The Effects of Panel Arrangement and Locus of Attention on Performance

Abstract

A 2 × 2 × 8 factorial design was used to determine the effects of mirror-imaged panel arrangement and locus of attention (i.e., whether the subject focused attention external to the control panel or internal to the control panel) on operator performance. Response time and error data were collected for both nonemergency and simulated emergency situations. For the nonemergency performance condition the mirror-image group took longer to operate the controls and made slightly more errors. Performance in emergency situations was particularly degraded in the mirror-imaged condition. More instances of strain and fatigue were reported by the subjects using the mirror-imaged panel. The use of mirror-imaged complex control panels in high-stress environments is not recommended when separate panels are being operated by the same person.