This study analyzed working memory differences between novices and experts on the effects of visual aids. We wanted to know whether displaying vital signs with a visual representation would make it easier to diagnose abnormal values.
Human Factors Researcher
Minitab / PowerPoint
Experimental Design
Participants been split into two groups experts (physicians) and novices (students with little to no medical training). Each participant completed four tasks, two which asked them to identify abnormal canine vital signs (given a range of normal values) and two which asked them to identify abnormal weather statistics in a given area over a specified period of time.
The primary outcome measures were total time on task for each of the four sets, ability to identify abnormal values, and overall percentage of correct responses. The working hypotheses were as follows:
A 2*2*2 mixed-model ANOVA was computed for each outcome measures.