AEP Human Factors Engineering 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In signal detection theory (SDT), a liberal criterion (low β) results in:
- Fewer hits and fewer false alarms
- More hits but also more false alarms (Correct answer)
- Fewer hits but fewer misses
- More misses and more correct rejections
Correct answer: More hits but also more false alarms
A liberal criterion means the observer responds 'signal present' more readily, increasing both hits and false alarms simultaneously.
Question 2: Which workload measurement technique is considered the LEAST intrusive to primary task performance?
- Secondary task technique
- Physiological measures
- Subjective rating scales (e.g., NASA-TLX) (Correct answer)
- Dual-task paradigm with tracking
Correct answer: Subjective rating scales (e.g., NASA-TLX)
Subjective rating scales like NASA-TLX are administered after task completion and do not compete for resources during the primary task.
Question 3: A pilot fixates on a warning light for 2 seconds but fails to recognize its meaning. This is an example of:
- Inattentional blindness
- Looked-but-failed-to-see error (Correct answer)
- Saccadic suppression
- Change blindness
Correct answer: Looked-but-failed-to-see error
Looked-but-failed-to-see errors occur when a stimulus is detected (fixated) but not processed to the level of conscious recognition or comprehension.
Question 4: The GOMS model in human-computer interaction stands for:
- Goals, Operations, Methods, Selections (Correct answer)
- Goals, Outcomes, Motions, Sequences
- Gestures, Objects, Modes, States
- Guidance, Operations, Monitoring, Safety
Correct answer: Goals, Operations, Methods, Selections
GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection rules) is a family of techniques for analyzing and predicting user interaction with computer interfaces.
Question 5: Which type of human error involves a correct action applied to the wrong object or at the wrong time?
- Mistake
- Violation
- Slip (Correct answer)
- Lapse
Correct answer: Slip
Slips are execution failures where the intention is correct but the action deviates — such as pressing the wrong button or acting at the wrong moment.
Question 6: Which principle of display design states that related information should be grouped and integrated into a single display element rather than presented separately?
- Proximity compatibility principle (Correct answer)
- Primacy-recency effect
- Weber-Fechner law
- Redundancy gain
Correct answer: Proximity compatibility principle
The proximity compatibility principle (Wickens & Carswell) states that tasks requiring mental integration benefit from displays that co-locate or integrate the relevant information.
Question 7: An operator reverts to a previously successful procedure during a novel emergency even though it is inappropriate. This is classified as a:
- Perceptual illusion
- Confirmation bias
- Functional fixedness / cognitive fixation (Correct answer)
- Memory lapse
Correct answer: Functional fixedness / cognitive fixation
Cognitive fixation (or functional fixedness) occurs when an operator becomes locked on a familiar mental model or solution despite evidence it no longer applies.
AEP Human Factors Engineering 3
In signal detection theory (SDT), a liberal criterion (low β) results in: