Article
Examining External Validity Issues in Research with Human Operation of Unmanned Vehicles
Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science
(2012)
Abstract
Research has studied human operation of unmanned vehicles (UVs) in the laboratory and the field, but differences between these settings raise questions about the generalisability of findings. This article discusses how these differences can alter relationships of interest and establishes a framework for establishing causal inference. The goals of this article are to: (a) argue that findings can be externally valid, where differences may be as much the result of specifics from the field as any lack of generalisability of laboratory; (b) illustrate how external validity arguments can be presented in UV research; (c) support the idea that hypotheses about the real-world can be tested in laboratory domains; (d) challenge the notion that findings from the field will always generalise to future applications; and (e) present a position where field and laboratory research can be integrated to develop a stronger theoretical framework for understanding how human operators control unmanned systems.
Keywords
- human–robot interaction,
- unmanned vehicle operation,
- laboratory research,
- field research,
- external validity
Disciplines
Publication Date
August 10, 2012
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/1463922X.2012.713037
Citation Information
Joseph R. Keebler, Thomas Fincannon and Florian Jentsch. "Examining External Validity Issues in Research with Human Operation of Unmanned Vehicles" Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science Vol. 15 Iss. 4; Special Issue - Transfer from the Laboratory to the Real World (2012) p. 395 - 414 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/joseph_r_keebler/32/