The Role of Instant Messaging on Task Performance and Level of Arousal

17 Pages·2004·0.79 MB·English

by  Sylvain Bruni

TThhee RRoollee ooff IInnssttaanntt MMeessssaaggiinngg
oonn TTaasskk PPeerrffoorrmmaannccee aanndd
LLeevveell ooff AArroouussaall
SSyyllvvaaiinn BBrruunnii
1166..442222 HHuummaann SSuuppeerrvviissoorryy CCoonnttrrooll
MMAASS..663300 AAffffeeccttiivvee CCoommppuuttiinngg
IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn
CCoommmmoonn pprroojjeecctt::
(cid:132)(cid:132)
–– 1166..442222 HHuummaann SSuuppeerrvviissoorryy CCoonnttrrooll
(cid:131)(cid:131) IInnfflluueennccee ooff IIMM oonn ttaasskk ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee
–– MMAASS..663300 AAffffeeccttiivvee CCoommppuuttiinngg
(cid:131)(cid:131) IInnfflluueennccee ooff IIMM oonn lleevveell ooff aarroouussaall
(cid:131)(cid:131) AACC == ““How computational systems can sense, recognize and
understand human emotions and respond”
MMoottiivvaattiioonn
IInnssttaanntt MMeessssaaggiinngg ((IIMM)) iiss aa ccoollllaabboorraattiivvee
(cid:132)(cid:132)
ccoommmmuunniiccaattiioonn ttooooll
IIMM eennaabblleess aann iinnffoorrmmaall wwaayy ttoo
(cid:132)(cid:132)
ccoommmmuunniiccaattiivvee
IIMM bbuuiillddss bbrriiddggeess ttoo ootthheerr mmeeddiiaa
(cid:132)(cid:132)
BBUUTT::
(cid:132)(cid:132)
–– IIMM iiss aa ppeerrvvaassiivvee ttooooll
–– IIMM ddooeess nnoott pprroovviiddee iinnffoo oonn ppeeooppllee’’ss ssiittuuaattiioonn
–– IIMM iiss iinnttrruussiivvee aanndd ddiissrruuppttiivvee
MMoottiivvaattiioonn
TTaaccttiiccaall TToommaahhaawwkk DDuuaall SSccrreeeenn HHuummaann SSuuppeerrvviissoorryy
(cid:132)(cid:132)
CCoonnttrrooll IInntteerrffaaccee
Tactical Tomahawk IM
(cid:132)
Interface
A researhrecently conducted by Pr. Missy Cummings on the Control Interface for the new retargetableTomahawk missile involved instant messaging as a tool to
measure situational awareness. During this study, most of the subjects tended to focus too much on the chat interface, instead of monitoring their primary task.
Therefore, it is of interest to find out if the disruptiveness of IM is such that it impairs performance.
MMoottiivvaattiioonn
IIMM == sseerriieess ooff ddiissccrreettee eevveennttss
(cid:132)(cid:132)
RReeppeeaatteedd ddiissccrreettee iinntteerrrruuppttiioonnss mmooddiiffyy
(cid:132)(cid:132)
aalleerrttnneessss // lleevveell ooff aarroouussaall
LLeevveell ooff aarroouussaall == ““hhooww aawwaakkee II aamm iinn
(cid:132)(cid:132)
rreessppoonnssee ttoo aann eemmoottiioonnaall ssttiimmuulluuss””
AAlleerrttnneessss == ““hhooww mmuucchh II aamm pprroonnee ttoo ggiivvee
(cid:132)(cid:132)
aa qquuiicckk rreessppoonnssee””
EExxppeerriimmeennttaall DDeessiiggnn
66 ssuubbjjeeccttss
(cid:132)(cid:132)
PPllaayy AATTCC ssiimm ggaammee
(cid:132)(cid:132)
((pprriimmaarryy ttaasskk))
RReessppoonndd ttoo IIMM
(cid:132)(cid:132)
((sseeccoonnddaarryy ttaasskk))
PPrroottooccooll::
(cid:132)(cid:132)
–– BBaassiicc rruulleess
–– LLiivvee ddeemmoo
–– QQuueessttiioonnss
–– EExxppeerriimmeenntt
EExxppeerriimmeennttaall DDeessiiggnn
(cid:132)(cid:132) EExxppeerriimmeenntt ccoonnffiigguurraattiioonn
(cid:132)(cid:132) SSkkiinn CCoonndduuccttiivviittyy RReessppoonnssee
((SSCCRR)) mmeeaassuurreemmeenntt ddeevviiccee::
GGSSRR ((GGaallvvaanniicc SSkkiinn RReessppoonnssee))
Skin conductivity was recorded using a galvanic skin response (GSR) measurement device disposed on the subject's left hand (if right-handed, right hand if left-
handed), which was to remain motion less over the entire experiment. Here is a picture of the GSR .The skin conductivity signal was sent to the experimenter's
computer using Bluetooth technology, and Python interpretation code.
EExxppeerriimmeennttaall DDeessiiggnn
33 iinnddeeppeennddeenntt vvaarriiaabblleess::
(cid:132)(cid:132)
–– GGeennddeerr ((MM//FF))
–– WWoorrkkllooaadd ((llooww//hhiigghh)) == ##ppllaanneess ((44//1122))
–– FFllooww ooff IIMM ((nnoonnee,, llooww,, hhiigghh)) == rreelleevvaanntt qquueessttiioonnss
33 ddeeppeennddeenntt vvaarriiaabblleess:: SSccoorree,, TTiimmee ddeellaayy,, SSCCRR
(cid:132)(cid:132)
66 sscceennaarriiii
(cid:132)(cid:132) LLooww WWLL HHiigghh
WWLL
NNoo IIMM 11 44
LLooww IIMM 22 55
HHiigghh IIMM 33 66
This specific order was determined by a pilot study: since the game automatically shuts down when a collision occurs, it was preferable to avoid collisions as much
as possible, therefore increasing the difficulty progressively, wichis the case with this protocol.
EExxppeerriimmeennttaall DDeessiiggnn
Workload was controlled by the number of planes (4 planes for the low workload case, and 12 planes for the high workload case). Following are successive caption
of scenarios with 4 and then 12 planes.
Flow of instant messages was subjectively controlled by the experimenter: no IM in the "no IM" case, an IM every minute or two in the "low IM" case and a
constant flow of IM during the "high IM" situation. Each messageconsisted in a question relative to the current situation in the game. Here is a sample of
questions asked:
RReessuullttss
SSccoorree//((mmaaxx ssccoorree)) == ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee oonn sscceennaarriioo
(cid:132)(cid:132)
DDeellaayy == aavveerraaggee ddeellaayy oovveerr sscceennaarriioo
(cid:132)(cid:132)
SSkkiinn CCoonndduuccttiivviittyy == pphhaassiicc ++ ttoonniicc ccoommppoonneennttss
(cid:132)(cid:132)
SSCCttRR::
(cid:132)(cid:132)
–– TToonniicc
–– BBaasseelliinnee
SSCCppRR::
(cid:132)(cid:132)
–– PPhhaassiicc
–– CChhaannggeess
The ratio of the first two gave the task performance.
Time delays were averaged to give an average time response for each scenario. Even if the questions were of variable difficulty,the proportion and occurenceof
easy and more difficult were conserved during the different scenario. This measure can therefore be interpreted as a global amount of time allocated to the task of
responding to the IM. Maybe a better way to quantify time response would be to average time delays over the 4 or 5 most difficult questions.
From the skin conductivity response, two values were quantified for each scenario:
-SCtR: skin conductivity tonic response (which corresponds to the overall, global level of conductivity, typically from 0 to 10 microSiemens);
-SCpR: skin conductivity phasicresponse (which corresponds to the fast variatingresponses to particular events, ranging from 0 to 0.1 microSiemens).
In this experiment, SCpRwas averaged among all the particular distinctive responses. Inthe scenariiwith no IM, SCpRcorresponded to the influence of the game
and its particular events; whereas it corresponded to the impactof the game and of the incoming IM in the scenariiwith IM. SCR is shown here in microSiemens.
Nevertheless, in order to perform the statistical analysis, the direct output of the GSR measurement device was used. It is given by the linear relation:
GSR_output=6.55x108 x Skin_Conductance.