Human Factors Psychology Definition Applying psychological knowledge (i.e., our understanding of human capabilities and limitations) to the design of technological systems. Goals Increase effectiveness/usability Maintain safety

Where do HF people work? Very Applied Consulting/Industry Govt. Very Basic Consulting/Industry Aviation, Computers, etc. Govt. NASA, Military, Battelle, etc. Academia

Some example HF applications ...

A Perceptual Example ... Why are fire trucks starting to be painted that yellow-green color rather than the usual red?

Another Perceptual Example Why are “ready rooms” always bathed in red light rather than some other color?

A Cognitive Example ... You have to decide whether or not to shoot down an incoming aircraft.

Task Relevant Information What you get: Position Heading Elevation Speed What you need to assess: Whether the plane is flying level, climbing or descending. Whether the plane is making evasive maneuvers. Etc.

Cognitive Requirements So, the gunner must remember various pieces of information (i.e., position and speed at time X and Y) and compute the relevant knowledge. Doesn’t sound so bad?

Stress Stress will affect cognition in a number of ways, e.g., Distraction Three-mile island’s alarms ... Attentional Narrowing may not actually see all the information ... Short-term memory loss capacity is reduced under stress ... Perseveration continue to do something that isn’t working ...

The Solution? Design displays that do not overload the operator (rather than just throw more people at the problem). Display the requisite knowledge, rather than pieces of data.

Human-Centered Automation Keeping the human in-the-loop. Interface issues Need to make it obvious what the system is doing so that the human is aware. Roles Human should always have a role in decision making. At the very least, the operator should be given veto power over actions before they are taken. Keeping the human trained.