Human Factors 1 Flashcards
What interaction do both the terms ergonomics and human factors describe?
- interaction between the operator and the demands of the task being performed and both are concerned with trying to reduce unnecessary stress in these interactions
______ traditionally is focused on how work affects people
ergonomics
____ ____ is traditionally more interested in human machine interface or human engineering
human factors
What is the emphasis of human factors?
on designs that REDUCE the potential for human error
When did human factors emerge and why? What was the early emphasis on?
during WWII - the need for people to effectively operate sophisticated military systems - early emphasis on productivity and physiology
After WWII, where did the emphasis of human factors shift to?
include other objectives such as safer and healthier working environments and improvements in the quality of working life
User-Centered Design:
- designed to fit who?
- reduces what?
- minimizes what?
- improves what?
Fit people (not vice-versa) Reduce training time Minimize human error Improve comfort, safety, productivity (this was the picture with the head and the ring around the head with balls on the ring - take a look - might be a written Q?)
What are some human factors activities?
- accident investigation/expert witness
- simulation, VR, and training
- occupational/public health and safety
- consumer products
- basic and applied research
Design considerations? (6)
AUS CUS
- Affordances
- User Stereotypes/Expectancies
- Stimulus-Response Compatibility
- Cognitive Ability
- User Preferences
- Sensation & Perceptual Capabilities
ACRONYM: AUS CUS
An ____ is a relation between an object or an environment and an organism that through a collection of stimuli, affords the opportunity for that organism to perform an action.
affordances
How is the handle on a teapot an affordance?
the handle defines how the object is to be interacted with - even the orientation of the mug or pot is part of the affordance
With regards to affordances, what is important to consider?
need to consider all stimuli to help define the appropriate response - inconsistencies in physical and visual stimuli may lead to inappropriate responses (eg. a handle is normally associated with a pull not a push, so it can be confusing when a door has a handle but also a ‘push’ sign)
A ___ ___ is an apparent affordance that does not have any real function, meaning that the individual perceives nonexistent possibilities for action
false affordance
- a good example of a false affordance is a placebo button
How can a placebo button be psychologically rewarding?
gives an illusion of control
A ____ ____ indicates that there are possibilities for action, but these are not perceived by the individual.
hidden affordance
- eg. using a remote as a beer bottle opener
The response or interaction with objects and/or environments is impacted by what?
prior experience
What may an individual develop to improve interaction?
a cognitive stereotype - this can have positive and negative implications!
What are the + and - implications of developing user stereotypes?
+ve: increased quality and RT with correct object/environ. response
-ve: decreased quality and increased RT when similar object/environ. but not same response required
What is road-user expectancy and why can it be good and also bad?
- the more experienced the driver, the greater the expectancy
- more driving experience leads to quicker and more accurate reactions as long as drivers expectancy is met
- a sudden change in road conditions violated expectancy and increases likelihood of driver error and increased RT because the driver takes longer to understand the situation and respond to it
“the degree to which a person’s perception of the world is compatible with the required action”
stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility
S-R compatibility has been described as the “naturalness” of the association between what?
a stimulus and its response
- eg. a left-rientated stimulus requiring a response from the left side of the body
Studies of S-R compatibility rely upon what to determine natural human decision making?
affordances and stereotype expectancies
What happens when we increase cognitive load?
increases chances of error = increased chance of injury
Human ability to multitask and deal with working memory (executive function) to make decisions. This depends on what?
type, timing and amount of stimuli present, cognitive fatigue, age and other contextual factors.
