Human-Centered Design Lab

Welcome to the Human-Centered Design (HCD) Lab!

Our lab studies human-computer interaction in complex, applied environments, organized around three goals. The first is characterizing the cognitive costs of multitasking associated with the combination of novel technologies (such as information displays) and physical tasks. The second focuses on how trust in autonomous systems forms over repeated interactions and what happens when that technology fails. The third explores how game engines can be used for psychological research, serving not only as a platform for stimulus presentation but also as a tool for collecting interaction-level behavioral data.

Representative Publications:

• Jackson, K. M., Shaw, T. H., & Helton, W. S. (2023). The effects of dual-task interference on visual search and verbal memory. Ergonomics, 66(1), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2022.2061053.

• Jackson, Kenneth & Shaw, Tyler & Helton, William. (2023). Evaluating the dual-task decrement within a simulated environment: Word recall and visual search. Applied Ergonomics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103861. 

• Jackson, K. M., Thayer, S. C., Simpson, K. L., Shaw, T. H., McKnight, P. E., & Helton, W. S. (2024). Swimming with a head-mounted display: dual-task costs. Ergonomics, 67(11), 1471–1480. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2024.2339436

• Jackson, K. M., & Rosero, A. (2025). A Simple Framework to Guide the Development of Online Experimental Cognitive Tasks Using the Unity Game Engine. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 69(1), 119-123. https://doi.org/10.1177/10711813251367727

• Jackson, K. M., Sharp, W. H., & Shaw, T. H. (2022). Modeling the Impacts of Positive Interaction Frequency on Subjective Trust in an Autonomous Agent: A Linear Mixed Model Approach. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 66(1), 798-801. https://doi.org/10.1177/1071181322661448.

• Sharp, W. H., Jackson, K. M., & Shaw, T. H. (2026). Guilty until proven innocent: Experiencing errors in training promotes relationship equity and trust calibration. Applied ergonomics, 136, 104770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2026.104770