[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21906-21907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9419]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day-11-11EF]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-5960 
and send comments to Daniel Holcomb, CDC Reports Clearance Officer, 
1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail to 
[email protected].
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the

[[Page 21907]]

burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology. Written comments should be received within 60 
days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Dynamic Decision Making in Mine Emergency Situations--Existing 
Collection in use without an OMB control number--National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Mining is a context filled with tragic outcomes, as thousands of 
miners die in mining accidents each year throughout the world. In the 
process of examining workers' responses in emergency situations in 
mines, researchers at the NIOSH-Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) 
have found that one of the key human behavior processes that need to be 
better understood to better handle emergency situations is Decision 
Making (Vaught, Brnich, & Mallett, 2004). Decision Making, the process 
by which alternatives are constructed and a choice is made, continues 
to be one of the critically understudied aspects of mine emergencies. 
For example, The Mine Safety Technology and Training (MSTT) Commission 
suggests that escape/rescue decision-making is one of the most critical 
skill/knowledge gaps identified in mining (MSTTC, 2006). Their report 
strongly supports the need for additional training in decision-making 
during emergency situations to improve the ability of miners to escape 
(or be rescued).
    The research proposed here will help address this gap by 
integrating the theoretical knowledge of human decision making in 
dynamic situations with the practical aspects of training miners. The 
research will result in the improved science of decision making and 
practical guidelines and tools that demonstrate how to best train 
decision making in the unique conditions of accidents when under 
workload, uncertainty, and time constraints.
    A simple Decision Making Game (DMGame) will be used in a laboratory 
study to investigate choice strategies based on the dynamic development 
of cues. Through a contract with the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (Contract 200-2009-31403), the Dynamic Decision 
Making Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University will investigate 
several independent variables relevant to Instance-Based Learning 
Theory, including: The diversity of instances, the number of instances 
(base rates) needed to improve accuracy in the triage process, and the 
effects of time constraints and workload on the effectiveness of 
triage. The manipulation of these independent variables will reveal 
training scenarios and conditions that are more effective during 
learning and at transfer. Knowledge acquired during training will be 
tested in transfer conditions. The transfer conditions will vary 
depending on the participants used in the experiment. New guidelines 
for training for unexpected situations will be developed from the 
results of the laboratory experiment. The results and guidelines will 
be published in journal research papers and presented in international 
conferences and meeting.
    The Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory conducted this research with 
a total of 28 students from Carnegie Mellon University and the 
University of Pittsburgh between January 2010 and December 2010. 
Participants were recruited through an online research participant pool 
from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh to 
participate in a simple DMGame, called the ``Work Hazard Game.'' 
Participants were asked to read and sign a consent form. After signing 
the form, participants were provided with instructions on how to play 
the game. They then completed the Work Hazard Game. Overall, 
participation lasted about 30 minutes. The game recorded participants' 
actions and the data was transferred to statistical software (i.e., 
SPSS) for analysis. Participants were not asked to identify which 
school they were affiliated with. There were no costs to respondents 
other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                             Number of        Average burden
        Respondents/form name             Number of        responses per       response (in     Total burden (in
                                         respondents         respondent           hours)             hours)
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Student.............................                 28                  1              30/60                 14
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    Total...........................  .................  .................  .................                 14
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Daniel Holcomb,
Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-9419 Filed 4-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P