%SECTION Academic Unit %Institution George Mason University %Unit Psychology Department %Center Human Factors & Applied Cognition (HF/AC) %Shortname George Mason Univ., Psychology %Country USA-VA, Fairfax %Keyname GMU %Address m/s 3f5 Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 %Phone +01-703-993-1366 %Fax +01-703-993-1349 %Email gray@gmu.edu %Contact Karen Alarie %Updated 1995-07-01 %Degrees M.A., Ph.D. %HCI_MS_Theses 10 %HCI_PhD_Theses 4 %HCI_MS_Current 15 %HCI_PhD_Current 10 %Description The HF/AC program focuses on issues of: cognitive ergonomics, cognitive task analysis, computational cognitive modeling (such as ACT-R), Usability Evaluation Methods, the psychology of programming, expertise, interface design, transportation, and telecommunications. The psychology program excels in the development of quantitative skills. Programming expertise is also emphasized. %Facilities In addition to an extensive array of department and university resources, students in the HF/AC program have access to the Human Factors lab run by Prof. Deborah Boehm-Davis and the Cognition-Artifact-Task (C-A-T) lab maintained by Prof. Wayne D. Gray. The Human Factors lab is PC-based and includes aviation simulators, access to driving simulators, connections to the university mainframe, and a library of current research periodicals. The C-A-T lab includes 5 etherneted Macintoshes (3 PowerMacs), laser printers, a web server, and connections to the university mainframe. Video equipment includes an A/V Mac, low-end professional quality VCR deck, and camera. Both labs include office space for Ph.D. students. %SECTION HCI Program %Contact Wayne D. Gray %Title Associate Professor %Address George Mason University m/s 3f5 Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 USA %Phone +01-703-993-1344 %Fax +01-703-993-1359 %Email gray@gmu.edu %Program %Other_Contacts + %SECTION HCI Faculty %Name Deborah Boehm-Davis %Title Associate Professor %Degree PhD %Phone +01-703-993-8735 %Email dbdavis@gmu.edu %Interests + * software comprehension * applications of interface design principles to the design of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and design of distance education courseware. %Publications + * Sebrechts, M., Silverman, B., Boehm-Davis, D., and Norman, K. (in press). Exploring an Electronic Collaborative Learning Environment in a University Consortium: The CIRCLE Project, Computers and Education. * Boehm-Davis, D. A., Fox, J., and Philips, B. (in press). Techniques for exploring software comprehension. In W. D. Gray and D. A. Boehm-Davis (Eds.). Empirical studies of programmers: Seventh Workshop, Norwood, NJ: Ablex. * Boehm-Davis, D. A. (1995). Human-computer interaction techniques. In J. Weimer (Ed.), Research techniques in human engineering. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. * Boehm-Davis, D. A., Holt, R. W., and Peters, R. D. (1993) Effects of different data base formats on information modification, Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 83, 107-123. %SECTION HCI Faculty %Name Wayne D. Gray %Title Associate Professor %Degree PhD %Phone +01-703-993-1344 %Email gray@gmu.edu %Interests + * computational cognitive modeling (ACT-R) * cognitive task analysis techniques (GOMS, TAG, and so on) * display-based cognition * usability evaluation methods * the nature, discovery, and recovery of human error * human-computer interaction * applying schema theory and long-term working memory theory to modeling Submarine Approach Officers' situation assessment skills * telecommunications %Publications + * Gray, W. D. (1995). VCR-as-paradigm: A study and taxonomy of errors in an interactive task. In Proceedings of Interact'95 Lillehammer, Norway. * Gray, W. D., John, B. E., Stuart, R., Lawrence, D., & Atwood, M. E. (1995). GOMS Meets the Phone Company: Analytic Modeling Applied to Real-World Problems. In R. M. Baecker, J. Grudin, W. A. S. Buxton, & S. Greenberg (Eds.), Readings in human-computer interaction: Toward the year 2000 (pp. 29-34). San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. * Gray, W. D., John, B. E., & Atwood, M. E. (1993). Project Ernestine: Validating a GOMS analysis for predicting and explaining real-world performance. Human-Computer Interaction, 8(3), 237-309. %SECTION HCI Courses %Title Cognitive Engineering: Cognitive Science applied to Human Factors %Number PSYC 530 %Instructor Gray %Frequency Fall %Times_Taught 2 %Enrollment 15-20 %Format /lecture/seminar %Tools none %Text + * Norman, D. A. (1989). The design of everyday things. New York: Basic Books. ISBN: 0-385-26774-6 * Wickens, C. D. (1992). Engineering Psychology and Human Performance. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0-673-46161-0 * Venturino, M. (Ed.) (1990). Selected Readings in Human Factors. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society. ISBN: 0-945289-00-6 %Description Covers cognitive theory from an applied perspective to understand and predict the interactions among human cognition, artifact (i.e., tools), and task. The course emphasizes current work in one or more applied domains such as human-computer interaction, aviation psychology, medical human factors, and so on. Recent research and case studies that emphasize analytical modeling techniques, systems design, and the development of tools and methods are discussed. %SECTION HCI Courses %Title Research Methods in Human Factors and Applied Cognition %Number PSYC 645 %Instructor Boehm-Davis, Gray, Allen %Frequency every year %Times_Taught %Enrollment 15-20 %Format seminar %Tools none %Text + - original journal articles %Description Hands-on approach to selected current and/or classical Human Factors and Applied Cognition research methods. (The exact methods will be announced in advance.) Potential methods include task analysis, critical incident analysis, reliability/error analysis, workload measures, verbal protocol analysis, user interface evaluation methods, and engineering models of human performance. May be repeated for credit. %SECTION HCI Courses %Title Seminar in Human Factors & Applied Cognition %Number PSYC 734 %Instructor program faculty %Frequency yearly %Times_Taught %Enrollment 15-20 %Format seminar %Tools none %Text + - original journal articles %Description This seminar series emphasizes current research and development in human factors, ergonomics, applied cognition, and applied perception. May be repeated for credit. %SECTION HCI Courses %Title Seminar in Human-Technology Interactions %Number PSYC 737 %Instructor Boehm-Davis %Frequency every other year %Times_Taught %Enrollment 15-20 %Format seminar %Tools none %Text + - original journal articles %Description This seminar series emphasizes current research and development in human-computer interaction, cognitive systems engineering, cognitive ergonomics, and cognitive engineering. May be repeated for credit.