[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 161 (Friday, August 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51982-51983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21200]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-11-11EF]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-
5806. Written comments should be received within 30 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) was 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

[[Page 51983]]

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. There were no costs to respondents other than their 
time. The total estimated annual burden hours are 14.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Number of      Average burden
                  Respondents for DM Game                       Number of       responses per   per response (in
                                                               respondents       respondent          hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student...................................................                28                 1             30/60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: August 15, 2011.
Daniel Holcomb,
Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-21200 Filed 8-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P