Human Probability Matching Behavior In Response To Alarms Of Varying Reliability

    Authors

    J. P. Bliss; R. D. Gilson;J. E. Deaton

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Ergonomics

    Keywords

    ATTENTION; ALARM; PSYCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE; HABITUATION; MOTOR SKILLS; WARNING MESSAGES; PERFORMANCE; SYSTEMS; Engineering, Industrial; Ergonomics; Psychology, Applied; Psychology

    Abstract

    The goals of this research were to substantiate the existence of the cry-wolf effect for alarm responses, quantifying its effect on operator performance. A total of 138 undergraduate students performed two blocks of a cognitively demanding psychomotor primary task; at the same time, they were presented with alarms of varying reliabilities (25, 50 and 75% true alarms) and urgencies (green, yellow and red visual alarms presented concurrently with low-, medium- and high-urgency auditory civilian aircraft cockpit alarms). Alarm response frequencies were observed and analysed, and t-tests and repeated-measures MANOVAs were used to assess the effects of increasing alarm reliability on alarm response frequencies, speed and accuracy. 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). 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.

    Journal Title

    Ergonomics

    Volume

    38

    Issue/Number

    11

    Publication Date

    1-1-1995

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    2300

    Last Page

    2312

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:A1995TE25700012

    ISSN

    0014-0139

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