Departmental research in this area emphasizes models, processes, and characteristics of human decision making; factors that affect decision making; technologies for assisting, modifying, or supplementing human decision making; and training strategies for assisting or influencing decision making.
Research Groups
Applied Cognition & Expertise (ACE) Lab
The ACE Lab, directed by Associate Professor Paul Ward, specializes in research on successful, skilled, and expert performance in complex and stressful environments. Researchers in the ACE lab employ cognitive-task analysis and process-tracing measures (e.g., think-aloud protocols and eye-movement recording) to examine skill-based differences in anticipation, situation assessment, and decision-making, especially in psychomotor domains.
Research is primarily concerned with
- increasing our understanding of the cognitive system that supports skilled performance and its acquisition; and
- improving human performance and perceptual-cognitive skills through training and technological design.
Decision Science and Decision Engineering (DeSciDE) Lab
The Decision Science and Decision Engineering Laboratory (DeSciDE), directed by Assistant Professor Edward Cokely, specializes in the psychology of judgment and decision making, with emphasis on individual differences in risky and ethical choices (e.g., risk literacy, numeracy, and personality) and decision-support technologies (e.g., computerized testing, risk communication, adaptive training systems, and usability).
Cognitive Modeling and Experimentation Lab (CME)
Researchers in the Cognitive Modeling and Experimentation Lab study applied and basic problems using both empirical methods (lab and field studies) and computational modeling. Our research specializes in how knowledge is formed and represented by novices and experts in order to accomplish their goals. Specific domains of research include crossword puzzle experts, spatial memory, and cultural knowledge.
Human Factors and Systems Modeling Lab
Research in the Human Factors and Systems Modeling Lab (HFSM) is focused on employing system simulations to understand how people use engineering systems. This includes research in driving, where both roadway design and in-vehicle design are studied, and research in service and management systems, where both service providers and recipients can be studied.
| Faculty | Areas of Interest |
|---|---|
Judgement and Decision Making; Cognitive Abilities, Expertise, and Individual Differences; Risk Literacy, Numeracy, and Risk Communication; Industrial / Organizational Psychology | |
Human Factors; Transportation Safety and Policy; Service Systems | |
Computational Modeling; Recognitional Decision Making; Perceptual and Memory Processes; Representations of Cultural Knowledge | |
Planning and decision making in infrastructure system management; Develop models and implements simulations that can aid decision makers assess design alternatives and explore what-if scenarios | |
Study of Expertise; Perceptual-Cognitive Skills; Training; Skill Acquisition; Applied Cognition; Cognitive Engineering; Human Factors; Sports Science | |