Effect of Alternate Feedback Strategies on Performance for a Synthetic Aircraft Visual Inspection Task

Abstract

Feedback training has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of improving inspection performance. One important issue surrounding the use of feedback is providing the type of information that inspectors find most useful, including determining the format for presenting this information in a way easy to interpret and utilize. The objective of this study was to conduct subjective and performance evaluations of graphical displays used to provide performance and process feedback. Ten subjects, randomly assigned to one of the two sequences in which they underwent two treatment levels (performance feedback, process feedback), inspected a simulated aircraft cargo bay for three types of defects (crack, corrosion and damaged conduit). The subjects then filled out a subjective questionnaire on the content, format and usefulness of the feedback information provided and the display used to provide the information. The results on performance and subjective evaluation of feedback information are analyzed and reported as a part of the study.