Research Projects

Research Theme 1: Human-Automation Interaction

Trust toward Automated Systems/Agents

Human-Automation Trust is a critical factor that modulates operator behaviors in applied cognitive tasks. The overarching goal of this research is to determine trajectories of trust development for general automation users, using virtual environments, and support ideal levels of human-automation trust for the optimal use. Additionally, we are exploring how information sampling patterns and workload influence trust in a simulated multitasking environment.

Trust toward Automated Systems/Agents 

Selected Publications

• Yamani, Y., Long, S. K., Sato, T., Braitman, A. L., Politowicz, M. S., & Chancey, E. T. (2024). Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis reveals two distinct human–automation trust constructs. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 67(2), 166–180.

• Sato, T., Jackson, A., & Yamani, Y. (2024). Number of interrupting events influences response time in multitasking, but not trust in automation. The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 1–17.

• Sato, T., Islam, S., Still, J. D., Scerbo, M. W., & Yamani, Y. (2022). Task priority reduces an adverse effect of task load on automation trust in a dynamic multitasking environment. Cognition Technology & Work, 25(1), 1–13.

• Long, S. K., Lee, J., Yamani, Y., Unverricht, J., & Itoh, M. (2022). Does automation trust evolve from a leap of faith? An analysis using a reprogrammed pasteurizer simulation task. Applied Ergonomics. 

• Lee, J., Yamani, Y., Long, S., K., Unverricht, J., & Itoh, M. (2021). Revisiting human-machine trust: A replication study of Muir & Moray (1996) using a simulated pasteurizer plant task. Ergonomics 64, 1132-1145.

• Yamani, Y., Long, S. L., & Itoh, M. (2020). Human-automation trust to technologies for naïve users amidst and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Factors, 62(7), 1087-1094.

• Bliss, J. P., Gao*, Q., Hu*, X., Itoh*, M., Long*, S., Papelis*, Y., & Yamani*, Y. (2019). Cross-cultural trust of robot peacekeepers: Investigation of robot appearance, weaponry, and task variants. Homeland Defense & Security Information Analysis Center (HDSIAC) Journal.

• Chancey, E.T., Bliss, J.P., Yamani, Y., & Handley, H. (2017). Trust and the compliance-reliance paradigm: The effects of risk, error bias, and reliability on trust and dependence behaviors. Human Factors, 59, 333-345.

Conference Proceedings:

• Sato, T., Yamani, Y., Jackson, A., Funabiki, K., Tsuda, H., Fujimoto, K., Itoh, M. (2025). DENJIN-KEIKAKU 2.0: Empowering aviation autonomy by anthropomorphic assistants. 10.5399/osu/1188.

• Sato, T., Inman, J., Politowicz, M. S., Chancey, E. T., & Yamani, Y. (2023). A meta-analytic approach to investigating the relationship between human-automation trust and attention allocation. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 67(1), 959-964.

Automated Driving

Modern automation technologies have advanced to a point where drivers can be completely freed from supervision of autonomous vehicles. However, in-depth analysis of human performance in different levels of vehicle automation technology is necessary to model and control inherently complex interactions between human drivers and automated/autonomous vehicles. Our approach is to investigate drivers’ eye movement patterns and visual/attentional performance in a human-in-the-loop driving simulation and offer empirical guidelines to automation designers.

Selected Publications:

• Yamani, Y., Glassman, J., Abdalziz Alruwaili, Yahoodik, S. E., Davis, E., Lugo, S., Xie, K., & Ishak, S. (2023). Post take-over performance varies in drivers of automated and connected vehicle technology in near-miss scenarios. Human Factors the Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 66(11), 2503–2517.

• Samuel, S., Yamani, Y., & Fisher, D. L. (2020). Understanding latent hazard anticipation in partial vehicle automation systems. International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 7(3), 282-296.

• Samuel, S., Yahoodik, S., Yamani, Y., Valluru, K., & Fisher, D. L. (2020). Ethical decision making behind the wheel – A driving simulator study. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 

• Hatfield, N., Yamani, Y., Palmer, D. B., Yahoodik, S., Vasquez, V., Horrey, W. J., & Samuel, S. (2019). An analysis of visual scanning patterns comparing drivers of simulated L2 and L0 systems. Transportation Research Record. 

• Yamani, Y. & Horrey, W. J. (2018). A theoretical model of human-automation interaction grounded in attention allocation policy during automated driving. International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 5, 225-239.

Cognitive Modeling of Human-Autonomy Team Efficiency

This project applies a novel measure of parallel processing efficiency such as systems factorial technology, a tool to reveal the underlying architecture of multi-channel cognitive system developed in Mathematical Psychology, to quantify human-autonomy team performance. For example, workload capacity analysis offers an analytic means to quantitatively analyze human-autonomy joint performance in speeded perceptual-cognitive tasks. We are currently testing the effects of perceptual separability and integrality, cognitive load and levels of automation on human-autonomy team efficiency in decision-making tasks.

Selected Publications:

• Scott-Sharoni, S., Yamani, Y., Kneeland, C., Long, S., Chen, J., & Houpt, J. W. (2021). Exploring the effects of perceptual separability on human-automation team efficiency. Computational Brain and Behavior. 

• Yamani, Y. & McCarley, J. S. (2018). Effects of task difficulty and display format on automation usage strategy: A workload capacity analysis. Human Factors, 60, 527-537.

• Yamani, Y., & McCarley, J.S. (2016). Workload capacity: An RT-based measure of automation dependence. Human Factors, 58, 462-471.

Conference Proceedings:

• Politowicz, M. S., Sato, T., Chancey, E. T., & Yamani, Y. (2022). Pathfinder networks for measuring operator mental model structure with a simple autopilot system. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 66(1), 883-887.

Advanced Air Mobility

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an emerging aviation ecosystem with increasingly automated technology that allows safe, reliable, and accessible aerial transportation of passengers and goods within and among rural and urban areas. AAM will rely on increasingly autonomous aircraft (e.g., drones) that will require automated systems to perform multiple tasks where a limited number of human operators interact and control them. We are investigating attentional limitations of human operators in simulated AAM tasks and develop a data-driven guideline for efficient and safe human-autonomy interactions in AAM operations.

Sponsor: NASA Langley Research Center

Publications:

• Yamani, Y., Sato, T., Jackson, A., Politowicz, M., & Chancey, E. T. (2025). A theoretical approach to management of limited attentional resources to support the m:N operation in advanced air mobility ecosystem. Interdependent Human-Machine Teams, 273–292.

• Yamani, Y., Sato, T., & Inman, J. (2023). Attentional limits and advanced air mobility ecosystem: A model of attention allocation, trust, and system performance. Presented at AHFE 2023 Conference.

• Sato, T., Islam, S., Still, J. D., Scerbo, M. W., & Yamani, Y. (2023). Task priority reduces an adverse effect of task load on automation trust: A multitasking flight simulator study. Cognition, Technology & Work, 25, 1-13.

• Politowicz, M. S., Sato, T., Chancey, E. T., & Yamani, Y. (2022). Pathfinder networks for measuring operator mental model structure with a simple autopilot system. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2022 Annual Meeting, 883-887.

Conference Proceedings:

• Sato, T., Inman, J., Politowicz, M. S., Chancey, E. T., & Yamani, Y. (2023). The influence of viability, independence, and self-governance on trust and public acceptance of uncrewed air vehicle operations. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 67(1), 51-56. 

  CP Sato, T., Politowicz, M. S., Islam, S., Chancey, E. T., & Yamani, Y. (2022). Attentional considerations in advanced air mobility operations: control, manage, or assist? Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 66(1), 28-32.