Human Factors & Engineering Psychology

Supervision: Dr. Russell Chan, second assessor: Prof. Dr. Willem Verwey

3 students

Fundamental research in motor sequence learning has typically relied on the use of fingers to uncover neurocognitive mechanisms. In recent years, there has been a shift towards more whole-body tasks to truly understand the ‘motor’ aspect of sequence learning. In the current proposed research, we will utilize a successfully ported whole-body version of a popular sequence learning paradigm called the Discrete Sequence Performance (coined Body-DSP) task.

The goal is to investigate the effects of difficulty by using different sequence lengths from 6-12-18 items to determine if participants use different strategies to perform the task due to individual limitations in working memory. We predict that if this is true, then different concatenation points (items whereby response times are slower) will arise between participants.

Requirement: programming knowledge in R/ Python and further desire to explore unconventional solutions

Highly desirable attributes: Data collection will be multimodal and involve the use a mobile EEG set, motion capture and behavioural data. The student must be motivated to work hard to learn neuroimaging techniques and improve their knowledge on neuroscience.

 Readings:

Chan, R. W., Dr., Wiechmann, E., & Verwey, W. (2022, October 1). Motor Sequencing Learning from Dance Step: A whole-body version of the Discrete Sequence Production Task. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ypt7n 

Lee, YE., Shin, GH., Lee, M. et al. Mobile BCI dataset of scalp- and ear-EEGs with ERP and SSVEP paradigms while standing, walking, and running. Sci Data 8, 315 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-01094-4   

Relevant website: https://blogs.tu-berlin.de/bpn_bemobil/our-approach/

Supervision: Dr Cesco Willemse

3 students
 
Keywords: Social Attention, Human-Robot interaction, Social Robotics, Eyetracking, Experimental Psychology
 
When you interact with a friend, you’ll often establish a mechanism called joint attention. This occurs when one person looks at an object, the other person follows, and due to the first person’s attentional signal — their gaze shift —, they are now attending to the same object (Emery, 2000). Typically, this is studied with gaze-cueing paradigms, in which the attention of the participant is reoriented by an agent (Frischen, Bayliss & Tipper, 2007). My approach is to examine the social-cognitive mechanisms associated with “making the first move”, known as gaze-leading. We have found that people do not only engage more with persons who typically follow their gaze (Edwards, Stephenson, Dalmaso & Bayliss, 2015), the same attentional mechanisms are triggered by robots (Willemse, Marchesi & Wykowska, 2018; Willemse & Wykowska, 2019).
 
Unsurprisingly however, many questions remain. The prominent ones to me are: “Do social mechanisms actually underpin these effects, or is it merely statistical learning?”, and “Would a within-subjects design using both robot and human faces reveal different magnitudes of these effects?” These topics can be adequately examined using eyetracking or mousetracking with a screen-based experiment. Moreover, I would be perfectly happy to accommodate any related research questions that you may bring to the table.  
 
Prior experience with or an interest in Python and/or eyetracking is beneficial.
 
References
Edwards, S. G., Stephenson, L. J., Dalmaso, M., & Bayliss, A. P. (2015). Social orienting in gaze leading: a mechanism for shared attention. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1812), 20151141.
Emery, N. J. (2000). The eyes have it: the neuroethology, function and evolution of social gaze. Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews, 24(6), 581-604.
Frischen, A., Bayliss, A. P., & Tipper, S. P. (2007). Gaze cueing of attention: visual attention, social cognition, and individual differences. Psychological bulletin, 133(4), 694.
Willemse, C., Marchesi, S., & Wykowska, A. (2018). Robot faces that follow gaze facilitate attentional engagement and increase their likeability. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 70.
Willemse, C., & Wykowska, A. (2019). In natural interaction with embodied robots, we prefer it when they follow our gaze: a gaze-contingent mobile eyetracking study. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 374(1771), 20180036.

Supervision: Dr. Funda Yildirim, second assessor: Dr. Simone Borsci

1 student

Extended Reality (XR) interventions have demonstrated successful applications in the domains of health, environmental awareness, disaster preparedness, social change and cultural preservation in the recent years. Despite these current developments, utilization of XR technology currently falls short of expectations from the public and the investors from multiple industries.

XR environments offer immersive and controlled settings for interventions, allowing behavior scientists to simulate scenarios that might be challenging or impossible to recreate in traditional settings. As the field evolves, there is a recognized need for a standardized methodology to systematically analyze and compare different XR environments used in psychological interventions.

The aim of this project is to establish a standardized framework for describing and analyzing crucial aspects of VR environments. Through an extensive literature review, key principles addressed in XR-based interventions will be identified. Afterwards, the development of a comprehensive form will facilitate the systematic analysis of diverse XR environments, capturing parameters such as visual elements, auditory features, interactivity, and participant experience.

References:

Han, I., Shin, H. S., Ko, Y., & Shin, W. S. (2022). Immersive virtual reality for increasing presence and empathy. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 38(4), 1115-1126.

Lee, H. (2020). A conceptual model of immersive experience in extended reality.

Schlosser, A. E. (2003). Experiencing products in the virtual world: The role of goal and imagery in influencing attitudes versus purchase intentions. J. Consum. Res. 30, 184–198. doi: 10.1086/376807 Van Loon, A., Bailenson, J., Zaki, J., Bostick, J., & Willer, R. (2018). Virtual reality perspective-taking increases cognitive empathy for specific others. PloS one, 13(8), e0202442.

Supervision: Dr. Funda Yildirim, second assessor: Dr. Simone Borsci

1 student

Extended Reality (XR) interventions have demonstrated successful applications in the domains of health, environmental awareness, disaster preparedness, social change and cultural preservation in the recent years. Despite these current developments, utilization of XR technology currently falls short of expectations from the public and the investors from multiple industries.

XR environments offer immersive and controlled settings for interventions, allowing behavior scientists to simulate scenarios that might be challenging or impossible to recreate in traditional settings. As the field evolves, there is a recognized need for a standardized methodology to systematically analyze and compare different XR environments used in psychological interventions.

This project aims to analyze and categorize tasks and outcome measures within XR Environments focusing on sensory perception, self-consciousness, and memory in psychological interventions. Through an extensive literature review and meta-analysis of surveys, the research will identify prevalent patterns in task design as well as behavioral and physiological response types. The research will also result in the development of a prototype form, providing researchers with a structured tool to categorize their findings within the domains of perception, self-consciousness, and memory.

References:

Han, I., Shin, H. S., Ko, Y., & Shin, W. S. (2022). Immersive virtual reality for increasing presence and empathy. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 38(4), 1115-1126.

Lee, H. (2020). A conceptual model of immersive experience in extended reality.

Schlosser, A. E. (2003). Experiencing products in the virtual world: The role of goal and imagery in influencing attitudes versus purchase intentions. J. Consum. Res. 30, 184–198. doi: 10.1086/376807 Van Loon, A., Bailenson, J., Zaki, J., Bostick, J., & Willer, R. (2018). Virtual reality perspective-taking increases cognitive empathy for specific others. PloS one, 13(8), e0202442.

Supervision: Dr. Funda Yildirim, second assessor: Dr. Letizia Alvino

1 student

There is a growing interest in products with various green features and more mindful consumption choices. Companies are particularly concentrating on packaging as a key element for sustainability. Originally associated with end-of-life cycle concerns, packaging now captures consumer attention through design elements like image, shape, and material.

Studies compare consumers' evaluations of product packaging in virtual reality (VR) and real life (RL), focusing on haptic sensory properties, perceived sustainability, and willingness to pay. Findings reveal that haptic evaluations between VR and RL, with glass and rough packaging rated as most sustainable. VR leads to less polarized judgments and higher willingness to pay for certain packaging types. Implied motion is another factor that may direct attention and affect food choices (Gvili et al., 2015) and product freshness.

This study will explore the correlation between vibration intensity in extended reality, surface roughness, implied motion, and their impact on consumption preferences. Participants will navigate a virtual supermarket, evaluating products based on these factors. This project will examine the sensory aspects influencing consumer choices in virtual shopping environments.

References:

Branca, G., Resciniti, R., Loureiro, S. (2022). Virtual Is So Real! Consumers' Evaluation Of Product Packaging In Virtual Reality. Psychology and Marketing, 3(40), 596-609. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21743

Gvili, Y., Tal, A., Amar, M., Hallak, Y., Wansink, B., Giblin, M., & Bommelaer, C. (2015). Fresh from the tree: Implied motion improves food evaluation. Food Quality and Preference, 46, 160-165.

Katircilar, D., & Yildirim, F. (2022, January 10). Harmonicity of Sound Alters Roughness Perception. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/qb523

Supervision: dr. Simone Borsci, second assessor: Dr. Maryam Amir Haeri

3 students

In this project you will work with other colleagues and learn how to design a conversational agent in the poe.com (www.poe.com) platform. You will help in the definition of the stimuli of an experiment, and in the development of a Qualtrics system for data collection. You will examine correctness, fairness, explainability and usability of chatbots. You will also have the possibility to explore one or more personal aspects of your interest. 

The main focus of this work will be on collecting data in the real world performing experiments with a portable setting i.e., your computer.

As soon as you are informed that you are assigned to this topic send an email to s.borsci@utwente.nl

All our meetings are going to be online (unless otherwise specified)

Type

Experimental research

Keywords for research

Conversational agents, Chatbots, Satisfaction, User Experience, Fairness, usefulness

 Literature (read to acquire some basic knowledge)

• ISO 9241-11 (Definition of usability) 
• ISO 9241-210 (Definition of user experience)  
• Borsci, S., Schmettow, M., Malizia, A., Chamberlain, A., & Van Der Velde, F. (2023). A confirmatory factorial analysis of the Chatbot Usability Scale: a multilanguage validation. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 27(2), 317-330.
• Liu, H., Dacon, J., Fan, W., Liu, H., Liu, Z., & Tang, J. (2019). Does gender matter? towards fairness in dialogue systems. arXiv preprint arXiv:1910.10486.

Requirements

• Interested in experimental psychology and applied psychology (aka Human Factors)
• You know how to present a report data and organize a test in APA (last version)

Supervisor:  prof. dr. Willem Verwey

2 students

An important issue is how people develop motor automaticity. This is the capacity to execute a series of successive movements while little attention is needed for executing them. It is as if the limbs know what to do. Such motor skills can be investigated in the laboratory with a sequential key pressing task. In the proposed study, participants will develop motor automaticity by practicing two fixed 6-element key pressing sequences in response to stimuli that either attract, or do not attract, visual attention. After practice they will perform in a phase that tests whether the motor skill relies more on the visual stimuli when these attracted attention during practice than when attention was not attracted. In the proposed thesis project, two students will test this hypothesis in a laboratory experiment in the BMS lab.

Abrahamse, E. L., Ruitenberg, M. F. L., De Kleine, E., & Verwey, W. B. (2013). Control of automated behaviour: Insights from the Discrete Sequence Production task. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7(82), 1-16.

Van der Lubbe, R. H. J., & Abrahamse, E. L. (2011). The premotor theory of attention and the Simon effect. Acta Psychologica, 136(2), 259-264.

Verwey, W. B. (in press). Isoluminant stimuli in a familiar discrete keying sequence task can be ignored. Psychological Research.

Verwey, W. B., Wright, D. L., & van der Lubbe, R. H. J. (in revision). The Simon effect in a discrete keying task: Key-specific stimuli cannot be ignored due to attentional capture. Acta Psychologica.

Supervisor: prof. dr. Willem Verwey

Studies of the human brain indicate that stimuli and actions consist of features like color, shape, location, direction. According to the feature occupation theory, a feature can be involved in just one memory representation at the time. Studies of the human motor cortex indicated that movements are controlled via representations of body postures. In this experiment we will test this notion with a reaction time test. More specifically, we will test the hypothesis that presenting an irrelevant photo of a hand taking a particular posture can influence pressing a key.

This research will be carried out with participants practicing a response selection task in the BMS Laboratory. Example(s) of potential research questions:

Will displaying a photo of a hand affect the ensuing response, even when that photo is irrelevant?

Key words: Response selection, Memory representations of movement

Literature:

Stoet, G., & Hommel, B. (1999). Action planning and the temporal binding of response codes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 25(6), 1625-1640.

Vogt, S., Taylor, P., & Hopkins, B. (2003). Visuomotor priming by pictures of hand postures: perspective matters. Neuropsychologia, 41(8), 941-951.

Supervision: Dr. Van der Lubbe, second assessor: Dr. Borsci

1 student

Recent studies on working memory or short-term memory (STM) indicate that STM may be better conceptualized as a limited resource that is flexibly distributed among items to be maintained in memory rather than holding a fixed number of elements active. For the design of for example websites, it appears that the guidelines are still based on the old 7 +/- 2 rule dating back to Miller (1956). Goals of these BA projects are to demonstrate with websites of which the design is based on the old rule that memory of presented material is actually worse than may be expected. Furthermore, based on insights with these new employed materials, the idea is to develop new criteria that are more in accordance with the real limits of STM. The project may be extended with different age groups (e.g., elderly) as the capacity of STM is known to diminish as a function of age. 

Supervision: Dr. Van der Lubbe

1 student

In the classic visual Simon Task, relevant stimuli are presented to the left and right from fixation, and participants are instructed to select a left or right response on the basis of a specific feature such as the form (e.g., triangle or circle) or the color (e.g., blue or yellow) of the stimulus. The common observation with this task is that responses are faster and more accurate when the irrelevant side of the stimulus corresponds with the required response side than when they do not correspond. The data are commonly interpreted as reflecting an automatic tendency to respond to the side of stimulation, but effects seem to depend on previous trials, the focus of attention, and strategic factors. In the current project, we want to examine how task switching affects performance in the Simon task.  Results may have important implications for theoretical frameworks like the Affordance Competition Hypothesis which assumes that stimuli automatically specify certain actions. 

Supervision: Dr. Van der Lubbe

1 student

In the classic Eriksen Task, relevant stimuli are presented at fixation, and are flanked by congruent (HHHHH) or incongruent flankers (SSHSS). The common observation is that responses are faster and more accurate with congruent than with incongruent flankers. Variants of this task may also be created with other stimuli like triangles and circles, and stimuli presented in different colors like blue and yellow (e.g., Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ, O O Δ O O, Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ). An advantage of the latter stimuli is that different task instructions can be employed, for example, press left or right in the case of a central circle or triangle, or press left or right for centrally presented blue or yellow stimuli. If task rules change, this may imply that certain stimulus response links may be different than when they don’t change. Are there any after effects of previous rules when a new rule is implemented? For example, first the rule is to respond to color, and then at once it is based on form, does an incongruent color then interfere, or is the effect independent of the irrelevant color? Results may have important implications for theoretical frameworks like the Affordance Competition Hypothesis which assumes that stimuli automatically specify certain actions before a response is selected.