Faculty and Staff Profile

Chris Pagano

Educational Background

Ph.D. Ecological Psychology
University of Connecticut 1993

BA Psychology
University of Connecticut 1987

Courses Taught

Psyc H2010: Honors Introduction to Psychology
Psyc 3220: Sensation & Perception
Psyc 8220: Human Perception & Performance

Research Interests

Human Experimental Psychology:

Haptic Perception, Kinesthesis, & Proprioception
Visual Perception
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Human Factors of Haptic Interfaces & Laparoscopic Surgery
Human Factors of Teleoperated Robotic Systems
Environmental Psychology
Affordances
Direct Perception & Ecological Psychology

Research Publications

Raveendranath, B., Pagano, C.C., & Srinivasan, D. (2024). Effects of arm-support exoskeletons on pointing accuracy and movement. Human Movement Science, 95, 103198.

Raveendranath, B., Rosopa, E., & Pagano, C. C. (2024). “I got all I need to know about affordances from Norman”: What engineers, designers, and architects need to know about affordances. In M. Mangalam, A. Hajnal, & D. G. Kelty-Stephen (Eds.) The Modern Legacy of Gibson’s Affordances for the Sciences of Organisms, p327-347, Routledge.

Solini, H., Rosopa, E., Rosopa, P., & Pagano, C.C. (2024). Quantifying accuracy on distance estimation tasks: A Monte Carlo study. Behavior Research Methods. 1-25.

Wagman, J.B, Duffrin, T., Pagano, C., & Day, B. (2023). Gone fishin’: Perceiving the length of one object that is non-rigidly attached to a wielded object. Perception, 52, 484-501.

Raveendranath, B., Pagano, C.C., Nasiri, M., Robb, A. C., & Babu, S. V. (2023). Effect of texture on the perception of axis of rotation of pivot doors. Ecological Psychology 35, 1-30.

Bhargava, A., Venkatakrishnan, R.H., Venkatakrishnan, R.S., Lucaites, K., Solini, H., Robb, A., Pagano, C. & Babu, S. (2023). Can I Squeeze Through? Effects of Self-Avatars and Calibration in a Person-Plus-Virtual-Object System on Perceived Lateral Passability in VR. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 29, 2348-2357.

Venkatakrishnan, R.S., Venkatakrishnan, R.H., Raveendranath, B., Pagano, C.C., Robb, A.C., Lin, W.-C., & Babu, S.V. (2023a). Give Me a Hand: Improving the Effectiveness of Near-field Augmented Reality Interactions by Avatarizing Users’ End Effectors. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 29, 2412-2422.

Venkatakrishnan, R.S., Venkatakrishnan, R.H., Raveendranath, B., Pagano, C.C., Robb, A.C., Lin, W.-C., & Babu, S.V. (2023b). How End-effector Representations Affect the Perceptions of Dynamic Affordances in Virtual Reality. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 29, 2258-2268.

Wijayanto, I.A., Babu, S.V., Pagano, C.C., Chuang, J.H. (2023). Comparing the Effects of Visual Realism on Size Perception in VR versus Real World Viewing through Physical and Verbal Judgments. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 29, 2721-2731.

Kohm, K., Babu, S., Pagano, C. & Robb, A. (2022). Objects May Be Farther Than They Appear: Depth Compression Diminishes Over Time with Repeated Calibration in Virtual Reality. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 28, 3907-3916.

Bhargava, A., Venkatakrishnan, R. S., Venkatakrishnan, R. H., Solini, H., Lucaites, K., Robb, A., Pagano, C. & Babu, S. (2022). Did I Hit the Door? Effects of Self-Avatars and Calibration in a Person-Plus-Virtual-Object System on Perceived Frontal Passability in VR. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 28, 4198-4210.

Solini, H., Bhargava, A., & Pagano, C.C. (2021) Calibration to a Rescaling of Optic Flow Velocity. Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, 83, 497-511.

Pagano, C.C., Day, B., & Hartman, L. (2021). An Argument Framework for Ecological Psychology and Architecture Design. Technology | Architecture + Design, 5, 31-36.

Beadle, S., Muth, E., & Pagano, C.C. (2021). Using Head-Mounted Displays to Understand Adaptation and Calibration under Varying Perturbations. Displays, 66.

Lucaites, K., Venkatakrishnan, R.S, Bhargava, A., Venkatakrishnan, R.H., & Pagano, C.C. (2020). Aperture Crossing Behavior from Within-Trial Metrics of Motor Control Reliability. Human Movement Science, 74.

Bhargava, A., Lucaites, K.M., Hartman, L.S., Solini, H., Bertrand, J., Robb, A.C., Pagano, C.C., Babu, S.V. (2020). Revisiting affordance perception in contemporary virtual reality. Virtual Reality, 24, 713-724.

Lucaites, K., Venkatakrishnan, R.H., Venkatakrishnan, R.S, Bhargava, A., & Pagano, C.C. (2020), Predictability and variability of a dynamic environment impact affordance judgments. Ecological Psychology, 32, 95-114.

Pagano, C. C., & Day, B. (2020). Ecological Interface Design Inspired by "The Meaningful Environment." In J. Wagman & J. Blau (Eds.), Perception as Information Detection: Reflections on Gibson's Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. 37-50, Routledge.

Masoudi, N., Fadel, G. M., Pagano, C. C., & Elena, M. V. (2019). A Review of Affordances and Affordance Based Design to Address Usability. In Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED19), 1353-1362, Delft, The Netherlands, 5-8 August 2019.

Day, B., Ebrahimi, E., Hartman, L.S., Pagano, C.C., Robb, A.C., & Babu, S.V. (2019). Examining the Effects of Altered Avatars on Perception-Action in Virtual Reality. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 25, 1-24.

Day, B., Ebrahimi, E., Hartman, L.S., Pagano, C.C., & Babu, S.V. (2017). Calibration to Tool Use during Visually-Guided Reaching. Acta Psychologica, 181, 27-39.

Altenhoff, B.M., Pagano, C.C., Kil, I., & Burg, T.C. (2017). Haptic Distance-to-Break in the Presence of Friction. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 43, 231-244.

Hartman, L.S., Kil, I., Pagano, C.C. & Burg, T.C. (2016). Investigating Haptic Distance-To-Break Using Linear and Nonlinear Materials in a Simulated Minimally Invasive Surgery Task. Ergonomics, 59, 1171-1181.

Ebrahimi, E., Babu, S., Pagano C. & Joerg, S. (2016). An Empirical Evaluation of Visuo-haptic Feedback on Physical Reaching Behaviors during 3D Interaction in Real and Immersive Virtual Environments. ACM Transactions on Applied Perception, 13, 19:1-19:21.

Long, L.O., Pagano, C.C, Singapogu, R.B., & Burg, T.C. (2016). Surgeon's Perception of Soft Tissue Constraints and Distance-to-Break in a Simulated Minimally Invasive Surgery Task. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2016 Annual Meeting, 1598-1602. Washington, DC, September 19-23, 2016.

Singapogu, R. B., Long, L. O., Smith D., Burg, T. C., Pagano, C. C., Prabhu, V.V. & Burg, K. J. L. (2015). Simulator-Based Assessment of Haptic Surgical Skill: A Comparative Study. Surgical Innovation, 22(2), 183-188.

Singapogu, R.B., Pagano, C.C., Burg, T.C., Dorn, P.G., Zacharia, R., & Lee. D (2014). Perceptually Salient Haptic Rendering for Enhancing Kinesthetic Perception in Virtual Environments. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces, 8, 319-331.

Campbell, A. O., & Pagano, C. C. (2014) The Effect of Instructions on Potential Slide-Out Failures During Portable Extension Ladder Angular Positioning. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 67, 30-39.

Napieralski, P.E., Altenhoff, B.M., Bertrand, J.W., Long, L.O., Babu, S.V., Pagano, C.C. & Davis, T.A. (2014). An Evaluation of Immersive Viewing on Spatial Knowledge Acquisition in Spherical Panoramic Environments. Virtual Reality, 18, 189-201.

Singapogu, R. B., DuBose, S, Long, L. O., Smith, D. E., Burg, T. C., Pagano, C. C., & Burg, K. J. L. (2013). Salient Haptic Skills Trainer: Initial Validation of a Novel Simulator for Training Force-based Laparoscopic Surgical Skills. Surgical Endoscopy, 27(5), 1653-1661.

Isableu, B., Hansen, C., Rezzoug, N., Gorce, P., & Pagano, C.C. (2013). Velocity-dependent changes of rotational axes during the control of unconstrained 3D arm motions depend on initial instructions on limb position. Human Movement Science, 32, 290-300.

Singapogu, R. B., Smith D., Long, L. O., Burg, T. C., Pagano, C. C. & Burg, K. J. L. (2012). Objective Differentiation of Force-Based Laparoscopic Skills using a Novel Haptic Simulator. Journal of Surgical Education, 69, 766-773.

Gomer, J. A. & Pagano, C. C. (2012). Spatial Perception and Robot Operation: Selection, Training, Gaming, & Design. Naval Engineers Journal, 124, 131-140.

Long, L.O., Gomer, J.A., Wong, J.T, & Pagano, C.C. (2011). Visual Spatial Abilities in Uninhabited Ground Vehicles: Task Performance during Teleoperation and Direct Line of Sight. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 20, 466-479.

Naprieralski, P.E., Altenhoff, B.M., Bertrand, J.W., Long, L.O., Babu, S.V., Pagano, C.C., Kern, J. & Davis, T.A. (2011). Comparing Near Field Distance Perception in Real and Virtual Environments Using Both Verbal and Action Responses. ACM Transactions on Applied Perception, 8(3), 18:1-18:19.

Moore, K. S., Gomer, J. A., Pagano, C. C., & Moore, D. D. (2009). Perception of Robot Passability During Direct Line of Sight and Teleoperation. Human Factors, 51, 557-570.

Isableu, B., Rezzoug, N., Mallet, G., Bernardin, D., Gorce, P., & Pagano, C. C. (2009) Velocity-dependant changes of rotational axes in the non-visual control of unconstrained 3D arm motions. Neuroscience, 164, 1632-1647.

Gomer, J. A., Dash, C., Moore, K. S., & Pagano, C. C. (2009). Using Radial Outflow to provide Depth Information During Teleoperation. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 18, 304-320.

Pagano, C. C. & Isenhower, R. W. (2008). Expectation Affects Verbal Judgments but not Reaches to Visually Perceived Egocentric Distances. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 15, 437-442.

Honors and Awards

Best Paper Award: Venkatakrishnan, R.S., Venkatakrishnan, R.H., Raveendranath, B., Pagano, C.C., Robb, A.C., Lin, W.-C., & Babu, S.V. (2023). How End-effector Representations Affect the Perceptions of Dynamic Affordances in Virtual Reality. 30Th IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces, Shanghai, China, March, 2023.

Best Paper Award: Ebrahimi, E., Hartman, L.S., Robb, A., Pagano, C.C. & Babu, S. Investigating the Effects of Anthropomorphic Fidelity of Self-Avatars on Near Field Depth Perception in Immersive Virtual Environments. IEEE Virtual Reality 2018 Conference. Reutlingen, Germany, 2018.

Best Paper Award: Ebrahimi, E., Babu, S., Pagano, C. & Joerg, S., An empirical evaluation of Visuo-haptic feedback on physical reaching behaviors during 3D interaction in real and immersive virtual environments. ACM Symposium on Applied Perception, Anaheim, CA, 2016.

Best Poster Award: Ebrahimi, E., Babu, S., Pagano, C. & Joerg, S., Towards a comparative evaluation of visually guided physical reach motions during 3D interactions in real and virtual environments. IEEE 11th Symposium on 3D User Interfaces, Greenville, SC, 2016.

Best Paper Award: Gomer, J. A. & Pagano, C. C. Spatial Perception and Robot Operation: Selection, Training, Gaming, & Design. American Society of Naval Engineers Human Systems Integration Symposium, Vienna, VA, 2011.