Alan Hedge - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alan Hedge

AHFE international, 2018

Result are presented for an experiments investigating the effects of the personal control of the ... more Result are presented for an experiments investigating the effects of the personal control of the thermal micro-environment on typing performance and environmental comfort ratings. Twelve participants performed typing tasks for two 2 hours sessions in individual cubicles, each with its own air handling module, in a climate controlled laboratory. For each session the initial thermal condition was an air temperature of 26.7°C. Cubicles were paired. For each session half of the participants were able to control air temperature using a custom designed software interface, while the others experienced identical thermal conditions without control and the order of having no control/control was counterbalanced. Results showed a small but significant difference in cubicle air temperature among cubicles (p = 0.000) and an effect of time-of-day on cubicle air temperature (p = 0.035) - the mean temperature was slightly higher in the morning session (26.2°C) than the afternoon session (26.0°C). Cubicle air temperature was significantly positively correlated with ratings of air temperature (p = 0.000) and negatively correlated with ratings of air freshness (p=0.000), and air movement (p=0.000) There was a significant effect of personal control on ratings of overall air movement (p=0.042). There was no significant effect of personal control on cubicle temperature, or ratings of thermal comfort, health symptoms, effort and alertness, or on typing performance. Implications of the study will be discussed.

HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal

Objective: A comparative study was undertaken to survey nurses working in an acute care nursing u... more Objective: A comparative study was undertaken to survey nurses working in an acute care nursing unit before and after moving to a new hospital to investigate the impact of a nursing unit designed utilizing Planetree build criteria. Background: The physical and emotional demands of frontline practitioners is a serious concern for patient safety and staff retention as the environmental design of nursing units can influence human errors from fatigue and interruption. Method: A pre-move survey was conducted with acute care nurses in a conventional design nursing unit who were moving to a new facility. After the move to the new hospital design, the same survey was readministered to obtain comparative performance information. Qualitative responses were analyzed for triangulation with survey responses. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and Press Ganey scores were collected over a 5-year period. Results: There were statistically significant improvemen...

Fiber Society Fall Conference, Oct 1, 2016

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2007

This study investigated the effects of a computer mouse that vibrates after 10 seconds of inactiv... more This study investigated the effects of a computer mouse that vibrates after 10 seconds of inactivity to remind the user to release their grip and rest their hand. A laboratory experiment tested the reactions of 11 female and 7 male participants to this vibrating mouse against a conventional mouse to see how it affected Ps performance of 5 tasks, their resting behavior and their mouse preference. No effects on task performance were found between the two conditions. The vibrating mouse induced significantly more resting behavior (p=0.02) and marginally more hand removals (p=0.06). However, it also induced significantly more unsupported hand hovering (p=0.00). Some Ps found that the vibrating mouse was disruptive to their performance. Further investigation of the effects of task type and user technique on the use of the vibrating mouse is needed.

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2015

New ways of work are rapidly changing globally wherein employees can work anywhere at any time. V... more New ways of work are rapidly changing globally wherein employees can work anywhere at any time. Virtual teams and telework are a common alternative worksite where employees are typically using a computer and mobile device to conduct their work. Satellite office workspaces are prevalent with workers are having sharing desks, or hoteling. With mobile technologies, employees have the flexibility to move around the work environment and conduct computing work tasks any place, at any time. These new workspaces ideally support communication, have a character of place, are comfortable, fulfilling, and secure. They stimulate and encourage the creativity and innovation of individuals and teams whilst performing intensive computing tasks and ensure their safety, health and well-being. Knowing how to use these new, flexible workspaces effectively is also critical for employee safety and performance. This panel discusses several issues regarding new ways of working for and with employees who int...

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods, 2004

Argued that knowledge of how the world works (e.g., mental models) leads to the anticipation of c... more Argued that knowledge of how the world works (e.g., mental models) leads to the anticipation of certain kinds of information, which in turn directs behavior to seek out certain kinds of information and provide a ready means of interpretation. As the environment is sampled, the information serves to update and modify the internal, cognitive schema of the world, which will again direct further search. Action is directed by schema Faulty schemas or faulty activation of schemas will lead to erroneous performance in at least three ways: We can select the wrong schema due to misinterpretation of the situation. We can activate the wrong schema because of similarities in the trigger conditions. We can activate schemas too early or too late. Model of Action (Norman, 1986) Human activity divided into two distinct phases: Execution (human action produces changes in the world) Evaluation (changes in the world are evaluated).

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2015

The effect of using a mouse, a trackpad and a 3D motion-and-gesture control (3DMGC) on point-and-... more The effect of using a mouse, a trackpad and a 3D motion-and-gesture control (3DMGC) on point-and-click task performance, posture and comfort was tested with twelve participants. Performance (movement time, throughput, error); wrist and arm posture; comfort and usability ratings were recorded. Results showed that for performance measures, the mouse performed the best, having the fastest movement time and highest throughput; the trackpad had the least errors. Movement times were significantly slower for the 3DMGC and this had the lowest throughput among the three input devices. Postural analysis using RULA indicate that compared to a mouse and trackpad, posture was worse for ‘clicking’ task with the 3DMCG and this was also rated the least comfortable of the three and the most difficult to use.

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods, 2004

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods, 2004

Designing products and places for toddler to teens, 2007

Acta Psychologica, 1975

Simon and his associates have demonstrated a general effect in two-choice reactiontime tasks invo... more Simon and his associates have demonstrated a general effect in two-choice reactiontime tasks involving laterally disposed responses, and a succession of stimuli presented unpredictably at either of two laterally disposed positions, the stimulus positions being irrelevant in deciding the response. Reaction times are found to be faster for trials in which the spatial loci of stimulus and response correspond than for trials in which they counter-correspond. The present experiment investigated the dependence of this effect upon spatial orientation and upon the logical character of the task. The effect was found not only for laterally disposed pairs of stimulus positions and responses but also for vertical dispositions. The effect was found to be critically dependent upon the logical character of the task, such that it could readily be produced in a reversed form. The rcqults could be well described by considering the logical characters of the recodings of the relevant and irrelevant attributes of stimulus and response. The special status formerly attributed to the processing of spatial information is questioned.

Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness, and Productivity, 2016

A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for ... more A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for a prosperous business. As a result of natural, technological progress, the structure of professions is changing, and their performance is closely linked to the use of computers and new technologies. According to a survey of the most frequently registered professions in Slovakia, up to 60 % of professions are concentrated in offices; the primary working position is sitting. Epidemiological studies point to an increasing number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system caused by the accumulation of static load during long-term sedentary work tasks. A new task of ergonomics is, therefore, to evaluate, improve and design office workplaces to ensure the physical and psychosocial needs of workers and eliminate factors that increase the influence of static load on the human body.

A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for ... more A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for a prosperous business. As a result of natural, technological progress, the structure of professions is changing, and their performance is closely linked to the use of computers and new technologies. According to a survey of the most frequently registered professions in Slovakia, up to 60 % of professions are concentrated in offices; the primary working position is sitting. Epidemiological studies point to an increasing number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system caused by the accumulation of static load during long-term sedentary work tasks. A new task of ergonomics is, therefore, to evaluate, improve and design office workplaces to ensure the physical and psychosocial needs of workers and eliminate factors that increase the influence of static load on the human body.

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 2020

The effects of a sit-stand-walk intervention to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort, attenuate perc... more The effects of a sit-stand-walk intervention to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort, attenuate perceived physical and mental fatigue, and increase physical activity without adversely affecting productivity was investigated for computer-based work. A between-participants design was used with 80 participants randomly assigned to one of five work conditions (sit-stand, stand-sit, sitting, standing and sit-stand-walk) to perform a 60-min computerbased typing transcription task. Musculoskeletal discomfort, and perceived physical and mental fatigue were reported through surveys; productivity was measured by typing speed and typing errors. For the sit-stand-walk intervention musculoskeletal discomfort was significantly less compared to sitting or standing for the hour; perceived physical fatigue was significantly less compared to standing for the hour. There were no benefits or differences among the work conditions in terms of perceived mental fatigue and productivity. By combining postural variability of sit-stand workstations with intermittent light-intensity physical activity enabled by active breaks, the sit-stand-walk intervention demonstrates a beneficial and viable alternative to sedentary office work.

AHFE international, 2018

Result are presented for an experiments investigating the effects of the personal control of the ... more Result are presented for an experiments investigating the effects of the personal control of the thermal micro-environment on typing performance and environmental comfort ratings. Twelve participants performed typing tasks for two 2 hours sessions in individual cubicles, each with its own air handling module, in a climate controlled laboratory. For each session the initial thermal condition was an air temperature of 26.7°C. Cubicles were paired. For each session half of the participants were able to control air temperature using a custom designed software interface, while the others experienced identical thermal conditions without control and the order of having no control/control was counterbalanced. Results showed a small but significant difference in cubicle air temperature among cubicles (p = 0.000) and an effect of time-of-day on cubicle air temperature (p = 0.035) - the mean temperature was slightly higher in the morning session (26.2°C) than the afternoon session (26.0°C). Cubicle air temperature was significantly positively correlated with ratings of air temperature (p = 0.000) and negatively correlated with ratings of air freshness (p=0.000), and air movement (p=0.000) There was a significant effect of personal control on ratings of overall air movement (p=0.042). There was no significant effect of personal control on cubicle temperature, or ratings of thermal comfort, health symptoms, effort and alertness, or on typing performance. Implications of the study will be discussed.

HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal

Objective: A comparative study was undertaken to survey nurses working in an acute care nursing u... more Objective: A comparative study was undertaken to survey nurses working in an acute care nursing unit before and after moving to a new hospital to investigate the impact of a nursing unit designed utilizing Planetree build criteria. Background: The physical and emotional demands of frontline practitioners is a serious concern for patient safety and staff retention as the environmental design of nursing units can influence human errors from fatigue and interruption. Method: A pre-move survey was conducted with acute care nurses in a conventional design nursing unit who were moving to a new facility. After the move to the new hospital design, the same survey was readministered to obtain comparative performance information. Qualitative responses were analyzed for triangulation with survey responses. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and Press Ganey scores were collected over a 5-year period. Results: There were statistically significant improvemen...

Fiber Society Fall Conference, Oct 1, 2016

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2007

This study investigated the effects of a computer mouse that vibrates after 10 seconds of inactiv... more This study investigated the effects of a computer mouse that vibrates after 10 seconds of inactivity to remind the user to release their grip and rest their hand. A laboratory experiment tested the reactions of 11 female and 7 male participants to this vibrating mouse against a conventional mouse to see how it affected Ps performance of 5 tasks, their resting behavior and their mouse preference. No effects on task performance were found between the two conditions. The vibrating mouse induced significantly more resting behavior (p=0.02) and marginally more hand removals (p=0.06). However, it also induced significantly more unsupported hand hovering (p=0.00). Some Ps found that the vibrating mouse was disruptive to their performance. Further investigation of the effects of task type and user technique on the use of the vibrating mouse is needed.

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2015

New ways of work are rapidly changing globally wherein employees can work anywhere at any time. V... more New ways of work are rapidly changing globally wherein employees can work anywhere at any time. Virtual teams and telework are a common alternative worksite where employees are typically using a computer and mobile device to conduct their work. Satellite office workspaces are prevalent with workers are having sharing desks, or hoteling. With mobile technologies, employees have the flexibility to move around the work environment and conduct computing work tasks any place, at any time. These new workspaces ideally support communication, have a character of place, are comfortable, fulfilling, and secure. They stimulate and encourage the creativity and innovation of individuals and teams whilst performing intensive computing tasks and ensure their safety, health and well-being. Knowing how to use these new, flexible workspaces effectively is also critical for employee safety and performance. This panel discusses several issues regarding new ways of working for and with employees who int...

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods, 2004

Argued that knowledge of how the world works (e.g., mental models) leads to the anticipation of c... more Argued that knowledge of how the world works (e.g., mental models) leads to the anticipation of certain kinds of information, which in turn directs behavior to seek out certain kinds of information and provide a ready means of interpretation. As the environment is sampled, the information serves to update and modify the internal, cognitive schema of the world, which will again direct further search. Action is directed by schema Faulty schemas or faulty activation of schemas will lead to erroneous performance in at least three ways: We can select the wrong schema due to misinterpretation of the situation. We can activate the wrong schema because of similarities in the trigger conditions. We can activate schemas too early or too late. Model of Action (Norman, 1986) Human activity divided into two distinct phases: Execution (human action produces changes in the world) Evaluation (changes in the world are evaluated).

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2015

The effect of using a mouse, a trackpad and a 3D motion-and-gesture control (3DMGC) on point-and-... more The effect of using a mouse, a trackpad and a 3D motion-and-gesture control (3DMGC) on point-and-click task performance, posture and comfort was tested with twelve participants. Performance (movement time, throughput, error); wrist and arm posture; comfort and usability ratings were recorded. Results showed that for performance measures, the mouse performed the best, having the fastest movement time and highest throughput; the trackpad had the least errors. Movement times were significantly slower for the 3DMGC and this had the lowest throughput among the three input devices. Postural analysis using RULA indicate that compared to a mouse and trackpad, posture was worse for ‘clicking’ task with the 3DMCG and this was also rated the least comfortable of the three and the most difficult to use.

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods, 2004

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods, 2004

Designing products and places for toddler to teens, 2007

Acta Psychologica, 1975

Simon and his associates have demonstrated a general effect in two-choice reactiontime tasks invo... more Simon and his associates have demonstrated a general effect in two-choice reactiontime tasks involving laterally disposed responses, and a succession of stimuli presented unpredictably at either of two laterally disposed positions, the stimulus positions being irrelevant in deciding the response. Reaction times are found to be faster for trials in which the spatial loci of stimulus and response correspond than for trials in which they counter-correspond. The present experiment investigated the dependence of this effect upon spatial orientation and upon the logical character of the task. The effect was found not only for laterally disposed pairs of stimulus positions and responses but also for vertical dispositions. The effect was found to be critically dependent upon the logical character of the task, such that it could readily be produced in a reversed form. The rcqults could be well described by considering the logical characters of the recodings of the relevant and irrelevant attributes of stimulus and response. The special status formerly attributed to the processing of spatial information is questioned.

Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness, and Productivity, 2016

A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for ... more A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for a prosperous business. As a result of natural, technological progress, the structure of professions is changing, and their performance is closely linked to the use of computers and new technologies. According to a survey of the most frequently registered professions in Slovakia, up to 60 % of professions are concentrated in offices; the primary working position is sitting. Epidemiological studies point to an increasing number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system caused by the accumulation of static load during long-term sedentary work tasks. A new task of ergonomics is, therefore, to evaluate, improve and design office workplaces to ensure the physical and psychosocial needs of workers and eliminate factors that increase the influence of static load on the human body.

A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for ... more A healthy and satisfied employee is the basis of every production process and a prerequisite for a prosperous business. As a result of natural, technological progress, the structure of professions is changing, and their performance is closely linked to the use of computers and new technologies. According to a survey of the most frequently registered professions in Slovakia, up to 60 % of professions are concentrated in offices; the primary working position is sitting. Epidemiological studies point to an increasing number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system caused by the accumulation of static load during long-term sedentary work tasks. A new task of ergonomics is, therefore, to evaluate, improve and design office workplaces to ensure the physical and psychosocial needs of workers and eliminate factors that increase the influence of static load on the human body.

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 2020

The effects of a sit-stand-walk intervention to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort, attenuate perc... more The effects of a sit-stand-walk intervention to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort, attenuate perceived physical and mental fatigue, and increase physical activity without adversely affecting productivity was investigated for computer-based work. A between-participants design was used with 80 participants randomly assigned to one of five work conditions (sit-stand, stand-sit, sitting, standing and sit-stand-walk) to perform a 60-min computerbased typing transcription task. Musculoskeletal discomfort, and perceived physical and mental fatigue were reported through surveys; productivity was measured by typing speed and typing errors. For the sit-stand-walk intervention musculoskeletal discomfort was significantly less compared to sitting or standing for the hour; perceived physical fatigue was significantly less compared to standing for the hour. There were no benefits or differences among the work conditions in terms of perceived mental fatigue and productivity. By combining postural variability of sit-stand workstations with intermittent light-intensity physical activity enabled by active breaks, the sit-stand-walk intervention demonstrates a beneficial and viable alternative to sedentary office work.