News Archives | Psychology and Human Factors News

Hunter Malinowski, Psychology Phenom Adds Computer Science to Chart Her Own Course

Published June 10, 2024

Every college journey is unique. Students have so many different majors available to them. There are hundreds of classes available. Add in opportunities to work alongside professors doing undergraduate research, participate in clubs, and complete internships, and the combinations are virtually unlimited. Learn how Hunter Malinowski made her Michigan Tech experience unique by pursuing dual degrees in computer science and psychology and adding research, leadership, internship, and other experiences.

“The more I’ve done with psychology and computer science, the more I realize how many connections there are, from designing a website to the user interface and user experience,” Malinowski said. “I want to go into the data science/machine learning field. I think there’s a lot to be said about the psychology perspective for that.”
Hunter Malinowski ’24, BS Psychology/Computer Science

About the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences

Michigan Tech’s Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences offers bachelor of science degrees in Human Factors and Psychology. The department confers master’s and doctoral degrees in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors. Additionally, faculty pursue diverse, cutting-edge research in education, human factors, technology, and science. Students and faculty improve performance, health, decisions, and safety where people interact with technology or systems.

Questions? Contact us at cls@mtu.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest happenings.

Researching the Implications of Multitasking

Published May 30, 2023

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Multitasking has become a common practice in many work environments, where individuals are required to perform several tasks simultaneously. However, research suggests that multitasking can lead to interference and a decline in cognitive performance. In a recent journal article published in Applied Ergonomics, a research team including CLS’s Samantha Smith studied the complexity of multitasking and its impact on cognitive performance¹. The article titled “Dual-task effects between tone counting and mathematical calculations” sheds light on the factors that contribute to dual-task interference and provides valuable insights for understanding the challenges associated with multitasking.

Understanding Dual-Task Interference

Psychologists have proposed various theories to explain dual-task interference, including unitary cognitive resource theory and multiple cognitive resource theories. Among these, Wickens’ multiple resource theory (MRT) is frequently referenced by human factors and ergonomics professionals. According to MRT, tasks compete for our brain’s attention based on four factors: the processing stage (i.e., are we perceiving information, thinking about it, or responding to it?), whether the task is spatial or verbal, the senses required (i.e., is the task visual, tactile, or audial?), and if it’s a visual task, whether it requires our focal or ambient vision.

Research Findings

In this study, the research team paired a seated mathematical calculation task with the tone counting task to explore the impact of dual-tasking and cognitive load on performance. The results of the study indicated that participants made significantly more correct calculations in the single-task condition compared to the dual-task conditions. Furthermore, participants performed better in the one-frequency tone counting task compared to the three-frequency tone counting task. These findings suggest that both dual-tasking and cognitive load have a detrimental effect on cognitive performance, with higher cognitive load leading to reduced accuracy in calculations.

Implications for Multitasking

The findings from this study have important implications for understanding multitasking in various work settings. In operational settings where dual-tasking is common, individuals may experience interference and performance loss in one or both tasks. This knowledge can inform the design of work environments and the allocation of tasks to minimize dual-task interference and optimize performance.

Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of task prioritization and overall task demand when examining dual-tasking. Certain tasks, such as climbing, may inherently demand more attention due to their physical riskiness, leading to task prioritization and potential interference with paired tasks. Understanding the cognitive demands of different tasks can help professionals identify tasks that may be more prone to interference and develop strategies to mitigate the negative effects.

The article is now available for online viewing and download at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000368702300090X.¹Blakely, Megan & Smith, Samantha & Russell, Paul & Helton, William. (2023). Dual-task effects between tone counting and mathematical calculations. Applied Ergonomics. 111. 104052. 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104052.

SPEAK Resilience receives Curriculum Innovation Award

Published May 9, 2023

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Collage of 4 photos of nature: rocky shoreline, forest, waterfront, and yard with flowers and grass.

The Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience (ISR) has recently announced the Spring 2023 awardees for Curriculum Innovation. The awards, ranging from $5,000 to $7,000, will fund three diverse projects that align with Michigan Tech’s mission to bring long-lasting changes in educational offerings. One of the three projects awarded was SPEAK Resilience (Sustainability, Psychology, Ecology, Arts, Kultur), with principal investigators Lisa Gordillo (VPA), Tara Bal (CFRES), and Sam Smith (CLS).

SPEAK Resilience will be an interdisciplinary sustainability program for Michigan Tech students to study in Björkö-Arholma, Sweden. The program will include a collection of four courses: one each in psychology, ecology, and the arts; and one interdisciplinary course team-taught by the faculty co-PIs. The co-PIs will develop a program that draws on each of their specialties to create immersive, interdisciplinary curricula.

The theme of interdependence between humans and the natural world will be incorporated into each course, viewed through various lenses to tackle sustainability, resilience, and community engagement. This approach will provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary field experience.

Students will learn about natural resource management and sustainable ways to interact with local ecosystems; ways that cognitive processing may predispose unsustainable behaviors and how to change them; and ways that art and educational interventions can enhance community engagement with environmental stewardship. The program’s themes will be enriched by the unique perspectives offered by Swedish culture, which is of significant importance to the overall experience.

Research behind the Curriculum

Co-PI Lisa Gordillo is the artist-in-residence for Michigan Tech’s College of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, and was an artist-in-residence in Björkö-Arholma, Sweden in 2022. During that time, she established partnerships with Swedish schools, communities, and arts organizations such as Väddö Folkhögskola and Björkö Kunstnod. These partners will collaborate to develop community projects related to sustainability during the program.

Gordillo’s research uses art to connect people and landscape, and to create community engagement opportunities. Co-PI Tara Bal‘s research on forest health, which involves investigating the effects of human activity on forest landscapes, and aligns with the program’s theme of interdependence between humans and the natural world. Co-PI Samantha Smith is examining the impact of environmental factors on attention and cognitive processing, as well as how these factors influence human behavior.

SPEAK Resilience is part of Gordillo’s larger community-arts project, Sister Forests, which connects the forests of Björkö-Arholma Sweden with those of the Keweenaw. The innovative program SPEAK Resilience will provide students with invaluable experiences to understand and address sustainability issues, resilience, and community engagement through different perspectives.

Human Factors and Environmental Cleaning in Operating Rooms

Published April 25, 2023

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Dr. Lamia Alam, 22′ PhD Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) was this week’s guest on the podcast “Infection Controls Matters; Discussions on Infection Prevention” with Martin Kiernan. Dr. Alam’s research was part of the 2023 Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Spring Conference in Seattle, WA. Lamia presented the work of her research group at Johns Hopkins titled “Environmental Cleaning in Operating Rooms: A Systematic Review of Human Factors Relating to Cleaning in the Operating Room”.

Podcast guest, CLS alum Dr. Lamia Alam

Lamia received her doctoral degree in ACSHF, fall 2022, under the direction of Dr. Shane Mueller. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.

The SHEA conference is designed for physicians, infection preventionists, healthcare epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, microbiologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals interested in healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention, surveillance, research methods, patient safety, environmental issues and quality improvement.

Relevant papers: 1. A. Xie, et al. 2018 Improving Daily Patient Room Cleaning: An Observational Study Using a Human Factors and Systems Engineering Approach IISE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors 6 3-4 178-191 https://10.1080/24725838.2018.1487348

2. C. Rock, et al. 2016 Using a Human Factors Engineering Approach to Improve Patient Room Cleaning and Disinfection Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 37 12 1502-1506 https://10.1017/ice.2016.219

CLS Announces 2023 Student Awards

Published April 19, 2023

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(left to right) Kayla Richardson, Sara Gelon, and Jane Sinclair

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences is pleased to announce its Outstanding Student Awards for academic year 2022-23. Starting off with the top research project team selected by our graduate student and faculty judges at the annual CLS Research Symposium held on Tuesday, April 18. Kyla Richardson, Sara Gelon, and Jane Sinclair made up the winning team for their project “Crowd Forming Observations at Michigan Tech”.

The team designed an observational study in order to look at the impacts of social conformity and curiosity. Their study was to determine the motivations behind crowd formation – Do crowds gather due to social conformity, or is curiosity the underlying motivator? For full abstract, along with all other projects presented at the symposium, see https://bit.ly/3MSblRJ

In addition, the following undergraduate student awards were presented by CLS chair Dr. Kelly Steelman:

Mercy Barikor: Undergraduate Research Award

This award is presented to a student who demonstrates excellence in research conducted in support of an undergraduate studies or project carried out under the guidance of a CLS faculty member or approved mentor. Mercy joined the research team of Dr. Lorelle Meadows in September 2022, working on an NSF grant-funded social psychology laboratory-based project focused on the influence of subtle bias on undergraduate students in STEM.

In her nomination, Dr. Meadows wrote: “What has most impressed me about Mercy is her keen interest in her work and the way that she consistently builds bridges between the things she is learning through the research and the things that she is learning in her courses. She often brings resources from her courses to our team meetings and shares them with the team, offering us new ways to think about the work and new ideas for future directions.”

Kallie Weecks: Outstanding Clinical Intern of the Year

This award recognizes a psychology or human factors undergraduate student who has made a positive impact on their community through experiential education opportunities. Kallie interned with the Copper Country Intermediate School District for fall 2022, completing 140 hours and assisted school psychologist Christine Etter twice a week. In her nomination, Etter stated: “Kallie was a tremendous asset to the students of Copper Country and has made a positive impact on our school system, the families in the Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw counties, and the staff at the ISD.”

Ani Schneiderhan: Outstanding First-Year Student

This award is presented to an outstanding first-year psychology and/or human factors student who has demonstrated academic excellence in their first year by academic achievement, exemplary character, leadership in class and activities, and potential for success in future endeavors. Dr. Steelman stated: “Not only has Ani achieved stellar classroom grades, but she’s already well known in the department by the way she contributes in the classroom discussions and activities. She has also been a good steward to the department by helping with our postcard writing campaign to leading scholars and accepted students for Fall 2023 and helped with the CSA Hang out / Texting Nights.”

Hunter Malinowski: 2023 CLS Department Scholar

This award represents the best of student scholarship in the department including participation in research and scholarly activities, high level of intellectual curiosity and creativity, and exceptional communication skills.

In her nomination, Dr. Beth Veinott stated “Hunter is one of the most motivated and intellectually curious students I have taught in the department. She has done excellent work and made the classroom a more engaging experience for other students.”

Dr. Steelman went on to say: Hunter has thrived in her courses, earning a 4.0 department GPA and making the Dean’s list in 2020, 2021, and 2022. She also earned department distinctions as Top or Outstanding Student in numerous psychology and human factors courses. Moreover, Hunter has taken full advantage of the Michigan Tech experience through her involvement in research, Pavlis Honors college, and student organizations.

Her research experience has involved three major projects. During the standard PSY 3000/3001 coursework, Hunter conducted a research project that combined her interests in psychology and computer science by testing and evaluating a scale about AI and machine learning understanding. Following that, she contributed to a number of research projects with Dr. Shane Mueller on human-AI interaction and explainable AI. Hunter co-authored a Human Factors and Ergonomics Society proceedings paper based on the results of this work, which contributed to a larger project funded by DARPA. She was then supported through the URIP program to explore how different XAI feature visualization approaches interacted with example-based explanations–two distinct and popular forms of algorithmic explanation of AI that have not been fully combined.

Since stepping foot on campus in Fall 2020, Hunter has sought out opportunities to innovate. During her first year she entered the Bob Mark Pitch Competition, taking 3rd place and receiving the MTEC Breakout Innovation Award. The next year, she was selected as one of Michigan Tech’s University Innovation Fellows and completed a design thinking program through the Stanford d.school.

Hunter is an engaged campus leader. She has served as the President of both Delta Zeta Sorority and Tiny Knitz, an organization that helps students learn knitting and crocheting skills partners with local non-profit organizations to provide apparel for newborns in the Keweenaw community. Hunter’s accomplishments extend beyond the CLS department and campus. She completed two internships with Ford Motor Company and received the award for Most Viable and Top Achiever in their 2022 Intern Innovation Challenges.

Graduate Student Recognition

To wrap up the awards celebration, Dr. Steelman also recognized Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) graduate students who earned fellowships and honors over the past year.

Alexandra Watral: Doctoral Finishing Fellowship for Spring 2023 and CLS Outstanding Scholarship Award Recipient from the Graduate School

Brittany Nelson: King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship, Spring 2022 to Summer 2023

Anne Linja and Tauseef Mamun: Third Place in Computing [MTU] Showcase, Fall 2022

Betsy Lehman: Scholarship award for Summer Institute for Social and Personality Psychology

Shruti Amre: Doctoral Finishing Fellowship for Summer 2023

The CLS faculty and staff congratulates all our undergraduate and graduate students for their many accomplishments during the 2022-23 academic year!

Jenna Messer receives the William and Josephine Balconi Community Service Award

Published April 18, 2023

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Outstanding students, staff and alumni were honored Friday, April 14, during Michigan Tech’s 29th annual Student Leadership Awards Ceremony in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom. Among those recognized was Jenna Messer, Social Sciences major pursuing a degree in Policy, Law and Society and a minor in Psychology. Jenna was selected for the William and Josephine Balconi Community Service Award.

The award is presented each year to a student who demonstrates community service with lasting and meaningful impact during their time at Michigan Tech. Dr. David and Marie Blum initiated this endowment in memory of Marie’s parents, Josephine and William Balconi, remembered as “always involved in helping others.”

Community Service with Lasting and Meaningful Impact

Jenna is part of Michigan Tech’s research team “Bridging Knowledge Systems and Expertise for Understanding the Dynamics of a Contaminated Tribal Landscape System (TLS). The project brings natural and social sciences researchers together with tribal community partners in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan to better understand toxic contamination and climate-related changes across the water-rich landscape. The team will map the extent of the region’s mercury and PCBs contamination in inland lakes, and concurrently, map tribal harvesting practices, valued resources, and climate-related changes across the landscape to categorize lakes as low, moderate or high risk. This research also aims to explore specific management and outreach decisions to minimize contamination risk and support human-environment relationships that promote the health and wellbeing of the U.P. environment and its communities.

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in collaboration with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, and Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center.

For more information on the project: https://www.mtu.edu/tribal-landscape/

Congratulations to Jenna and all recipients of the 2023 Student Leadership Awards!

Psychology plays a significant role in most aspects of our lives, including our choices, relationships, and how we work and learn. This makes our psychology minor a great compliment for many different majors. Having insight into people’s thoughts and behavior will give you an edge in almost any career—not to mention your personal life.

For more information: https://www.mtu.edu/cls/undergraduate/minors/

Call for Applications: 2023 Songer Research Award for Human Health

Published April 13, 2023

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Undergrad students working with Dr. Kevin Trewartha in his Aging and Cognition Lab — Undergraduate students working with Dr. Kevin Trewartha in his Aging, Cognition, and Action Lab

Funding Opportunity for Student Research

Undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences are encouraged to apply for the 2023 Songer Research Award for Human Health. Matthew Songer, (Biological Sciences ’79) and Laura Songer (Biological Sciences ’80) established these awards to stimulate and encourage opportunities for original research by current Michigan Tech students.

Students may propose an innovative medically-oriented research project in any area of human health. The best projects will demonstrate the potential to have a broad impact on improving human life. This research will be pursued in consultation with faculty members within the College of Sciences and Arts. The Songers’ gift and matching funds from the College will support two awards for undergraduate research ($4,000) and two for graduate research ($6,000), for research conducted over the Summer of 2023 and/or the following academic year.

Learn more about who is eligible to apply, how to apply, and how the funds may be used.

Submit applications as a single PDF file to the Office of the College of Sciences and Arts by 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 24, 2023. Applications may be emailed to djhemmer@mtu.edu. Any questions may be directed to David Hemmer (djhemmer@mtu.edu).

Betsy Lehman receives SISPP Fellowship

Published March 31, 2023

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ACSHF PhD student Betsy Lehman has been awarded a Summer Institute for Social and Personality Psychology (SISPP) fellowship. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology offers a biannual two-week intensive summer experience for up to 100 pre-doctoral students in social and personality psychology.

SISPP typically offers five courses, in dual-instructor format, led by top researchers and teachers in the field. The program also offers two unique workshops, exposing participants to current and important data analytic techniques and research methodologies.

The submission was very extensive with only 100 applicants awarded.

“I am excited to attend the Summer Institute for Social and Personality Psychology training program at Ohio State University. I’m looking forward to sharing my dissertation research on social judgment and debiasing through better sensemaking and learning from leading experts and fellow graduate students. This experience will inform both my research and my work with the NSF-funded Advance program at Michigan Tech.” – Betsy Lehman, ACSHF PhD student

SISPP 2023 will be held at Ohio State University in July. This will be the first time the program has been conducted since 2019 due to pandemic restrictions in 2021.

ACSHF Forum: Grad Student Presentations

Published March 23, 2023

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The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host two speakers at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors forum: Nishat Alam and Anne Inger Mørtvedt, both ACSHF graduate students. Their presentations will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Monday (March 27) in Meese 109 and via Zoom.

Alam will present “Types of Questions Teachers Ask to Engage Students in Making Sense of a Student Contribution.”

Abstract:

In the student center classroom, where teachers constantly make decisions based on what is happening surrounding them, what they are noticing, and how they are interpreting student contributions, a teacher’s interpretation and response to student mathematical contributions plays an important role to shape and direct students’ thinking. In particular, failing to ask productive questions that help students to engage in a sense-making discussion could deteriorate cognitive opportunities. This research is planning to study what types of questions teachers indicate they would ask to engage students in making sense of a high-leverage student mathematical contribution, what Leatham et al. (2015) refer to as a MOST (Mathematically Significant Pedagogical Opportunities to Build on Student Thinking) and their reasoning about why particular questions are or are not productive. In this study, a scenario-based survey questionnaire will be sent via email to 100 middle and high school teachers. In the given scenario, a MOST has surfaced, and teachers will be asked three questions about how they would respond in the scenario. This research could lead us to determine if teachers are selecting the questions which are likely to be productive in supporting students’ mathematical thinking and why they select the questions that they do. Knowing this will inform future work with teachers to productively use student thinking in their teaching.

Mørtvedt will present “Relationship between Program Usability Characteristics and Intention to Use: Preliminary Data Implementing a Sport Injury Prevention Program.”

Abstract:

Adherence to exercise programs is low across multiple populations. For example, within the target population for ACL injuries, only ~4-20 % of sports teams have implemented evidence based injury prevention programs. This study explored the relationship between usability characteristics and implementation likelihood for a newly developed ACL injury prevention program. Twenty-two female handball players, aged 16 to 18, participated in the intervention study. Data on usability characteristics was collected through a modified usability scale similar to the System Usability Scale. Subcomponents of the usability scale included
learnability, perceived effectiveness, ease of use, enjoyability and efficiency. Paired sample’s t-test revealed a significant difference between all constructs from pre to post intervention, except for the perceived effectiveness score. Enjoyability and efficiency were the constructs that changed the most, both scores going down post intervention. Perceived effectiveness, enjoyability and efficiency were significantly correlated with intention to use the program (rho 0.50, p = 0.02, rho 0.50, p= 0.02, rho 0.65, p < 0.001, respectively), indicating that program adherence is affected by whether they believe the program will work (e.g. reduce injuries),
whether they enjoy performing the program and whether they find it reasonable with regard to time use. We did not find any significant relationships between the two other subcomponents (e.g. learnability, ease of use) and intention to use. This preliminary data suggests that program designers may want to make sure participants understand why it is important to perform the program, in addition to developing an exercise program that they seem to enjoy performing and find worth their time. Future studies should capture more data on the usability scale/subscales to ensure the factor structure is consistent and items display appropriate psychometric properties.

MTU, MSU: Inaugural Research Symposium

Published March 23, 2023

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Kevin Trewartha (CLS/KIP) and Carolyn Duncan (KIP/CLS/BME) were part of the Inaugural Research Symposium titled “Engineering the Future of Human Health” held on March 13 at Michigan State University. A collaborative event spearheaded by Michigan Technological University Vice President for Global Campus and Continuing Education David Lawrence and planned by a joint MTU and MSU team.

Twelve researchers from MTU and 12 from MSU delivered presentations during the event’s six sessions. The event also featured an 18-poster display from faculty, researchers and M.D. students. Trewartha and Duncan represented the Neurological Disease and Aging Research session.

The purpose of this collaborative event was investigating areas of shared goals, mutual interests and possible research collaboration in crucial areas of human health. Or as Christopher Contag of MSU affirmed, the symposium “will help integrate the research aims of the two universities for a collective endeavor to develop the tools, technologies and knowledge that will impact human health across the state.”

The next step will be developing these research aims and shared human health initiatives in a second collaborative symposium hosted by MTU on October 27, 2023, which is timed to go along with the Upper Peninsula Medical Conference. In this symposium, researchers will elaborate on the theme of engineering the future of human health, but in these key areas: Big Data, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Image Processing, Epidemiology, Human Factors and Neural Engineering.

For full story see Tech Today: MTU, MSU Collaborate and Build Foundations in Inaugural Research Symposium

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