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Behavioral influences of proximal alarms
R D Gilson1, M Mouloua, A S Graft
1Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando 32816-1390, USA.
Human Factors
|May 11, 2002
Summary
Operator responses to unreliable alarms are significantly affected by nearby alarms. Proximity and simultaneous activation of other alarms increase confidence and true responses, impacting operator performance.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Cognitive Psychology
- Alarm Systems Engineering
Background:
- Operator response to alarms is critical in many systems.
- Unreliable alarms (alarms that frequently signal non-existent events) pose a challenge.
- The influence of surrounding alarms on operator confidence and response to a primary alarm is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the presence and characteristics of nearby alarms affect operator confidence and responses to an unreliable test alarm.
- To determine if alarm proximity and simultaneity influence operator decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Simulated an unreliable test alarm with a reliability rate of 50% or 60%.
- Varied the number of active nearby alarms (5, 6, 7, or 9) within annunciator arrays.
- Manipulated alarm adjacency and temporal proximity (simultaneous vs. offset by 32s).
Main Results:
- Confidence and response rates increased proportionally with the number of active alarms.
- Adjacent alarms led to approximately 10% higher confidence compared to alarms further away.
- Simultaneously activated alarms increased true responses by over 20% compared to time-offset alarms.
Conclusions:
- Operator responses to unreliable alarms are significantly influenced by the context of surrounding alarms.
- Assumptions that operators are unaffected by nearby alarms, regardless of their function, are likely incorrect.
- Findings suggest improvements for alarm design and operator training to enhance system safety and efficiency.