Title: Exploring the usefulness of two variants of gaze-guiding-based dynamic job aids for performing a fixed-sequence start-up procedure after longer periods of non-use

Authors: Annette Kluge; Joseph Greve; Nikolaj Borisov; Benjamin Weyers

Addresses: Business Psychology, Research Group of Industrial, Organisational and Business Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany ' Applied Cognitive and Media Science, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstr. 65, 47057 Duisburg, Germany ' Applied Cognitive and Media Science, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstr. 65, 47057 Duisburg, Germany ' Virtual Reality Group, RWTH Aachen University, Seffenter Weg 23, 52074 Aachen, Germany

Abstract: Start-up procedures are non-routine tasks in process control, which are prone to skill decay. To mitigate skill decay, job performance aids (JPA) are used. A dynamic JPA was developed for the human-computer interface, which guides the gaze of the user by visual cues. Two gaze-guiding applications (spotlight, spotlight plus integration of information) were tested in terms of their impact in supporting the start-up performance after a three-week and six-month period of non-use (N = 46). Irrespective of the gaze-guiding format, participants with three weeks of non-use outperform participants with six months of non-use. Results show that the best indicator of skill loss is the length of the period of non-use. It is assumed that the advantage of gaze guiding plus integration of information was not shown due to the loss of interface-operating knowledge. In conclusion, gaze guiding for long periods of non-use needs to be accompanied by interface-operating knowledge.

Keywords: gaze guiding; job aids; skill loss; non-routine situations; process control; interface knowledge; interface operation; self-efficacy; forgetting; non-use periods; fixed-sequence start-up procedures; skill decay; job performance aids; human-computer interface; HCI; visual cues.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHFE.2014.067819

International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 2014 Vol.3 No.2, pp.148 - 169

Received: 27 Jun 2014
Accepted: 03 Oct 2014
Published online: 18 Mar 2015 *

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