Module 1: What is Human Factors Engineering

ISE 3614: Human Factors Engineering, Virginia Tech, Facilitator: Dr.RNCP

International Ergonomics Association Definition of Human Factors

the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applied theory, principles, data, and other methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.

What are the 5 Fundamental Beliefs?

1. Things are built to serve people.

2. Individual differences exist.

3. Design influences behavior and well being.

4. Commitment to systems orientation.

5. Empirical data will provide the answers.

What are 3 things that Human Factors are not?

1. Not just common sense.

2. Not just applying checklists and guidelines.

3. Not using oneself as the model for designing things.

What is considered the birthplace of human factors research?

WW2 Aviation.

Name the problem in the Case Study: B-2 Stealth Bomber.

B-2 was meant for long missions, yet they did not design the cockpit with that in mind (i.e. there was no place for the crew to rest!).

Name a case study where adding more features didn’t guarantee an improved product.

Remote Controls.

Name a case study where adding less features guaranteed an improved product.

Flip Phones to Digital Phones.

Name a case study where increasing the size of the product didn’t guarantee an improved product.

iPhones to iPads.

Name a case study where increasing available information to the user didn’t guarantee an improved user experience/satisfaction.

Any product with too much, contradictory, or redundant information. (e.g., street signs, door signs, etc.).

Name a case study where presentation of information to the user decreased user experience/satisfaction.

Medication Labels.

Meister’s Definition of Human Factors

the study of how humans accomplish work-related tasks in the context of human-machine system operation, and how behavioral and nonbehavioral variables affect that accomplishment.

What are 3 of Meister’s Goals of Human Factors?

When the human interacts with a system,

1. To reduce error

2. Increase productivity

3. Enhance safety and comfort

What are 3 motivations for Human Factors?

1. Practical need: WW2

2. Technological advancements

3. Linguistic developments

What are 3 more detailed motivations for Human Factors?

1. Systems with well-trained operators failed.

2. Analyze operator’s temporal limits of processing information.

3. Influence of information theory, cybernetics, etc.

What discipline overlaps with Engineering Psychology?

Human Factors

Definition of Engineering Psychology

to understand human capabilities and limitations using the methods and data from experimental psychology and apply it to the design of systems, technologies, and environments.

What are the 3 goals of Engineering Psychology?

1. Improve human performance (efficiency and effectiveness).

2. Improve safety.

3. Improve user satisfaction.

What is the overall goal of Engineering Psychology?

to consider human characteristics in designing and arranging systems and devices.

What are the 4 waves/questions/goals in Human Factors?

Wave 1: “Can you evaluate our user interface, and make it easy to use?”

Wave 2: “Can you help us design this user interface so that it is easy to use?”

Wave 3: “Can you help us find what the users really need so that we know how to design this user interface?”

Wave 4: “Can you look at this area of life, and find us something interesting?”

What is the main idea of the 4 waves/questions/goals in Human Factors?

VALUE in our life…

What are 2 things of Engineering Psychology?

1. Designing for Users.

2. Design with Humans in Mind.

What are 3 considerations for Considering Humans within a System (the Systems Approach)?

1. Human

2. Task

3. Technology

What are the 3 Iterative Cycles of Design and Evaluation?

1. Analysis →

2. Design →

3. Evaluation

What are 3 levels of approaches and examples in Engineering Psychology and Human Factors?

1. Neurological Level

example: Neuro imaging (e.g., fMRI, fNIRS, EEG).

2. Behavioral Level

example: Human-subject experiments

3. Computational Level

example: Mathematical modeling of cognitive process

What are the 2 dimensions of measurements?

1. Analytical vs. Empirical

2. Qualitative vs. Quantitative

Sensory Processing Definition in Human Factors

for human factors, the primary emphasis is on the visual, auditory, tactile, and proprioceptive senses of the body, although some olfactory displays do exist (e.g., additives to natural gas that allow us to detect leaks).

Definition of Proprioception

perception of body states (e.g., need to urinate, stomach ache) can also include kinesthetic sense (e.g., limb position) and refer to knowledge of your body’s orientation in space (i.e. the direction of gravity).

Relationship between Senses and Human Performance

characteristics of the senses apply important constraints on human performance.

What is the main idea of sensory/sensation level?

to detect and encode the stimuli.

Short Term Sensory Store (STSS) Definition

each sense has a mechanism for prolonging the representation of the physical stimulus for a SHORT period.

What are 3 characteristics of STSS with examples?

1. Pre-attentive

example: information is stored whether you attend to it or not.

2. Veridical

example: truthful; does not change or process the stimulus appreciably.

3. Decays Rapidly

Perceptual Encoding and Attention Definition

incoming sensory information is interpreted in the context of previous experience (information in long-term memory).

Define the 2 types of processing.

1. Top-down: contribution of previous experience.

2. Bottom-up: contribution of incoming data.

What is the main idea of perception level?

interpreting the stimuli.

Relationship between Perceptual Encoding and Attention

Perceptual encoding is limited by attention.

Define the 2 types of Decision Making

1. Automatic: Quick

2. Controlled: Slow

What is the main idea of Automatic vs. Controlled decisions?

once a stimulus is perceived, we must decide what response to make.

What are 3 characteristics of Automatic Decisions?

1. No attention needed.

2. Learned reflexes.

3. Long-term memory procedure executes automatically in response to the stimulus.

What are 4 characteristics of Controlled Decisions?

1. Attention required, typically conscious of thoughts.

2. Interaction with working and long-memory systems.

3. May involve rehearsal (to store new information).

4. Weighing of cost and benefits.