Claudine Mėlan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Claudine Mėlan

Research paper thumbnail of Investigation of Air Traffic Controllers' Response Strategies in a Free Recall Task: What Makes Auditory Recall Superior to Visual Recall

International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 2010

This study investigated the response strategies displayed by air traffic controllers (ATCs) recal... more This study investigated the response strategies displayed by air traffic controllers (ATCs) recalling visually and auditory presented verbal material in a free recall task. The end-of-list advantage for auditory compared to visually presented item lists (modality effect) was explored by using the procedure described by . Results revealed that ATCs' response sequences frequently included ordered end subsequences of 2 to 6 items. These end subsequences were recalled as an initial run at a similar rate in both modalities, although they occurred more frequently in positions other than initial recall positions in the auditory modality. These results replicate and extend those reported in controlled laboratory studies, and this is despite ATCs' extended experience with processing visual information. The results are discussed in terms of the functional limitations of visual and auditory item processing and their relevance to air traffic control activities, training, and selection.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of cognitive appraisal and mental workload factors on performance to an arithmetic task

Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 2015

We showed in a previous study an additive interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive ... more We showed in a previous study an additive interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads and of participants' alertness in an 1-back working memory task. The interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads was only observed when participants' alertness was low (i.e. in the morning). As alertness is known to reflect an individual's general functional state, we suggested that the working memory capacity available for germane cognitive load depends on a participant's functional state, in addition to intrinsic and extraneous loads induced by the task and task conditions. The relationships between the different load types and their assessment by specific load measures gave rise to a modified cognitive load model. The aim of the present study was to complete the model by determining to what extent and at what processing level an individual's characteristics intervene in order to implement efficient strategies in a working memory task. Therefore, the study explored participants' cognitive appraisal of the situation in addition to the load factors considered previously -task difficulty, time pressure and alertness. Each participant performed a mental arithmetic task in four different cognitive load conditions (crossover of two task difficulty conditions and of two time pressure conditions), both while their alertness was low (9 a.m.) and high (4 p.m.). Results confirmed an additive effect of task difficulty and time pressure, previously reported in the 1-back memory task, thereby lending further support to the modified cognitive load model. Further, in the high intrinsic and extraneous load condition, performance was reduced on the morning session (i.e. when alertness was low) on one hand, and in those participants' having a threat appraisal of the situation on the other hand. When these factors were included into the analysis, a performance drop occurred in the morning irrespective of cognitive appraisal, and with threat appraisal in the afternoon (i.e. high alertness). Taken together, these findings indicate that mental overload can be the result of a combination of subject-related characteristics, including alertness and cognitive appraisal, in addition to welldocumented task-related components (intrinsic and extraneous load). As the factors investigated in the study are known to be critically involved in a number of real job-activities, the findings suggest that solutions designed to reduce incidents and accidents at work should consider the situation from a global perspective, including individual characteristics, task parameters, and work organization, rather than dealing with each factor separately.

Research paper thumbnail of Investigation of task performance variations according to task requirements and alertness across the 24-h day in shift workers

Ergonomics, 2008

The study investigated time-of-day effects on task performance in shift workers in different task... more The study investigated time-of-day effects on task performance in shift workers in different tasks (reaction time, discrimination, probe recognition, free recall), by varying task-specific features. On each of six recordings, each programmed on a different day and in a randomised order, operators rated alertness and performed different tasks. Selfrated alertness varied according to a typical diurnal trend. Time of day also affected reaction time (slower responses at 03:00 hours), discrimination performance (lower accuracy at 03:00 hours in the most difficult condition) and recall (superior recall at 07:00 and 11:00 hours following deeper processing at encoding). The data demonstrated time-of-day effects on cognitive processes also involved in many real-job activities, despite the lack of control for a number of exogenous factors known to interfere with performance in work settings. Since in the cognitively more loaded tasks, time-of-day effects depended on task conditions, the findings are of operational concern in shiftwork situations involving differential task requirements. In a real-job setting, performance variations were observed according to time of day and task requirements in a set of cognitively more or less demanding tasks. Task-specific research across the 24-h day enables a better understanding of operators' tasks and the development of supporting technology.

Research paper thumbnail of Investigation of Air Traffic Controllers' Response Strategies in a Free Recall Task: What Makes Auditory Recall Superior to Visual Recall

International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 2010

This study investigated the response strategies displayed by air traffic controllers (ATCs) recal... more This study investigated the response strategies displayed by air traffic controllers (ATCs) recalling visually and auditory presented verbal material in a free recall task. The end-of-list advantage for auditory compared to visually presented item lists (modality effect) was explored by using the procedure described by . Results revealed that ATCs' response sequences frequently included ordered end subsequences of 2 to 6 items. These end subsequences were recalled as an initial run at a similar rate in both modalities, although they occurred more frequently in positions other than initial recall positions in the auditory modality. These results replicate and extend those reported in controlled laboratory studies, and this is despite ATCs' extended experience with processing visual information. The results are discussed in terms of the functional limitations of visual and auditory item processing and their relevance to air traffic control activities, training, and selection.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of cognitive appraisal and mental workload factors on performance to an arithmetic task

Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 2015

We showed in a previous study an additive interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive ... more We showed in a previous study an additive interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads and of participants' alertness in an 1-back working memory task. The interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads was only observed when participants' alertness was low (i.e. in the morning). As alertness is known to reflect an individual's general functional state, we suggested that the working memory capacity available for germane cognitive load depends on a participant's functional state, in addition to intrinsic and extraneous loads induced by the task and task conditions. The relationships between the different load types and their assessment by specific load measures gave rise to a modified cognitive load model. The aim of the present study was to complete the model by determining to what extent and at what processing level an individual's characteristics intervene in order to implement efficient strategies in a working memory task. Therefore, the study explored participants' cognitive appraisal of the situation in addition to the load factors considered previously -task difficulty, time pressure and alertness. Each participant performed a mental arithmetic task in four different cognitive load conditions (crossover of two task difficulty conditions and of two time pressure conditions), both while their alertness was low (9 a.m.) and high (4 p.m.). Results confirmed an additive effect of task difficulty and time pressure, previously reported in the 1-back memory task, thereby lending further support to the modified cognitive load model. Further, in the high intrinsic and extraneous load condition, performance was reduced on the morning session (i.e. when alertness was low) on one hand, and in those participants' having a threat appraisal of the situation on the other hand. When these factors were included into the analysis, a performance drop occurred in the morning irrespective of cognitive appraisal, and with threat appraisal in the afternoon (i.e. high alertness). Taken together, these findings indicate that mental overload can be the result of a combination of subject-related characteristics, including alertness and cognitive appraisal, in addition to welldocumented task-related components (intrinsic and extraneous load). As the factors investigated in the study are known to be critically involved in a number of real job-activities, the findings suggest that solutions designed to reduce incidents and accidents at work should consider the situation from a global perspective, including individual characteristics, task parameters, and work organization, rather than dealing with each factor separately.

Research paper thumbnail of Investigation of task performance variations according to task requirements and alertness across the 24-h day in shift workers

Ergonomics, 2008

The study investigated time-of-day effects on task performance in shift workers in different task... more The study investigated time-of-day effects on task performance in shift workers in different tasks (reaction time, discrimination, probe recognition, free recall), by varying task-specific features. On each of six recordings, each programmed on a different day and in a randomised order, operators rated alertness and performed different tasks. Selfrated alertness varied according to a typical diurnal trend. Time of day also affected reaction time (slower responses at 03:00 hours), discrimination performance (lower accuracy at 03:00 hours in the most difficult condition) and recall (superior recall at 07:00 and 11:00 hours following deeper processing at encoding). The data demonstrated time-of-day effects on cognitive processes also involved in many real-job activities, despite the lack of control for a number of exogenous factors known to interfere with performance in work settings. Since in the cognitively more loaded tasks, time-of-day effects depended on task conditions, the findings are of operational concern in shiftwork situations involving differential task requirements. In a real-job setting, performance variations were observed according to time of day and task requirements in a set of cognitively more or less demanding tasks. Task-specific research across the 24-h day enables a better understanding of operators' tasks and the development of supporting technology.