Neuroergonomics and human error

Abstract

Neuroergonomics complements traditional ergonomic approaches to understanding many aspects of human–system performance, including the analysis of human error. This paper reviews the evidence on neural signals associated with different error types, specifically the error-related negativity (ERN), a brain potential that is extracted from the scalp electroencephalogram and that is generated in a medial prefrontal brain region, the anterior cingulate cortex. Studies of the ERN indicate that the brain has a specialised error monitoring and feedback system with close ties to brain networks involved in learning and decision making. The implications of this system for understanding how errors are made are discussed, as well as how errors are captured, learned from and used as feedback to enhance future performance. Applications of neuroergonomic studies of human error–in the development of brain–computer interfaces, selection and training design and procedures for system diagnosis–are also described. The current literature on the neural basis for human error processing is presented within the framework of neuroergonomics. This review relates the basic understanding of error processing to work-related problems. It is argued that better systems can be created provided the neural processes underlying behaviour are taken into account.