Investigating Problem Similarity Through Study of Between-Subject and Within-Subject Experiments

Author(s):  
Bryan Levy ◽  
Ethan Hilton ◽  
Megan Tomko ◽  
Julie Linsey

Design problems are used to evaluate students’ abilities, the impact of various teaching approaches and of design methods. Design problems greatly vary in style and subject area in order to accommodate for a wide distribution of disciplines, cultures, and expertise. While design problems are occasionally reused between studies, new design problems are continuously created in order to account for the fact that a design problem cannot be used multiple times on an individual in order to effectively measure one’s abilities to perform design. More specifically, in repeated measures testing, students cannot receive the same design problem multiple times, for this would cause bias; therefore, multiple design problems are needed to allow for repeated measures testing. The nature and structure of these multiple design problems need to be similar or “equivalent” in order to accurately measure students’ abilities to perform in design. In this study, we examine four design problems: peanut shelling, corn husking, coconut harvesting, and a personal alarm clock. We determine whether these problems could be deemed equivalent for the purposes of evaluating student design performance through repeated measures testing. We implemented idea generation sessions using both between-subject and within-subjects approaches. Solutions were evaluated on quantity, quality, novelty, variety, and completeness metrics. The data implies that the Peanut and Corn problems are similar in nature and the Alarm and Coconut problems are also similar in nature; as such, these problem pairings may be used to test differences based on group means.

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (09) ◽  
pp. 799-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith Spratford ◽  
Hannah Hodson McLean ◽  
Ryan McCreery

AbstractAccess to aided high-frequency speech information is currently assessed behaviorally using recognition of plural monosyllabic words. Because of semantic and grammatical cues that support word+morpheme recognition in sentence materials, the contribution of high-frequency audibility to sentence recognition is less than that for isolated words. However, young children may not yet have the linguistic competence to take advantage of these cues. A low-predictability sentence recognition task that controls for language ability could be used to assess the impact of high-frequency audibility in a context that more closely represents how children learn language.To determine if differences exist in recognition of s/z-inflected monosyllabic words for children with normal hearing (CNH) and children who are hard of hearing (CHH) across stimuli context (presented in isolation versus embedded medially within a sentence that has low semantic and syntactic predictability) and varying levels of high-frequency audibility (4- and 8-kHz low-pass filtered for CNH and 8-kHz low-pass filtered for CHH).A prospective, cross-sectional design was used to analyze word+morpheme recognition in noise for stimuli varying in grammatical context and high-frequency audibility. Low-predictability sentence stimuli were created so that the target word+morpheme could not be predicted by semantic or syntactic cues. Electroacoustic measures of aided access to high-frequency speech sounds were used to predict individual differences in recognition for CHH.Thirty-five children, aged 5–12 yrs, were recruited to participate in the study; 24 CNH and 11 CHH (bilateral mild to severe hearing loss) who wore hearing aids (HAs). All children were native speakers of English.Monosyllabic word+morpheme recognition was measured in isolated and sentence-embedded conditions at a +10 dB signal-to-noise ratio using steady state, speech-shaped noise. Real-ear probe microphone measures of HAs were obtained for CHH. To assess the effects of high-frequency audibility on word+morpheme recognition for CNH, a repeated-measures ANOVA was used with bandwidth (8 kHz, 4 kHz) and context (isolated, sentence embedded) as within-subjects factors. To compare recognition between CNH and CHH, a mixed-model ANOVA was completed with context (isolated, sentence-embedded) as a within-subjects factor and hearing status as a between-subjects factor. Bivariate correlations between word+morpheme recognition scores and electroacoustic measures of high-frequency audibility were used to assess which measures might be sensitive to differences in perception for CHH.When high-frequency audibility was maximized, CNH and CHH had better word+morpheme recognition in the isolated condition compared with sentence-embedded. When high-frequency audibility was limited, CNH had better word+morpheme recognition in the sentence-embedded condition compared with the isolated condition. CHH whose HAs had greater high-frequency speech bandwidth, as measured by the maximum audible frequency, had better word+morpheme recognition in sentences.High-frequency audibility supports word+morpheme recognition within low-predictability sentences for both CNH and CHH. Maximum audible frequency can be used to estimate word+morpheme recognition for CHH. Low-predictability sentences that do not contain semantic or grammatical context may be of clinical use in estimating children’s use of high-frequency audibility in a manner that approximates how they learn language.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akash Patel ◽  
Joshua D. Summers ◽  
Sourabh Karmakar

Abstract The objective of this research is to understand how different representations of requirements influence idea generation in terms of quantity, addressment, sketch detail, novelty, and variety of conceptual sketches. Requirements are statements of need, desires, and wishes of the stakeholders that are used by engineers to frame the problem. Essentially, requirements are the raison d’etre for any engineering project. As the requirements document provides constraints and criteria for a design, it defines and determines the success of a project. While there is research studying the effect of requirements on the conceptual sketch, little study has focused one the impact of different requirement representations on solution development. An experimental study was conducted with 52 fourth year mechanical engineering undergraduate students. Two design problems were formulated with three different representations: a problem statement with embedded requirements, a problem statement and a traditional requirement list, and a problem statement with contextualized scrum stories. Each student was provided each design problems with two different representations of requirements. It was found that the use of contextualized scrum story representations significantly affected the conceptual sketch in the novelty of solution fragments and addressment of requirements, while no significant change in variety, sketch detail, and quantity was seen. Also, the contextualized representation positively affected all metrics but the sketch quantity. Finally, it was found that quantity is not directly related to the number of requirements addressed in the sketches.


Author(s):  
Michael W. Glier ◽  
Joanna Tsenn ◽  
Julie S. Linsey ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams

Bioinspired design, the practice of looking to nature to find inspiration for engineering design, is becoming an increasingly desired approach to design. It allows designers to tap a wealth of time-tested solutions to difficult problems in a domain rarely considered by designers. Only recently have researchers developed organized, systematic methods for bioinspired design. These methods include BioTRIZ, an extension of functional modeling for bioinspired design, engineering-to-biology keyword translation tools, and specialized design tools like DANE and SAPPHIRE. These organized methods are currently active research efforts. Traditionally, however, bioinspired design has been conducted without the benefit of any organized method. Without the support of formal methods, designers have relied on the “directed method” of bioinspired design. The directed method approach simply directs designers to consider how nature might approach a problem in order to help designers find solutions. This paper presents an experiment to explore the impact upon idea generation of simply contemplating how nature would solve a design problem. This experiment is foundationally important to bioinspired engineering design method research. The results of this experiment serve as a fundamental baseline and benchmark for the comparison of more systematic, and often more involved, bioinspired design methods. A group of 121 novice designers are given one of two design problems and instructed to either generate solutions using the “directed method,” considering how nature would solve the problem, or to generate solutions without being prompted to use any method. Based on the findings presented here, the directed method offers designers no advantage in the average number of non-redundant ideas the designers can produce, the average quality of their solutions, the average solution novelty, or the variety of solutions proposed. Overall, this investigation finds no significant difference in idea generation between the directed method and the control condition. In conclusion, systematic and organized methods for bioinspired design should instead be sought to effectively leverage nature’s design knowledge.


2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Glier ◽  
Joanna Tsenn ◽  
Julie S. Linsey ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams

Bioinspired design, the practice of looking to nature to find inspiration for solutions to engineering problems, is increasingly a desired approach to design. It allows designers to tap a wealth of time-tested solutions to difficult problems in a domain less considered by designers. Only recently have researchers developed organized, systematic methods for bioinspired design. Traditionally, bioinspired design has been conducted without the benefit of any organized method. Designers relied on the informal “directed intuitive approach” of bioinspired design, which simply directs designers to consider how nature might solve a problem. This paper presents an experiment to explore the impact of the directed approach on idea generation. This experiment is foundationally important to bioinspired engineering design method research. The results of this experiment serve as a fundamental baseline and benchmark for the comparison of more systematic, and often more involved, bioinspired design methods. A group of 121 novice designers are given one of two design problems and instructed to either generate solutions using the directed approach or to generate solutions without being prompted in any additional fashion. Based on the findings presented here, the directed approach offers designers no advantage in the average number of nonredundant ideas, quality, novelty, or variety of the solutions produced. In conclusion, systematic and organized methods for bioinspired design should be sought to effectively leverage nature's design knowledge.


Author(s):  
Sean D. Vermillion ◽  
Richard J. Malak

Searching for and selecting among design solutions is not an effortless task. The principle of least effort suggests people seek to minimize the amount of effort they apply towards completing their tasks. In the context of engineering design, it is conceivable that expending more effort on the design problem yields a design solution with greater performance. In this paper, we investigate the impact of incentives on motivating engineering designers to increase the amount of effort they apply to solving design problems. Specifically, we formulate an analytical model of effort provision towards design tasks to compare two incentive structures: a probabilistic incentive and a deterministic incentive. With the probabilistic incentive, a designer’s final reward or penalty is uncertain, e.g. it is uncertain if a proposed design solution will meet requirements. With the deterministic incentive, a designer’s final reward or penalty is tied directly to the quality of the design solution as it is presented, e.g. a proposed design solution meets requirements with a certain probability as the figure of merit and the designer is directly rewarded or penalized on producing a design solution with that figure of merit. We parameterize the proposed analytical model and perform a parameter study to determine which incentive produces a more optimal design solution in the parameter space. Results show that there is no one dominant incentive structure, and the preferred incentive structure depends on how intense the reward or penalty is and how a designer subjectively valuates his effort.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A33-A33
Author(s):  
Zachary Zamore ◽  
Jennifer Goldschmied ◽  
Patricia Deldin

Abstract Introduction Research shows associations between chronotype and behavior. While eveningness is associated with lower levels of self-control, morningness is associated with increased conscientiousness. Additionally, throughout the day, the increase in homeostatic sleep pressure due to wakefulness can affect executive functioning, including emotional regulation. Napping is an effective countermeasure to sleepiness and associated emotional dysregulation, but the impact of chronotype on this benefit is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the impact of chronotype and a midday nap on an aspect of emotional regulation: frustration tolerance. Methods 40 participants between the ages of 18–50 were randomized into a 60-minute, midday nap or no-nap condition. Chronotype was measured using the Horne-Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Frustration tolerance (FT) was measured pre and post nap using an adaption of Feather’s frustration tolerance task where FT was measured as the time spent on an impossible task. To examine the association of chronotype and FT, correlational analysis was used. Chronotype was also determined using a median split of the MEQ due to few true morning and evening types in the sample. This data was then subjected to a repeated measures ANOVA with condition (pre or post-nap) as a within-subjects factor and group (nap or no-nap; high or low MEQ score) as between-subject factors. Results Results revealed a significant correlation between MEQ score and change in time spent on the impossible task, with those with lower MEQ scores (more evening) showing an increase in time spent on the impossible task, r(20) = -.51, p = .016. Similarly, results of the ANOVA revealed a significant condition (pre or post-nap) by group (nap, no nap; high, low MEQ) interaction, F(1,1) = 4.694, p = .039, such that, those in the nap group with lower MEQ (more evening) spent more time on the impossible task following the nap. Conclusion Our results indicate that chronotype may impact a nap’s positive effect on emotional regulation, with greater benefit for those with the eveningness chronotype. Because napping is currently practiced by 1/3 of American adults, from a personalized medicine perspective, it’s imperative that its chronotype-dependent benefits be investigated further to effectively guide evidence-based recommendations. Support (if any):


Author(s):  
Abigail R. Wooldridge ◽  
Rod D. Roscoe ◽  
Rod D. Roscoe ◽  
Shannon C. Roberts ◽  
Rupa Valdez ◽  
...  

The Diversity Committee of HFES has led sessions at the Annual Meeting for the past three years focused on improving diversity, equity and inclusion in the society as well as providing support to human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) researchers and practitioners who aim to apply HF/E knowledge and principles to improve diversity, equity and inclusion through their work. In this panel, we bring together researchers actively engaged in designing technology and systems by considering issues of diversity, equity and inclusion to share insights and methods. Topics include the thoughtful design of sampling strategies and research approaches, alternative and participatory methods to understand the impact of automation and technology on equity, scoping design problems to be inclusive and equitable through interdisciplinary partnerships, and the application of sociotechnical system design and team science to develop interdisciplinary teams. By sharing our experiences, we hope to prepare others to successfully approach these topics.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 1104-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda L. Irwin ◽  
Brenda Cartmel ◽  
Cary P. Gross ◽  
Elizabeth Ercolano ◽  
Fangyong Li ◽  
...  

Purpose Arthralgia occurs in up to 50% of breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and is the most common reason for poor AI adherence. We conducted, in 121 breast cancer survivors receiving an AI and reporting arthralgia, a yearlong randomized trial of the impact of exercise versus usual care on arthralgia severity. Patients and Methods Eligibility criteria included receiving an AI for at least 6 months, reporting ≥ 3 of 10 for worst joint pain on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and reporting < 90 minutes per week of aerobic exercise and no strength training. Participants were randomly assigned to exercise (150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise and supervised strength training twice per week) or usual care. The BPI, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire were completed at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Intervention effects were evaluated using mixed-model repeated measures analysis, with change at 12 months as the primary end point. Results Over 12 months, women randomly assigned to exercise (n = 61) attended 70% (± standard deviation [SD], 28%) of resistance training sessions and increased their exercise by 159 (± SD, 136) minutes per week. Worst joint pain scores decreased by 1.6 points (29%) at 12 months among women randomly assigned to exercise versus a 0.2-point increase (3%) among those receiving usual care (n = 60; P < .001). Pain severity and interference, as well as DASH and WOMAC pain scores, also decreased significantly at 12 months in women randomly assigned to exercise, compared with increases for those receiving usual care (all P < .001). Conclusion Exercise led to improvement in AI-induced arthralgia in previously inactive breast cancer survivors.


Biomechanics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-213
Author(s):  
Harish Chander ◽  
Sachini N. K. Kodithuwakku Arachchige ◽  
Alana J. Turner ◽  
Reuben F. Burch V ◽  
Adam C. Knight ◽  
...  

Background: Occupational footwear and a prolonged duration of walking have been previously reported to play a role in maintaining postural stability. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the impact of three types of occupational footwear: the steel-toed work boot (ST), the tactical work boot (TB), and the low-top work shoe (LT) on previously unreported lower extremity muscle activity during postural stability tasks. Methods: Electromyography (EMG) muscle activity was measured from four lower extremity muscles (vastus medialis (VM), medial hamstrings (MH), tibialis anterior (TA), and medial gastrocnemius (MG) during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) and during a sensory organization test (SOT) every 30 min over a 4 h simulated workload while wearing ST, TB, and LT footwear. The mean MVIC and the mean and percentage MVIC during each SOT condition from each muscle was analyzed individually using a repeated measures ANOVA at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found for maximal exertions, but this was limited to only the time main effect. No significant differences existed for EMG measures during the SOT. Conclusion: The findings suggest that occupational footwear type does not influence lower extremity muscle activity during both MVIC and SOT. Significantly lower muscle activity during maximal exertions over the course of the 4 h workload was evident, which can be attributed to localized muscular fatigue, but this was not sufficient to impact muscle activity during postural stability tasks.


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