Engineering Psychology And Human Performance 4th Edition By Christopher D. Wickens – Test Bank

Complete Test Bank With Answers

 

 

Sample Questions Posted Below

 

Chapter 4: Spatial Displays

Multiple Choice Questions

Correct answers are indicated by *

• Graphs are more effective than tables for:

* a. spatial judgments

b. reading precise values

c. converting text to digits

d. none of the above

• More effective task-graph combinations are a result of:

a. a longer sequence of mental operations

* b. a shorter sequence of mental operations

c. independent of the number of mental operations

d. difficult-to-perceive geometric characteristics

• Which of the following is not a recommended graph guideline?

a. consider the task

b. use physical dimensions judged without bias

c. keep the data-ink ratio high

* d. use saturated colors

• Point reading is best performed with:

a. more integrated graph types

b. an emergent feature

* c. more separated graph types

d. graphs without labels

• High-proximity tasks are best performed with:

* a. more integrated graph types

b. tables

c. more separated graph types

d. graphs with labels

• Most graphical perception models postulate a general process of:

* a. searchencodingcomparison

b. encodingsearchcomparison

c. searchcomparisonencoding

d. encodingsearchcomparison

• When reading a graph, more mental operations generally means:

a. less time, decreased likelihood of error

b. more time, decreased likelihood of error

c. less time, increased likelihood of error

* d. more time, increased likelihood of error

• What is the relationship between sequences of mental operations and visual scanning in graphical perception?

* a. visual scanning is related to the sequence of operations

b. visual scanning is unrelated to the sequence of operations

c. fewer scans mean a greater number of operations

d. the sequence of scans is not predicted by the sequence of operations

• How does the number of operations relate to the proximity compatibility principle (PCP)?

a. there is no relationship

* b. reducing the number of operations reduces information access cost

c. PCP predicts a greater number of operations for integrated tasks

d. PCP predicts a greater number of operations for separated tasks

• How can the effects of the Poggendorf illusion be reduced when drawing a graph?

* a. provide a graduated axis on each side

b. rescale the y-axis (vertical axis) to increase the slope

c. rescale the x-axis (horizontal axis) to decrease the slope

d. none of the above

• Cleveland and McGill found that comparative judgments of two quantities depends upon the graph type, and then proposed a ranking of the types according to their effectiveness. Which of the following is at the top of their list?

a. comparison of angle

b. comparison of volume

c. comparison line length along a single axis

*d. linear extent with a common baseline

• Estimating areas and volumes is subject to:

a. response expansion

* b. response compression

c. expansion then compression

d. no bias

 

• Comparing areas and volumes in judgments of proportion leads to 

* a. cyclical bias patterns

b. response expansion

c. random error only

d. response compression

• The addition of tick marks to graphs can improve the accuracy of proportion judgments. Which of the following statements best describes how the accuracy is improved?

a. the amplitude of the bias pattern is reduced

* b. the “frequency” of the bias pattern is reduced

c. both amplitude of the bias pattern is reduced and the “frequency” of the bias pattern is reduced

d. neither amplitude of the bias pattern is reduced nor the “frequency” of the bias pattern is reduced

• What does the data-ink ratio principle say:

a. use the maximum amount of ink possible on the graph

b. use the minimum amount of ink possible on the graph

* c. minimize the amount of ink not used to depict data

d. maximize the amount of ink not used to depict data

 

• Shah and Carpenter found that our mental representation of coded variables in graphs is:

* a. qualitative

b. quantitative

c. nominal

d. metric

• Which of the following situations would violate the design principles for multiple graphs:

a. consistent mapping of codes to variables across graphs

b. quantitative or important variables are placed on the x-axis

* c. highlighting similarities across graphs, while downplaying differences

d. using a short distinct legend for each graph

• We can talk of (at least) three representations when a human interacts with a physical system: the physical system itself, the display representation, and the user’s internal representation or mental model. Display compatibility refers to a compatibility between:

* a. the mental model and the display representation

b. the display representation and the physical representation

c. the physical representation and the mental model

d. the physical system and the internal representation

• Ecological compatibility emphasizes the importance of the relationship between:

a. the internal representation and the display representation

b. the display representation and training or experience

* c. the display representation and the physical system

d. the mental model and the physical system

• The principle of pictorial realism:

a. is the same as naïve realism

b. is the opposite of naïve realism

* c. says that analog variables should be displayed in analog form

d. says that analog displays should be used to display categorical data

• Which of the following situations would best represent the principle of pictorial realism:

a. displaying altitude using a circular format

b. displaying altitude with low altitudes on the left and high altitudes on the right

c. display altitude with low altitudes at the top of the display

* d. display altitude with high altitudes at the top of the display

• Can color hue (e.g., red, green, blue) be used to represent ordered variables?

a. no, never

* b. yes, if used in combination with a brightness or saturation scale

c. yes, red is seen as more than green

d. yes, red is seen as more than blue

• The principle of the moving part says:

* a. that the direction of movement of an indicator is compatible with the operator’s mental representation of the variable

b. that a moving indicator should be compatible with a thermometer

c. that a moving pointer should move up when a categorical variable decreases

d. that an altimeter should place high altitudes at the top of a display

• An inside-out display shows a stable aircraft and a moving horizon. This is how the world appears to the pilot. This arrangement:

* a. violates the principle of the moving part but is consistent with the principle of pictorial realism

b. does not violate either principle;

c. violates the principle of pictorial realism but is consistent with the principle of the moving part 

d. violates both principles

• A frequency-separated display

a. is a type of tethered display

b. is not a hybrid display

* c. follows both the principle of the moving part and the principle of pictorial realism

d. follows neither the principle of the moving part or the principle of pictorial realism

• A tethered display

a. is a type of frequency-separated display

b. cannot be used to control an avatar

c. has yet to be evaluated for remote vehicle control

* d.  is a type of frequency-separated display  and is used in video games

• When interface elements are configured to reflect the constraints of the physical system being represented, the result is called:

a. naïve realism

b. a hybrid display

* c. an ecological interface

d. an integrated display

• Burns et al. (2008) developed a display that showed mass flow balance in a nuclear power plant. Two bars were used to represent the masses of two fluids. A line was drawn between the bars, and a bubble was placed on the bar that acted like the bubble in a carpenter’s level. Which of the following best describes how this represents an ecological display?

a. the bubble is a component of the physical system

b. the carpenter’s level is part of the user’s mental model

* c. the emergent feature of the line slope (and the distance of the bubble from the middle of the line) represented the mass flow balance directly

d. the bubble follows the principle of pictorial realism

• It is useful to distinguish between two perceptual systems, direct and indirect. Which of the following is NOT  a characteristic of direct perception:

a. uses ambient (peripheral) vision

b. uses dorsal pathways

c. is ecological

* d. requires cognitive inference

• It is useful to distinguish between two perceptual systems, direct and indirect. Which of the following is NOT associated with indirect perception:

a. focal (foveal) vision

b. ventral pathways

* c. egomotion (close to observer)

d. information processing

• The effectiveness of the Malcolm horizon display demonstrated:

* a. aircraft attitude control is facilitated by peripheral displays

b. that conventional attitude indicators are not effective

c. that conventional attitude indicators are not restricted to foveal vision

d. that lasers should not be used in the cockpit

• The term “egomotion” means

a. how the ego becomes more important to the self over time

b. how one’s self importance is affected by motion through space

* c. self motion through the environment

d. motion within the observed environment

• Which of the following is not an invariant:

a. texture gradient

b. global optical flow

* c. relative size

d. optical flow

• Which of the following invariants is important to indicate altitude?

* a. splay

b. tau

c. edge rate

d. none of the above

• What factor affects edge rate but not global optical flow?

a. traffic circles

* b. systematic changes in texture density

c. splay

d. it is impossible to affect edge rate without affecting global optical flow.

• Which of the following is not an object-centered cue?

* a. binocular disparity (stereopsis)

b. familiar size

c. motion parallax

d. proximity-luminance covariance

• Which pair of cues are consistently effective regardless of distance?

a. binocular disparity and motion parallax

b. texture density and aerial perspective

* c. occlusion and relative size

d. convergence and accommodation

• When depth cues are put in conflict, one cue tends to win. This is an example of 

a. motion parallax

b. stereopsis

* c. cue dominance

d. an experimental artifact

• What happens when the depth scene is impoverished?

* a. the brain imposes “hypotheses” based on experience

b. the brain relies on stereopsis

c. the brain relies on motion parallax

d. the scene is perceived as inverted

• Three-dimensional displays integrate information across the three spatial dimensions. What would the PCP predict about their effectiveness relative to two-dimensional co-planar displays?

a. they should be better for tasks requiring the integration of information across dimensions (e.g., appreciation of 3D shape)

b. they should be better for tasks involving the layout of terrain (e.g., can I see point A from point B)

c. they should be better for tasks in which vertical and horizontal dimensions need to be assessed independently

* d. a and b

e. a, b, and c

• “Line-of-sight ambiguity” refers to 

* a. how accurately we perceive the relative distances of objects when they are aligned along our line of sight

b. whether we can tell if one object is in front of another when they are aligned along our line of sight

c. whether we can tell if one object is above another when they are at different distances 

d. none of the above

• Which of the following solutions is NOT recommended for three-dimensional displays of synthetic space:

a. adding more (and more effective) depth cues

b. adding artificial frameworks 

c. careful task analysis

* d. reversing the axes

• Stereopsis primarily works by: 

* a. presenting slightly different images to the two eyes 

b. eye movement

c. stimulus motion

d. integrating audio with visual cues

• Stereoscopic displays are most useful: 

a. for object identification at large distances

* b. for control of hand/arm movements (e.g., grasping)

c. when there are many monocular depth cues

d. when there is low scene complexity

• Transparent and translucent surfaces are common in medical imaging systems (e.g., ultrasound). How do stereoscopic displays provide an advantage for such systems?

* a. stereoscopic displays clarify which object is in front

b. stereoscopic displays make the translucent surfaces opaque

c. stereoscopic displays magnify the relevant organs

d. stereoscopic displays allow the observer to rotate the visual scene

• Under normal listening conditions, we estimate the location of a sound:

a. using cues derived from a single ear (monaural cues) only

b. using cues derived from both ears (binaural cues) only

* c. using both monaural and binaural cues

d. using neither cue type

• Which of the following is NOT an advantage of spatial audio:

a. reduced response times to visual alerts 

b. resistance to cognitive load

* c. improves stereopsis

d. improves the speed of visual search

• The “orientation reflex” describes:

* a. our natural ability to attend to loud and distinct sounds

b. our natural ability to point to the north

c. our natural ability to stay upright while sitting

d. our natural ability to identify the orientation of a visual target

• Tactile displays are useful for a variety of purposes. Which of the following is NOT a demonstrated advantage for tactile displays:

a. improving obstacle avoidance

b. providing drift information to helicopter pilots

c. facilitate aircraft upset recovery

* d. assist in reading complex text instructions

• Which of the following best describes how binaural cues work?

a. vibration from the head integrated with sound detected by the ears

* b. differences in the intensity and timing of sound waves arriving at each ear

c. visual information used to validate the timing of events at each ear 

d. the shape of a single pinna (external ear) determines the location

Short Answer Essay Questions

• What does graph design tell us about display design? What applies and what does not apply? 
• Describe several characteristics of color that have practical implications for display design.
• Describe a taxonomy of tasks for graphs. Are different graphs better for different tasks? Discuss.
• Describe some biases in graph reading. Are there solutions? Discuss with drawn examples.
• What are the components of display compatibility?
• What is a frequency separated display? Define and give examples.
• What is meant by an ecological display? Using examples, describe how the displays are ecological.
• Briefly describe five optical invariants.
• Describe five depth cues. Are they object- or observer-centered? What depth cues are considered most important for display design and why?
• Auditory and tactile displays can be used redundantly with visual displays. Using information theory, specify why adding these modalities should improve performance.

Essay Questions

• Compare and contrast the following principles in display design: data-ink ratio, proximity compatibility principle, Cleveland’s ranking of perceptual tasks, ecological compatibility, naïve realism. What are the relations among these various principles, and what do they emphasize.
• Consider the relationship among four representations important for display design: 
  • internal (mental model), 
  • display, 
  • task, and
  • the physical system itself. 
• Distinguish between direct and indirect perception and their implications for the representation of three-dimensional space on a display surface.
• Three dimensional spaces should be represented by three dimensional displays. What are the pros and cons of this argument?
• Are stereoscopic displays effective? Consider both strengths and limitations, and the experimental evidence in support.