Proposal,Measure Eye Movements to Improve Readability of Emergency Plans,Methodology of Human Factor

Measure Eye Movements to Improve Readability of Emergency Plans

YU ZHANG

Overview of Research Objective

The objective of research is that using eye-movement measurements to find optimal format of Emergency Plan.

Background Information

1 Readability is the ease with which a reader can understand a written text. The readability of a particular text depends on content (for example, the complexity of its vocabulary and syntax) and typography (for example, its font size, line height, and line length). There are some formulas to measure readability from article structure. For example, Flesch formulas, Dale–Chall formula, Gunning fog formula, Fry readability graph, McLaughlin’s SMOG formula, and FORCAST formula.

2 Emergency Plan is a part of emergency management/response systems. It should guide people how to response under emergency situations.

3 Eye-movement in reading: Average eye-movement values for fixation durations, saccade length, frequency of regression, re-fixations, and word skipping relate to cognitive processes in reading.

Specific Research Objectives and Hypotheses

The structure of an article influence readers’ working memory which affect comprehensive. And comprehensive can be represented by concentration and mind-wandering, which can be measured by eye-movement. Readability is a mathematic method for representing structure. Research is going to identify formats with high value of readability in Emergency Plans by using eye-movement measurement. Then use these formats in further Emergency Plans.

Experimental Design

a) Participants

16 participants (age: 30-40) who are operators and have experience of manufacture production. Before performing experiment, participants should be test for consistency. See step 2 in c) section.

b) Apparatus

Infrared corneal reflections-- Scene geometric calibration and displaying plans in a grid computer screen

c) Experimental procedure and participant tasks

1 Summary and Organize Emergency Plans in Auto industry
1.1 Experimenters select all Emergency Plans (Special Emergency Plans) from some representative companies in Auto industry.
1.2 Calculate value of readability of Emergency Plans
Experimenters who has experience of Auto production calculate value of readabilities of these plans, according to principals and formulas.
1.3 Category Emergency Plans as their value
There are three categories: Low, Medium, High. Each category selected four Emergency Plans for representativeness. If several plans are looked similar, then just use one of them. Using Medium level and High level as task materials.

2 Pre-test of Participants

Before performing experiment, participants should be test for reducing variance of data.
2.1 Select two Emergency Plans which have similar value of readability.
2.2 Potential participants are required to read these two plans and are required to evaluate them by objective judgements. Using a scale to evaluate objective perceptive. 0: hard to understand, 5: very easy to understand.
2.3 Comparing values between two Emergency Plans, the values should be similar. If there is an obvious difference between values, potential participant whose state is unsteady should be not included in participants.

3 Training

Even eye-movement trackers are non-intrusive device, using devices during reading is an abnormal situation. Experimenters should train participants to adapt this situation for reducing interference in reading.

4 Perform task

4.1 The Base line of readability
Select one Emergency Plan which has medium value in step 1.3, which did not be included in task materials, as a standard, and assign it as 100.
4.2 Distribution of Emergency Plans
Using Revised Latin Square to distribute Emergency Plans to participants.
4.3 Recording eye-movement data in whole reading time
Select 8 participants randomly to perform step 4.3~4.5. Another participant take step 4.9.
4.4 Evaluate objective perceptive of Emergency Plan
Participants compare Emergency Plan with standard and evaluate new Emergency Plan by scores. Participants are required to assign scores at value (0 to infinite) with significant difference.
4.5 Testing understanding
Although participants grade high value to an Emergency Plan, it does not mean that they understand the plan. Emergency Plans are guidance documents which need readers to understand content. So using some questions to test participants, it can provide a reference value of improving readability in step 4.9.
4.6 Analyze eye-movement data
Analysis data (method 5.3) to find good performance areas in higher value of Emergency Plans, and poor performance areas in lower value of Emergency Plans.
Combine data of eye-movement (fixation durations, saccade length, frequency of regression, re-fixations, and word skipping) and grids in screen to identify which areas (paragraphs or sentence) in plan have significant pattern of different reading patterns.
4.7 Summary characteristics of areas in last step. Figure out good formats and bad formats.
4.8 Amend Emergency Plans of low level in step 1.3, according to the formats in step 4.7.
4.9 Testing improvement
4.9.1 The another 8 participants read low level Emergency Plans and score them by a scale (0 to 5). And participants take understanding tests.
4.9.2 Participants re-read amended Emergency Plans and score them by a scale (0 to 5). And participants take another understanding tests which have same difficulty.
4.9.3 Compare results in step 4.9.1 and 4.9.2 to determine whether the improvement is useful or not.

5. Data analysis

5.1 Calculate geometric means of scores in step 4.4.
5.2 If there are significant difference between readability (step 4.4) and understanding (step 4.5), experimenters should find reasons of these difference.
5.3 Using Regression Model to fit scores of readability vs. eye-movement data.

6 Challenge

6.1 Workload of selecting Emergency Plans
6.2 Duration and Fatigue of participants

Scientific Implications

Using measurements of human cognitive process (eye-movement) to improve performance (readability) of human behavior (writing Emergency Plans).

Broader Impacts

If the result of experiment is significant, the format should be recommended to writers who will write Emergency Plans for improving readability and understanding of Emergency Plans. Emergency Plans of high readability might improve operators’ response in emergency

Reference

[1] Fischer, M.H., (1999), An Investigation of Attention Allocation During Sequential Eye Movement Tasks, The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 52A(3), 649-677
[2] Han, X., Li, L.J., (2003), Introduction of eye-movement researches, Liaoning Normal University
[3] Jaskson, J.D., Balota, D.A., (2012), Mind-Wandering in Younger and Older Adults: Converging Evidence From the Sustained Attention to Response Task and Reading for Comprehension, Psychology and Aging, 27(1), 106-119
[4] Kapitaniak, B., Walczak, M., Kosobudzki, M., Jozwlak, Z., (2015), Application of Eye-Tracking in Drivers Testing: A Review of Research, International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 28(6), 941-954
[5] McVay, J.C., Kane, M.J., (2012), Why Does Working Memory Capacity Predict Variation in Reading Comprehension? On the Influence of Mind Wandering and Executive Attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 141(2), 302-320
[6] Rayner, K., (1998), Eye Movements in Reading and Information Processing: 20 Years of Research, Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 372-422
[7] Readability, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Readability
[8] Robision, M.K., Unsworth N., (2015), Working Memory Capacity Offers Resistance to Mind-Wandering and External Distraction in a Context-Specific Manner, Applied Cognitive Psychology, 29, 680-690
[9] Wilson, J., Oyola-Yemaicl, A., (2001), The Evolution of Emergency Management and the Advancement towards a Profession in the United States and Florida, Safety Science, 39, 117-131