cockpit environment and instantly evaluated. Some parts were discarded and some incorporated in new, modified, ideas leading to a final concept solution.</p><p>After the design part was concluded, the new graphical interface was given functionality with the help of a programming software. As was the case with the computer sketches, the functionality of the interface could be quickly evaluated and modified. With the help of a custom-made application our interface could be integrated with the simulator software and fully implemented in the automobile cockpit at the university simulator facilities.</p><p>Using a custom made scenario, the interface underwent a minor, informal evaluation. A number of potential users were invited to the VR-laboratory and introduced to the new concept. After driving a pre-determined route and familiarizing themselves with the interface, their thoughts on screen-based solutions in general and the interface itself was gathered. In addition, we ourselves performed an evaluation of the interface based on the theoretical study.</p>

<p>Studiens syfte var att undersöka om en veckas retentionsintervall påverkar vittnens minnesbild. Vidare undersöks om man kan inkorporera missvisande information i ett vittnesminnesbild och om vittnen minns centrala detaljer i större utsträckning än perifera detaljer.Totalt deltog 17 män och 31 kvinnor i studien. Försökspersonerna fick se en filmsekvens på 1.35 minuter. Vidare fick de fylla i ett frågeformulär med 10 frågor. Efter en veckas retentionsintervall fick försökspersonerna fylla i samma frågeformulär men hälften hade fått en sammanfattning med vilseledande information. Slumpmässig fördelning användes. Resultatet visade att en veckas retentionsintervall inte påverkade minnesbilden men att en delförsökspersoner tog till sig den missvisande informationen och inkorporerade den i sin minnesbild. En större generalisering kan ej genomföras men resultaten påvisar betydelsen av missvisande information samt centrala och perifera detaljer för vittnes utsagor.</p>

Taste, or gustation, has long been considered a primitive, and even non-rational, perceptual sense. Taste, as a subject of academic research, has been given very little attention; especially, when contrasted to other human perceptual senses. The knowledge of how people express and discuss their perceptions and sensations of tastes, and, specifically, the descriptions of tastes of chocolate, is very limited. Furthermore, the terminological inconsistency in the vocabulary of chocolate tasting, with the risk of misunderstanding or miscommunication, suggests that a basic method for representing tastes is needed. This thesis presents a study of how people actually express the perception or sensation of tasting, and specifically when tasting chocolate. This study also explores the possibility of crafting a method for use when describing the tastes of chocolate. The study was carried out by holding two tasting workshops. The first one was concerned with recording conversations about tasting chocolate. Participants were asked to taste different kinds of chocolates and, freely, discuss what they perceived and sensed. In the second workshop the participants were asked to describe the tastes of chocolate using predetermined vocabulary and formatted questionnaires. The results of this study are linguistic semantic analyses of the different words that were used, and also a proposal for a prototypical method to use when tasting chocolate.