Publications

McGuire, Zachary M.; Goldblum, Bethany L.; Stewart, Christopher S.; Whetzel, Jonathan H.; Wu, Gina W.; Boire, Finn B.; Nolte, Nicholas N.; Tibbetts, Jake T.; Abbott, Robert G.; Hashemizadeh, Arman H.

Abstract not provided.

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Divis, Kristin; Abbott, Robert G.; Branda, Catherine B.; Avina, Glory E.; Femling, Jon F.; Huerta, Jose G.; Jelinkova, Lucie J.; Jennings, Jeremy K.; Pearce, Emily P.; Ries, Daniel R.; Sanchez, Danielle; Silva, Austin R.

Abstract not provided.

Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences

Ferguson-Walter, Kimberly J.; Shade, Temmie B.; Rogers, Andrew V.; Niedbala, Elizabeth M.; Trumbo, Michael C.; Nauer, Kevin S.; Divis, Kristin; Jones, Aaron P.; Combs, Angela C.; Abbott, Robert G.

The Tularosa study was designed to understand how defensive deception-including both cyber and psychological-affects cyber attackers. Over 130 red teamers participated in a network penetration task over two days in which we controlled both the presence of and explicit mention of deceptive defensive techniques. To our knowledge, this represents the largest study of its kind ever conducted on a professional red team population. The design was conducted with a battery of questionnaires (e.g., experience, personality, etc.) and cognitive tasks (e.g., fluid intelligence, working memory, etc.), allowing for the characterization of a “typical” red teamer, as well as physiological measures (e.g., galvanic skin response, heart rate, etc.) to be correlated with the cyber events. This paper focuses on the design, implementation, data, population characteristics, and begins to examine preliminary results.

Ferguson-Walter, Kimberly F.; Shade, Temmie S.; Rogers, Andrew R.; Trumbo, Michael C.; Nauer, Kevin S.; Divis, Kristin; Jones, Aaron P.; Combs, Angela C.; Abbott, Robert G.; Niedbala, Elizabeth N.

Abstract not provided.

Ferguson-Walter, Kimberly F.; Shade, Temmie S.; Rogers, Andrew R.; Combs, Angela C.; Divis, Kristin; Nauer, Kevin S.; Jones, Aaron P.; Trumbo, Michael C.; Abbott, Robert G.

Abstract not provided.

Avina, Glory E.; Divis, Kristin; Abbott, Robert G.

Abstract not provided.

Divis, Kristin; Avina, Glory E.; Divis, Kristin; Abbott, Robert G.; Anderson-Bergman, Clifford I.; Branda, Catherine B.; Divis, Kristin; Jelinkova, Lucie J.; Newton, Victoria E.; Pearce, Emily P.; Femling, Jon F.

Abstract not provided.

Avina, Glory E.; Abbott, Robert G.; Anderson-Bergman, Clifford I.; Divis, Kristin

Abstract not provided.

Avina, Glory E.; Abbott, Robert G.; Anderson-Bergman, Clifford I.; Divis, Kristin

Abstract not provided.

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing

Abbott, Robert G.; Moyer, Eric; Forsythe, Chris

In many settings, multi-tasking and interruption are commonplace. Multi-tasking has been a popular subject of recent research, but a multitasking paradigm normally allows the subject some control over the timing of the task switch. In this paper we focus on interruptions—situations in which the subject has no control over the timing of task switches. We consider three types of task: verbal (reading comprehension), visual search, and monitoring/situation awareness. Using interruptions from 30 s to 2 min in duration, we found a significant effect in each case, but with different effect sizes. For the situation awareness task, we experimented with interruptions of varying duration and found a non-linear relation between the duration of the interruption and its after-effect on performance, which may correspond to a task-dependent interruption threshold, which is lower for more dynamic tasks.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

Avina, Glory E.; Abbott, Robert G.; Anderson-Bergman, Clifford I.; Branda, Catherine B.; Divis, Kristin; Newton, Victoria E.; Pearce, Emily; Femling, Jon

The Rim-to-Rim Wearables At The Canyon for Health (R2R WATCH) study examines metrics recordable on commercial off the shelf (COTS) devices that are most relevant and reliable for the earliest possible indication of a health or performance decline. This is accomplished through collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and The University of New Mexico (UNM) where the two organizations team up to collect physiological, cognitive, and biological markers from volunteer hikers who attempt the Rim-to-Rim (R2R) hike at the Grand Canyon. Three forms of data are collected as hikers travel from rim to rim: physiological data through wearable devices, cognitive data through a cognitive task taken every 3 hours, and blood samples obtained before and after completing the hike. Data is collected from both civilian and warfighter hikers. Once the data is obtained, it is analyzed to understand the effectiveness of each COTS device and the validity of the data collected. We also aim to identify which physiological and cognitive phenomena collected by wearable devices are the most relatable to overall health and task performance in extreme environments, and of these ascertain which markers provide the earliest yet reliable indication of health decline. Finally, we analyze the data for significant differences between civilians’ and warfighters’ markers and the relationship to performance. This is a study funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA, Project CB10359) and the University of New Mexico (The main portion of the R2R WATCH study is funded by DTRA. UNM is currently funding all activities related to bloodwork. DTRA, Project CB10359; SAND2017-1872 C). This paper describes the experimental design and methodology for the first year of the R2R WATCH project.

Divis, Kristin; Abbott, Robert G.; Avina, Glory E.; Matzen, Laura E.

Abstract not provided.

Abbott, Robert G.

Abstract not provided.

Abbott, Robert G.; McClain, Jonathan T.; Anderson, Benjamin R.; Nauer, Kevin S.; Silva, Austin R.; Forsythe, James C.

Abstract not provided.

McClain, Jonathan T.; Silva, Austin R.; Avina, Glory E.; Nauer, Kevin S.; Speed, Ann S.; Abbott, Robert G.; Matzen, Laura E.; Haass, Michael J.; Trumbo, Derek T.

Abstract not provided.

Anderson, Benjamin R.; Nauer, Kevin S.; Lee, Wellington K.; McClain, Jonathan T.; Abbott, Robert G.

Abstract not provided.

Forsythe, James C.; Reed, Theodore R.; Anderson, Benjamin R.; Nauer, Kevin S.; Abbott, Robert G.

Abstract not provided.

Abbott, Robert G.; Forsythe, James C.

Adaptive Thinking has been defined here as the capacity to recognize when a course of action that may have previously been effective is no longer effective and there is need to adjust strategy. Research was undertaken with human test subjects to identify the factors that contribute to adaptive thinking. It was discovered that those most effective in settings that call for adaptive thinking tend to possess a superior capacity to quickly and effectively generate possible courses of action, as measured using the Category Generation test. Software developed for this research has been applied to develop capabilities enabling analysts to identify crucial factors that are predictive of outcomes in fore-on-force simulation exercises.

Reed, Theodore M.; Abbott, Robert G.; Anderson, Benjamin R.; Nauer, Kevin S.

Abstract not provided.

Abbott, Robert G.; Forsythe, James C.; Haass, Michael J.; Silva, Austin R.

Abstract not provided.

Abbott, Robert G.

Abstract not provided.

Proposed for publication in Human Factors: The Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Abbott, Robert G.; Haass, Michael J.

Abstract not provided.

Chu, Dahlon D.; Wiegandt, David A.; Harrison, Kevin L.; McCrory, Fredrick M.; Davis, Christopher E.; Bernard, Michael L.; Abbott, Robert G.; Clifford, Bernard P.

Abstract not provided.

Advances in Cognitive Engineering and Neuroergonomics

Abbott, Robert G.; Forsythe, James C.; Glickman, Matthew R.; Trumbo, Derek T.

Many enterprises are becoming increasingly data-driven. For example, empirically collected data about customer behavior offers an alternative to more traditional, synthetic techniques such as surveys, focus groups, and subject-matter experts. In contrast, recordings of tactical training exercises for the US military are not broadly archived or available for analysis. There may be great opportunity for military training and planning to use analogous techniques, where tactical scenarios are systematically recorded, indexed, and archived. Such a system would provide information for all levels of analysis, including establishing benchmarks for individual performance, evaluating the relevance and impact of training protocols, and assessing the utility of proposed systems and conops. However, such a system also offers many challenges and risks, such as cost, security, privacy, and end-user accessibility. This paper examines the possible benefits and risks of such a system with some emphasis on our recent research to address end-user accessibility.

Abbott, Robert G.

This document reports on the research of Kenneth Letendre, the recipient of a Sandia Graduate Research Fellowship at the University of New Mexico. Warfare is an extreme form of intergroup competition in which individuals make extreme sacrifices for the benefit of their nation or other group to which they belong. Among animals, limited, non-lethal competition is the norm. It is not fully understood what factors lead to warfare. We studied the global variation in the frequency of civil conflict among countries of the world, and its positive association with variation in the intensity of infectious disease. We demonstrated that the burden of human infectious disease importantly predicts the frequency of civil conflict and tested a causal model for this association based on the parasite-stress theory of sociality. We also investigated the organization of social foraging by colonies of harvester ants in the genus Pogonomyrmex, using both field studies and computer models.