Translational Research in Psychological Sciences – Human Factors at Rice University

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https://hdl.handle.net/1911/111673

REU Site: Translational Research in Psychological Sciences: Human Factors at Texas Tech University is an Research Experience for Undergraduates site that was funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. SMA-1853936 and SMA-1559393. The program occurred during three summers, in 2017 at Texas Tech University and then in 2019 and 2021 at Rice University. The primary aims of this REU Site were to: (a) engage undergraduates in behavioral research that shows the value of such research in solving real-world problems; (b) develop research, teamwork, and communication skills applicable to any career in social and behavioral sciences; (c) increase the number of undergraduates who pursue graduate education and Human Factors (HF) careers; and (d) increase the number of underrepresented groups in HF, and in social and behavioral sciences more generally. Undergraduates engaged in research on topics such as human-robot interaction, sustained attention, attitudes, relationships, patient safety, hiring and personnel selection, discrimination, driving, health psychology, human-computer interaction, election ballots, workplace conditions, leadership, language comprehension and production, education, usability, teamwork and training. The REU includes faculty mentors from underrepresented groups, and uses intensive faculty mentoring and collaborative research activities, which enhance the research experience and student outcomes. Additional information can be found at https://pd28.blogs.rice.edu/

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Object shape affects hand grip function for heavy objects in younger and older adults
(Taylor & Francis, 2021) Cruz, Jazmin; Garcia, Mario; Garza, Cecilia; DeLucia, Patricia R.; Yang, James; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
Hand-grip function while lifting objects is essential for performing everyday tasks. The Box and Block Test (BBT) has been used to assess hand-grip function and dexterity, but only light objects have been used. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of block surface, shape, age, and sex on hand dexterity during the movement of heavy blocks in the BBT. Forty healthy participants comprised of a younger group of 10 males (M = 22.50 years, SD = 2.01) and 10 females (M = 22.20 years, SD = 2.66) between 20 and 30-years-old, and an older group of 10 males (M = 55.80 years, SD = 3.19) and 10 females (M = 55.90 years, SD = 2.56) between 50 and 60-years-old, performed the BBT using steel objects of different shapes (cylindrical and cubic) and different surfaces (plain steel, black spray-painted steel, and yellow non-slip spray-painted steel). The results indicated that repetition and shape had significant effects on the BBT score. Previous researchers have found that surface textures, age, and sex influenced hand dexterity for light objects, but these effects were not discovered in the current study. These findings suggest that shape should take priority over age, sex, and surface texture when designing tools to improve user handling.
Robots Exhibit Human Characteristics: Theoretical and Practical Implications for Anthropomorphism Research
(Association for Computing Machinery, 2018) Jones, Keith S.; Niichel, Madeline K.; Armstrong, Miriam E.; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
This paper discusses robots exhibiting "human" characteristics and the associated implications for anthropomorphism research. Section 1 discusses Haslam's\citeHaslam:2006aa model of dehumanization, which has been used to conceptualize anthropomorphism as the inverse of dehumanization. Section 2 provides examples of robots that exhibit the human characteristics in \citeHaslam:2006aa. Section 3 describes their theoretical and practical implications for HRI research.
Socioeconomic disparities in health: Changes in sleep quality and inflammation during bereavement
(Elsevier, 2021) Wu, E. Lydia; Brown, Ryan L.; Chirinos, Diana A.; Chen, Michelle A.; de Dios, Marcel A.; Taylor, Daniela M.; Butner, Jonathan E.; Heijnen, Cobi J.; Fagundes, Christopher P.; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
Widow(er)s experience significant sleep disruption that may dysregulate immune functioning. This longitudinal study aimed to determine 1) whether changes in sleep quality were associated with changes in pro-inflammatory cytokine production during the first six months of bereavement and 2) whether these relationships depended on objective socioeconomic status (SES) and/or subjective social status. One hundred and six bereaved spouses (M = 68.49 years, SD = 9.35, 69 females) completed the following assessments at approximately three months post-death and six-month post-death: a venous blood draw and self-report questionnaires on sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), SES (MacArthur Sociodemographic Questionnaire), health, and demographic information. T-cell stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokines were assessed, including IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-17A, and IL-2. Worsening sleep quality was associated with increased levels of pro-inflammatory activity even after adjusting for confounding variables. The present study also identified SES as an important factor for understanding health following spousal bereavement: individuals with low SES were more susceptible to sleep-related changes in immune function. Compared to more educated widow(er)s, less educated widow(er)s showed greater increases and decreases in inflammation when sleep quality worsened or improved, respectively, over time. Findings provide evidence for a biobehavioral pathway linking bereavement to disease risk, highlight SES disparities in late adulthood, and identify individuals who may require tailored interventions to offset SES-related burden that impedes adaptive grief recovery.
Voter Verification of Ballot Marking Device Ballots Is a Two-Part Question: Can They? Mostly, They Can. Do They? Mostly, They Don't
(Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 2021) Kortum, Philip; Byrne, Michael D.; Whitmore, Julie; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
The question of whether or not voters actually verify ballots produced by ballot marking devices (BMDs) is presently the subject of some controversy. Recent studies (e.g., Bernhard et al. 2020) suggest the verification rate is low. It is unclear if this is because voters cannot do this accurately or whether it is because voters simply choose not to attempt verification in the first place. In order to answer this question, we conducted an experiment in which 108 participants participated in a mock election where the BMD displayed the voters' true choices, but then changed a subset of those choices on the printed ballot. The design of the printed ballot, its length, the number and location of changes that were made to the ballot, and the instructions provided to the voters were manipulated as part of the experiment. Results indicated that of those voters who chose to examine the printed ballot, 76% detected anomalies, indicating that voters can reliably detect errors on their ballot if they simply review it. This suggests that administrative remedies, rather than attempts to alter fundamental human perceptual capabilities, could be employed to encourage voters to check their ballots, which could prove as an effective countermeasure.
Does the Size-Arrival Effect Occur With an Active Collision-Avoidance Task in an Immersive 3D Virtual Reality Environment?
(Sage, 2021) DeLucia, Patricia R.; Braly, Adam M.; Savoy, Bria R.; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
Objective: Determine whether the size-arrival effect (SAE) occurs with immersive, 3D visual experiences and active collision-avoidance responses. Background: When a small near object and a large far object approach the observer at the same speeds, the large object appears to arrive before the small object, known as the size-arrival effect (SAE), which may contribute to crashes between motorcycles and cars. Prior studies of the SAE were limited because they used two dimensional displays and asked participants to make passive judgments. Method: Participants viewed approaching objects using a virtual reality (VR) headset. In an active task, participants ducked before the object hit them. In a passive prediction-motion (PM) judgment, the approaching object disappeared, and participants pressed a button when they thought the object would hit them. In a passive relative TTC judgment, participants reported which of two approaching objects would reach them first. Results: The SAE occurred with the PM and relative TTC tasks but not with the ducking task. The SAE can occur in immersive 3D environments but is limited by the nature of the task and display. Application: Certain traffic situations may be more prone to the SAE and have higher risk for collisions. For example, in left-turn scenarios (e.g., see Levulis, 2018), drivers make passive judgments when oncoming vehicles are far and optical expansion is slow, and binocular disparity putatively is ineffective. Collision-avoidance warning systems may be needed more in such scenarios than when vehicles are near and drivers’ judgments of TTC may be more accurate (DeLucia, 2008).
The Effect of Object Surfaces and Shapes on Hand Grip Function for Heavy Objects
(Springer, 2019) Garcia, Mario; Cruz, Jazmin; Garza, Cecilia; DeLucia, Patricia; Yang, James; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
Successful grasp, transfer, and release of objects with the hand are important movements for completing everyday tasks. This study’s objective is to understand the effect of an object’s surface and shape on hand grip function for heavy objects in a young age group. For their functional prevalence and significance, grasp and release movements have been incorporated into many clinical hand function assessments, such as the Box and Block Test (BBT), a common test used to assess people’s hand grip function. In the BBT, subjects transport a block from one side of a box to the other while crossing a partition and repeat the procedure as fast as possible. In this study we measured performance on the BBT in 20 right handed subjects between ages 20 to 30 years old. There were no statistically significant effects of object surfaces and shapes on hand grip function for heavy objects.
Learning to Become Researchers: Lessons Learned from a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program Focused on Research in the Psychological Sciences with Real-World Implications
(Council on Undergraduate Research, 2021) DeLucia, Patricia R.; Woods, Amanda L.; Kim, Jeong-Hee; Nguyen, Ngan; Wang, Eugene W.; Yang, James; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
We report results of a research study of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site focused on psychological research with clear applications to the real world. Two cohorts of undergraduates engaged in rigorous research projects with implications for real-world problems such as driving, homeland security, relationships, human computer interaction, language comprehension and production, discrimination, and health psychology. To determine the effectiveness of the program, students completed the Kardash Ratings of Interns’ Research Skills, and the Undergraduate Research Questionnaire; kept journals, and completed exit interviews. Results indicated that students and mentors perceived an improvement in the students’ research skills. Students conveyed positive experiences and identified strengths and weaknesses of the program that can be used to improve future REUs.
Does Perceived Harm Underlie Effects of Vehicle Size on Overtaking Judgments during Driving?
(Sage, 2018) Levulis, Samuel J.; DeLucia, Patricia R.; Yang, James; Nelson, Vivian; National Science Foundation, Award #1853936
Previous research found that participants accepted more gaps during overtaking (in a driving simulator) when the oncoming vehicle was a motorcycle compared with larger vehicles (Levulis, DeLucia & Jupe, 2015). Results were due to the size of the vehicle independently of the type of the vehicle, and represented shifts in response bias instead of sensitivity. The implication is that drivers may perceive motorcycles as being farther away or travelling more slowly than larger vehicles due to their relatively small sizes, contributing to crashes that result from right-of-way violations (Hurt, Ouellet, & Thom, 1981; Pai, 2011). However, in Levulis et al. (2015) vehicle size was correlated with the perceived threat of collision and associated harm posed by the oncoming vehicle (collision with larger vehicles is more harmful than with smaller vehicles). To eliminate this confound, a driving simulator was used to examine whether overtaking judgments are influenced by the size of an oncoming vehicle even when threat of (simulated) collision is removed. The size-arrival effect occurred nevertheless, suggesting that participants relied on perceived distance and speed rather than perceived harm. Countermeasures to misjudgments of gaps during overtaking should include driver-assistance technologies and driver education.

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