Human Factors Introduction

Question 1

What is Human Factors?

Answer 1

The study, analysis and design of human technology systems to insure safe, efficient, effective and error free system performance

Question 2

Why Study Human Factors?

Answer 2

To understand and predict system outputs, cannot ignore properties of one of the key system components – the people! Human Factors takes that into account.

Question 3

What are the 5 goals of Human Factors?

Answer 3

1) Improve safety 2) Improve reliability 3) Improve job/user satisfaction/comfort 4) Reduce errors5) 5) Enhance human capabilities

Question 4

What are the 2 basic Principles of Human Factors?

Answer 4

1) Know the user 2) Recognize individual differences of users.

Question 5

Who uses human factors?

Answer 5

A wide variety of domain areas: - computer software - health care - manufacturing - military - consumer goods - training - etc.

Question 6

What are 4 common tasks/analysis that are involved in human factors practice?

Answer 6

1) Design of tasks/technology/workplaces, to fit or enhance the physiological and psychological requirements and limitations of humans 2) Analysis of humans and tasks to better understand human/task interaction 3) Commitment to the idea that things must be designed with the human user in mind 4) Recognition of Individual Differences

Question 7

What factors affect human factors practices?

Answer 7

1) Technology changes over time 2) Training of HF professionals 3) Professional organizations 4) Government/Oversight organizations 5) Funding of research 6) HF/E industrial components/inputs

Question 8

How many steps are there in the system engineering life cycle?

Answer 8

Six steps

Question 9

What are the steps involved in the systems engineering life cycle?

Answer 9

1) Requirement Analysis 2) Specifications 3) Design 4) Implementation 5) Test 6) Maintenance

Question 10

What at what point in the system engineering life cycle is human factors involved?

Answer 10

It is involved in every step.

Question 11

What is the definition of a systems approach?

Answer 11

Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things, regarded as systems, influence one another within a whole. A sytstems approach, as it applies to human factors, is the study of how humans, work, and technology system interact with each other.

Question 12

Why is a systems approach important?

Answer 12

Understand and measure aspects of human performance in a work or task oriented setting

Question 13

What is the acronym for the systems approach model?

Answer 13

TOME

Question 14

What does TOME stand for?

Answer 14

T - Task (what are people doing) O - Operator (Experience? Sensory Capabilities? Motor Capabilities? (Age, literacy, language) M - Machine (the technologies and work object used in the task; Button size, display, error recovery, issues of display design E - Environment (physical (light/heat), social (work organization; Lighting, placement of equipment, communication issues )

Question 15

What is the Information Processing Model?

Answer 15

A model of how humans perceive, remember, process, and respond to the information in their environment

Question 16

Why is the information processing model important?

Answer 16

Start out with some concepts regarding how humans interact with their environment

Question 17

Can the stages of the information processing model overlap?

Answer 17

Yes. Stages should be taken literally, there is overlap and parallel processing.

Question 18

Describe the Model of Human Information Processing.

Answer 18

Refer to image

Question 19

What is the difference between review and preview?

Answer 19

Review is full research; what you would submit to a journal. Preview is based off something done before or some else’s research.

Question 20

What is applied research?

Answer 20

Research aimed toward answering a practical question, for example, a clinical question, rather than developing a theory or obtaining knowledge purely for its own sake Psychology Dictionary: http://psychologydictionary.org/applied-research/#ixzz2hbyDdjI0

Question 21

What is basic research?

Answer 21

Research study done purely for science and knowledge without necessarily being directed at a goal or attempting to solve a problem. Rather, the main intention is to increase your understanding of a particular phenomenon or behavior. Psychology Dictionary: http://psychologydictionary.org/basic-research/#ixzz2hbyPg1tP

Question 22

What is the Descriptive Method of Research?

Answer 22

There are instances where researchers are interested in one or more theorized relationship between variables but cannot directly manipulate the causal variables. The researcher simply measure both variables and evaluate the correlation or degree of relationship between them. It is termed a study or research project but is technically not an experiment.

Question 23

What is the Experimental Method of Research?

Answer 23

An experimental method of research involves looking at the relationship between independent variables and resutling changes in onr or more dependent variables. The goal is to show that the independent variable, and no other, is responsible for the causing any quantitative differences in the dependent variable.

Question 24

What are independent variables?

Answer 24

An independent variable is the variable you have control over, what you can choose and manipulate in an experiment.

Question 25

What are dependent variables?

Answer 25

A dependent variable is what you measure in the experiment and what is affected during the experiment. The dependent variable responds to the independent variable. It is called dependent because it “depends” on the independent variable. In a scientific experiment, you cannot have a dependent variable without an independent variable.

Question 26

What is a between-subjects design in an experiment?

Answer 26

The different levels of the independent variable are assessed using separate groups of subjects. Compare the effects between groups of subjects.

Question 27

What is a within-subject design in an experiment?

Answer 27

Same subjects within every group

Question 28

What is a mixed-subject design in an experiment?

Answer 28

The of both between-subject and within-subject groups in an experiment. Applies with a factorial designed experiment.

Question 29

What are the two types of dependent measures?

Answer 29

Objective and Subjective

Question 30

What is objective measurement?

Answer 30

Any objective measure, such as number of keystrokes; Existing independent of mind; belonging to the sensible world and being observable or verifiable.

Question 31

What is subjective measurement?

Answer 31

Measures that rely on human experience, judgment, perception, or cognition; Relating to or determined by the mind as the subject of experience; characteristic of or belonging to reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind. Exp.

Question 32

What are the five steps in conducting an experiment?

Answer 32

1. Define problem and hypotheses. 2. Specify the experimental plan. 3. Conduct the study 4. Analyze the data 5. Draw conclusions

Question 33

In experimental design, what is a two-group design?

Answer 33

One independent variable or factor is tested with only two conditions or levels of the independent variable (no cell phone use vs. cell phone use). The control group gest no cell phone use, the experimental group gets cell phone use. The dependent variable is compared for the two groups (the dependent variable is driving performance).

Question 34

In experimental design, what is a multiple-group design?

Answer 34

Studying one independent variable with many levels of the variable. For example, cell phone use vs. no cell phone usage vs. hands-free cell phone usage. Another example would be studying five different degrees of brightness in headlights.

Question 35

What is factorial design in experimental design?

Answer 35

Expand the two-group design by evaluating more than one independent variable or factor in a single experiment. Example: No car phone/car phone vs. light traffic/heavy traffic (2x2 factorial design). In this example the two indepenedant variables are cell phone use and traffic conditions.

Question 36

What is statistical significance?

Answer 36

Once change is ruled out, meaning p<0.05, researches discuss the differences between groups as though they are fact.

Question 37

What is practical significance?

Answer 37

Sometimes it’s important to look at particular significance (for example, is it work spending millions to place simulators to get an increase from 80%-83%

Question 38

What are the types of research methods?

Answer 38

1) Ethnographic 2) Observational 3) Field Studies 4) Archival Data 4) Surveys and Questionaries 5) Simulator based experiments 6) Laboratory Experiments 7) Model based studies

Question 39

What is ethnographic research?

Answer 39

Researcher acutally does the job during the research to help form a better understanding.

Question 40

What is observational research?

Answer 40

Watching some do a job or task. A subject that is involved in an observational study usually does not have a direct contact with the researcher, and sometimes may not be aware that he is a part of an observational study.

Question 41

What are some of the things planned in an observational research methods?

Answer 41

1) identifies the variables to be measured, 2) the methods to be employed for observing and recording each variable, 3) conditions under which observation will occur, 4) the observational time frame, and so forth.

Question 42

What is field studies?

Answer 42

Going out and watching people do the job. In field studies, most of the subjects have direct contact with the researcher, and communicate their opinions and experiences to the researcher as part of the study.

Question 43

What is archival data based research?

Answer 43

Going through archival research to base research on?

Question 44

What is the pitfall of archival data based research?

Answer 44

Sometimes historical data can be bad.

Question 45

What is a survey?

Answer 45

Survey research is the systematic gathering of information about people’s beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavior.

Question 46

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 46

A questionnaire is a set of written questions or scales used for both experimental and descriptive research. Employed in surveys.

Question 47

What are simulator based experiments?

Answer 47

Experiments that involve simulating events and outcomes.

Question 48

What are laboratory experiments?

Answer 48

Experiments carried out in a controlled environment. Can bring this into an environment where we can control things.

Question 49

What are model based studies?

Answer 49

Models of human behavior are sued to predict outcomes. Not very different from simulator based studies.

Question 50

Were do the guidelines for ethical issues of participants in research come from?

Answer 50

Many professional affiliations and government agencies have written specific guidelines for the proper way to involve participants in research. (Code of Federal Regulations HHS, Title 45, Part 46 National Institute of Health, human subjects testing)

Question 51

What is the purpose of ethical issues?

Answer 51

1) Protection of participants from mental or physical harm 2) To assurance that participation in research is completely voluntary. 3)The right of participants to privacy with respect to their behavior

Question 52

What are protected groups?

Answer 52

1) Children 2) Prisoners 3) Pregnant Women 4) Elderly (when they are cognitively compromised)

Question 53

What is an incident?

Answer 53

An incident is where a noticeable problem occurs during system operation, but an actual accident does not result from it.

Question 54

What is the role of human factors in incident and accident analysis?

Answer 54

A human factors analyst must determine the overall functioning of a system, especially with respect to safety. Accident prevention is a major goal of the human factors profession, especially as humans are increasingly called upon to operate large and complex systems.

Question 55

What is a qualitative measurement in regards to a measuring a dependent?

Answer 55

Data can be observed and is more difficult to directly measure (beauty, impressions, smells); Deals often with descriptions.

Question 56

What is a quantitative measurement in regards to a dependent measurement?

Answer 56

Data which can be measured (length, speed, time, age, cost); Deals with numbers.

Question 57

What is factorial design?

Answer 57

The use of multiple levels for manipulating a single independent variable. Allows for the assesment of a single indpendent variable, as well as how indpendent variables interact with each other. In other words, allows for more testing in a single experiment.