How attention and memory for past events interact in determining performance in an air traffic control conflict detection task. This project addresses the priority of safeguarding Australian transportation systems because it concerns failures of attention or memory as sources of human error in aviation. Outcomes will inform the development of training exercises aimed at improving attention management skills critical to safe performance. The research will strengthen Australia's reputation for cut ....How attention and memory for past events interact in determining performance in an air traffic control conflict detection task. This project addresses the priority of safeguarding Australian transportation systems because it concerns failures of attention or memory as sources of human error in aviation. Outcomes will inform the development of training exercises aimed at improving attention management skills critical to safe performance. The research will strengthen Australia's reputation for cutting edge research that extends basic science to applied domains, as this project is one of few world-wide investigating attention and memory processes in multi-item display tasks. More broadly, the project will provide insight into why individuals can make errors when basing decisions on past experience. Read moreRead less
Optimising the balance between task automation and human manual control. This project aims to discover how best to design automation to maximise performance, while ensuring that operators maintain the task awareness required to manually control previously automated tasks. In environments such as defence and aviation, automating tasks can improve performance, but many accidents have occurred because human operators have not adequately regained manual control when automation has failed. This proje ....Optimising the balance between task automation and human manual control. This project aims to discover how best to design automation to maximise performance, while ensuring that operators maintain the task awareness required to manually control previously automated tasks. In environments such as defence and aviation, automating tasks can improve performance, but many accidents have occurred because human operators have not adequately regained manual control when automation has failed. This project proposes a series of studies using simulations of submarine track management and air traffic control in laboratory and field settings that draw upon psychology and human factors. The project is designed to provide the strategic research that is required to discover how best to adapt the automation currently used in industrial settings.Read moreRead less
Applying psychological science to prevent prospective memory error in simulations of air traffic control. The outcomes of this research will inform the design of interventions to prevent individuals from forgetting to perform actions in safety-critical work settings, strengthening Australia's reputation for extending basic science to applied domains.