Submission 280
Direct Situation Awareness Measurement Based on Actions
SymposiumTalk-03
Presented by: Matthias G. Arend
Operator situation awareness (SA) constitutes a major bottleneck for successful teleoperation. Consequently, many interfaces and support systems are designed with the aim of enhancing it. For evaluating the effects of such systems, SA measures that suit different demands are needed. The present research introduces a novel measure of SA by comparing it with two established measures. The established measures, Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) and an adapted Situation Present Assessment Method (aSPAM), are explicit query techniques, whereas the newly developed Situation Awareness Measurement Based on Actions (SAMBA) is an implicit query technique. The comparison was based on the predictive validity and intrusiveness of each measure. Seventy-two participants completed a simulated teleoperation task with high rates of change that required repeated split-second decision-making. SAGAT was most strongly predictive of performance in the teleoperation task. SAMBA showed a medium positive correlation with performance, which explained variance incremental to that explained by SAGAT or aSPAM. In terms of intrusiveness on the primary task, SAMBA showed a smaller carry-over effect than SAGAT, indicating that performance was influenced less. SAGAT, in contrast, was the only measure that did not show dual-task interference. Overall, the results position SAMBA as valid implicit alternative for direct objective measurement of SA that, currently, is exclusively explicit. Furthermore, they underscore the suitability of SAGAT for explicit SA measurement during teleoperation tasks with high rates of change. Combining the explicit and established SAGAT with the implicit and novel SAMBA could help unlock the full potential of both measures.